Vans Warped Tour | 7/24/2018
It is the end of an era. After 24 years of turning parking lots around the country into a festival for a day, the Vans Warped Tour is coming to an end. The tour has become an essential part of thousands of fans’ summers, including those of myself and many of my friends. While I was walking out of the venue at the end of the long day, the friend that I was with almost began crying, as it was such an essential part of life throughout the years.
Taking the stage at 11 AM sharp, our first set of the day was Houston, TX based pop rock band, Waterparks. Singer Awsten Knight cracked jokes about being up so early, while thanking those fans that chose to show up right at the time the doors opened.
Metalcore veterans Unearth opened Monster’s White Lightning stage. The band easily woke up the early crowd.
Sleep On It were all smiles playing for the excited Indianapolis fans. The pop punk band from Chicago gave the type of spirit that Warped Tour is known for.
Indianapolis’ own Pickwick Commons were up next in my day’s schedule. Friends had been urging me to check out their set, since I had not previously seen the band perform live. Once I caught the set, I completely understood why. The energy the band brought was incredible, even though the day was still young.
Just looking at Sharptooth’s vocalist, Lauren Kashan, you might think that she is small and unassuming. The second she takes the stage, though, you would be immediately proven wrong. One of the six acts on Warped Tour containing a woman, Sharptooth is just what the tour needs. Outspoken on political issues including feminism and LGBTQ rights, the punk band is a breath of fresh air on the historically straight-man-dominated tour.
At this point, my day started to run together. Running from stage to stage to catch as many sets as possible turned the middle of my day into a blur of great music, good vibes, and lots of sun. Issues was one of those bands that fell into this blur. While I may not remember every part of the set, the act knew exactly what they were doing, and their fans were clearly enjoying themselves.
We The Kings brought the throwbacks for me. This band screams Warped Tour for me. I feel like everyone has those essential Warped Tour bands, depending on the genres of music that they enjoy. The act has played the tour seven times in the past ten years, one of the most in the history of the tour.
While I have seen As It Is live before, this set was entirely new. With frontman Patty Walter’s recently dyed hair, a new aesthetic, and a slightly more punk sound, everything about the set was exciting and fresh. I left with the statement ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, the title of one of their latest singles, buzzing around in my head.
Colorado’s 3OH!3 was one of the acts I was most excited for, and they did not disappoint. The only other times I have been able to see them were at Warped Tour, and I think that it was perfectly fitting that they were on the tour’s last cross-country run.
While I had heard people talking about Don Broco’s music in the past, I had never looked up the band’s music. After watching the band’s set, I made a mental note to check out their music on Spotify after I left. The alternative rock tunes were unique, and I had never heard anything exactly like their music before.
Real Friends is another band that I've seen more times than I could count. The band played the exact set that I would imagine: full of liveliness through the melancholy lyrics.
Mayday Parade is another of those essential Warped Tour bands for me, also playing the tour seven times. I have seen the band over fifteen times in the past ten years, and watching their sets never gets old.
The Interrupters was another new-to-me band whose set that I caught. Every member of the band had an incredible energy the second they hit the stage.
I first heard Tonight Alive’s music at Warped Tour in 2012. The band played one of the smaller stages that year, and the tour seemingly launched their career in the United States. Tonight Alive has become one of my favorite bands in recent years; their music has evolved from more simple pop punk, into what they describe as ‘conscious rock’. Frontwoman Jenna McDougall is a huge inspiration of mine, with an electric stage presence and resilient disposition.
I was hesitant to leave Tonight Alive's set early to check out Doll Skin's set, but I was very happy that a friend convinced me to after shooting the set. The entirely female-led band was also a breath of fresh air on the tour, but their talent did not end at "female-led". The fact was just the icing on top of the cake.
Chase Atlantic has an insanely dedicated fanbase, and it was very obvious during their set. Their alternative pop sound is something new for the tour, which has previously focused more on alternative rock and hardcore music.
The next act needed no introduction for most. Though some younger fans in the crowd may not have been familiar with the band, the legendary Joan Jett and the Blackhearts played a one-off set at the Noblesville date. Needless to say, both the photo pit and the amphitheater were packed for the mid-afternoon set.
Palaye Royale was another new act for me. The band’s set and look reminded me of My Chemical Romance in their prime, with the red and black makeup and bold clothing.
Knuckle Puck’s set was captivating as usual. The pop-punk act from Chicago was extremely comfortable on the Journey’s Left Foot stage. I’ve seen the band many times over the past five years, and this set gave fans everything they wanted.
Aussie pop punk band With Confidence played one of the last sets on the Owly.fm stage. Fans in the crowd were screaming along every word, even though it was the end of the day and they were most likely very tired.
State Champs brought out the spirit of the crowd. The set had probably the largest amount of crowd surfers that I had seen all day.
I may be biased in this part, as The Maine has been my favorite band for years and years, but they were the perfect act to close the day. With a sort of subdued energy that gets you dancing but doesn’t require a ton of energy, an evening time slot fit the band perfectly. Singer John O’Callaghan sprinkled in silly jokes throughout the set, which made it even more enjoyable.