Another year, another Warped Tour. It's been almost a month since I went to Vans Warped Tour this year but just haven't had time to get around to writing this post as well as didn't want to because that means I need to accept that it's over till next year; Warped Tour is still going on in different states but nowhere close by that I can go again. We attended the show in Syracuse on July 7th which was a 3 hour drive away so we had left at 4am to be there for 8am, there was some confusion finding the parking then had to walk over to the venue.
I got to see all the bands I came out to see as well as discovered some new bands that i've heard of but never listened to & ones I've never seen & heard of before. I came out to see Tonight Alive, We The Kings, Set it Off, State Champs, Emarosa and The Maine. The bands I got to stop by and listen to was Broadside, Issues, Yellowcard & Sum 41.
We started our day off with We The Kings which we got to see side stage because we were Warped Reporters for the day, got in the festival for free because we showed up early & got people in line to complete surveys about the event. We got to watch one band side stage & got to walk around the venue before anyone else which helped us know where everything is & where the tents that we wanted to stop by were.
We had about 15 minutes before We The Kings show so we spent most of it looking for the ATM machine since we came to the States cashless but could not seem to find one set up yet. Thank god for technology because most booths had Square Readers which made it possible for us to buy things with our cards which is what we ended up doing all day. After We The Kings, there wasn't much stopping because the shows just kept coming after one another. State Champs was next up & they had a great show with a pretty cool bubble machine which I wish could have cooled us down but was just a pretty sight. After their show, I ran for some food because I was ready to pass out from how hot it was.
After food, we had some time until Tonight Alive so we walked around to see different bands playing such as Broadside who were pretty cool. We didn't get to check them out long though because Tonight Alive started not long after we finished eating. We had wristbands to go the meet & greet but couldn't make it because their was a set time at the same time. Tonight Alive I was excited to see especially after discovering them in March & learning majority of their new album BUT Set it Off was starting right after Tonight Alive & we needed to get in the front for their show so we ended up watching half the show from the side.
Set it Off was amazing of course because they know how to put on a show & Cody always knows how to keep the crowd alive. It was so great to hear them singing both of their new singles & I can't wait to hear the new album which comes out October 7th which means a tour is coming soon. As soon as Set it Off was over I ran to the Poseidon stage to see Emarosa. I have missed Emarosa multiple times when they were close enough for me to walk & see them so I could not miss them again. The crowd wasn't as big as I thought it was going to be which sucked but it didn't matter cause Bradley Walden knows how to put on a show. I was like one of the few people going wild right at the front but I didn't even care because I waited so long to see them that I was going to enjoy every moment.
After Emarosa we had a couple of hours before The Maine which was the last show I wanted to see & Sum 41 was the last show of the day & the one my friend wanted to see. We went to all the booths during this time to catch whatever meet & greet and signings we could as well as buy whatever merch or CDs I absolutely needed to have. I bought Emarosa's new CD of course because it came out the day after I saw them play, State Champs CD so I can jam to it in the car & because I know almost every song on that album, The Maine's American Candy which was $5 and came with a covers cd as well which was worth it and then I went back to the Emarosa tent to get a shirt because they looked comfy & was something I would wear everyday, I got the helpless crop tank. I wanted a shirt from State Champs as well but the American conversion finished what I had to spend and the rest was for dinner and gas to get home.
We saw Derek hanging out at the State Champs tent so we went over to say hi and try to get a picture. He remembered us from the last show we were at so we talked with him for a bit and found out when their signings were so I could get my CD signed by them all. We made some friends who were from Ottawa as well so we hung out with them in the line to get pictures taken with The Maine. Unfortunately the line go too long that they stopped doing signings and were just taking pictures so we had to settle for a picture and move on to the next tent. During Warped Tour I decided to take Polaroids so I can create a concert page in my scrapbook. I got Polaroids with The Maine, Emarosa & State Champs.
I can talk more and more about this but all I need to say is that Warped Tour was amazing. This was my 3rd year attending & each year is a different experience; so far it's been different city every time I've gone. Warped Tour is a place where one comes to enjoy some great music, talk and hang out with your favourite bands/artists and just feel like everyone is the same. Warped is one of the few festivals out there that eliminates the feeling of these artists/bands being better & too good to talk to you; the performers like to remind you too that they are no different then you. People always ask me what is Warped Tour and why do you go every year and I feel like if you haven't been you won't understand it. It's one of the places I can truly feel like myself & just connect with so many different people; I don't even have to know them it's just the fact that your spending your day in the heat watching your favourite bands just like them.
Here are some pictures so you can see my time there and I'll put a link of each band I saw there and my favourite song by each of them. If you haven't been to Warped Tour, you should go at least once. There are all kinds of different bands and artists who perform there and it's not only rock music; Air Dubai, Waka Flocka Flame and many other people who you might not think would be there.
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