Wow. The Vans Warped Tour was definitely a great experience and even though I've waited 24 (yes, you read right) years before ever experiencing this fantastic event, it was well worth the wait. So on July 9, my friends and I congregated at Arrow Hall in Toronto (really Mississauga, but that's a minor detail) to take in the days events.
Before hand, I couldn't help but notice people's comments on the Warped Tour web page as well as the Facebook page, about how the sets this year haven't met the standards of previous years. I know I can't compare previous years, but from judging from the reaction from the people who attended, I'd say they were pretty damn successful.
There were a few things that I wasn't impressed with. One I'll mention right now, is the expensiveness of the food and drinks on the venue. This is a summer tour and it's expected to be hot (unless you include last year...). We were lucky enough to have decent temperatures despite the rain, but had it been hot I would have been a little more upset with the costs. They were asking for four dollars for a bottle of water. Water. I luckily brought my own and was able to keep them, or I would have probably forgone any kind of refreshment that day. I realize that they need to make money, but this was just a little outrageous! Another thing that I wasn't impressed with was the weather! I enjoyed the cooler temps, don't get me wrong, but the rain and grey clouds I could have done without!
Okay, so there were set bands I was determined to see, while others I was open to giving a listen. I'm always finding new music and always willing to give any band (no matter what genre) a shot at least once! I was pleased to find a few at this year's Warped Tour that I am proudly listening to constantly now!
We The Kings
First up on our agenda, we saw We The Kings, from Florida. This band has been around for a couple of years and
although I liked their music, I lost a little interest because there was never an opportunity to see them live. Seeing them at Warped though reignited my love for this band. They were fun, energetic, and really enjoyable to listen to. Their vocals were incredibly in tune, you could clearly tell they enjoyed themselves and they overall did a great job. Bands can always gain points on my radar when they get the crowd involved in singing. There's just something about hearing more than 50+ people singing the words to the same song.
The Summer Set
Coming all the way from Scottsdale Arizona, this pop-punk quartet made a lasting impression on my day at the festival. They were just so much fun to listen to and I thoroughly enjoyed their set. From viewing their youtube videos after the show as well as comments on a few social networks, I found a lot of people tried to say the lead singer Brian Dale's voice was fake, that it sounded produced. Because I'd heard them live first before looking into any of their music, I can say for sure that his voice is all natural talent. It's unique though which I can see some people questioning the authenticity of his vocals. Overall they were very cohesive and this is one band I would not mind seeing again live...if they ever make it back to Canada!
The Rocket Summer
I have been listening to TRS for quite awhile now, but again, due to a lot of American Indie bands not making it past the Northern border, it was hard to see their show. Bryce Avery, the badass musician who's the brains behind this wonderful operation, was the key to this performance. His Keith Urban good looks (according to my mother), and his unique vocals definitely made for an interesting set. Although he's the sole member of TRS, his band behind him worked together to produce a great show. He was talkative to the fans, very genuine and honest and seems just by his presence on stage, very humble. With the recent release of his new album "Of Men and Angels", it's hopeful that we'll be seeing him in the near future.
I See Stars
I came across I See Stars while searching around Itunes for new music (you know how they offer you recommendations?), when I came across their cover of
Your Love by Outfield on the CD compilation of "Punk Goes Classic Rock". It's either hit or miss with me when it comes to mixing regular singing with that of screaming. I don't know if it's my preferences, or just my hearing decibels, but I can only handle so much. I found that I See Stars had a balanced mixture of the two, if not a little more singing and a less amount of the screaming. The lead singer, Devin Oliver, has a distinctly emo-pop (for a lack of a better word), that works well with the lyrics and the rest of the band. I loved their energy and the crowds energy with their set. Throughout the day I found that the later in the day it was, the more intensity the crowds managed to show during the bands they were seeing - even from afar you could tell who was having a good time.
Pierce The Veil
One thing that stuck with me after listening to this California-based band was the quote from the lead singer. Vic Fuentes threw out to the crowd, "we try to be professionals, but we're just a bunch of Mexicans in a band." Yes being a musician is a lot of work and it involves a lot of business and technical sides of things, but when you come right down to it, it's just about the music. These guys had fun with what they do and you could see it in their eyes, and their energy. Their bassist Jaime Preciado
was ALL over the place, never being able to stand still. His passion for the music was visible for everybody to see. Their music in general was fun to listen to with a mix of singing and scream. Their lyrics were relatable nonetheless and the crowd ate them up like they were the last skille in the rainbow. I for one, was glad to have been able to catch their set.
Hey Monday
I find when it comes to bands these days, there are more and more women who are taking initiative and starting and starring in their own bands. Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive and I know there have been a ton of other female powerhouses, but I still find that the men are still the forefront of the industry. So I was pleasantly surprised when Cassadee Pope took the stage, I was extremely impressed. She's cute and petite and has a voice that reminded me of Paramore's front (wo)man Hayley Williams. Her voice was smooth and easy to listen to but had that edge that is sometimes hard to find. The songs were catchy and easy to listen to and it was great hearing her and the rest of the band perform. As you can tell, I've yet to be disappointed on this day.
Pretty Reckless
On our way to see Anarbor, we came across the band Pretty Reckless. And for those of you who don't know the band, the lead singer is none other than Taylor Momsen. And to divulge a little further, she's known for her acting career on Gossip Girl as Little J (aka Jenny) as well as her role as Cindy Lou Who in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. When I first saw her I was completely turned off by the way she was dressed and walking around the stage. Once I began to realize it was just a part of her stage act I began to open up and listen to her sing. She reminded me of Joan Jett or Cherie Currie (no?). Her voice had a pure rock vibe to it that couldn't be accidentally mistaken for anybody else. She was unique, and although I was far from impressed with her wardrobe, I couldn't deny that this girl has talent.
Anarbor
This band was one of the main reasons I was excited to attend this year's Warped Tour. I found their music a couple months back while rummaging through Much Music's new videos online and I came across their song "Green Eyes". I fell in love with lead singer Slade Echeverria's voice and I quickly found the rest of their music. They intrigued me because although you can classify them as a pop-rock band, they still had a different vibe from a lot of the other music I've heard lately. Their live performance just deepened my respect for them as musicians and people. I found them to be engaging, genuinely happy to be there and their love for their fans was obvious. They enjoyed being there and it showed. They are one band I seriously hope comes back to Canada soon, even if I didn't agree, their fans that came out to support them sure would agree.
You Me At Six
These rather handsome, British Boys were next up on the roster of bands to see and even if they were the crappiest band alive (which they weren't by the way), I would have still loved them if only for their cuteness and extremely sexy accents. Relying on their pop-rock vibe and their charming personalities, they pushed out an extremely well done performance. Fans were responsive and were constantly dancing and having a good time singing along to their music. I was a newcomer when it came to listening to this band and I was impressed with their smooth vocals and instrumentals. They seemed to be enjoying the Canadian crowd and said so whenever they got the chance.
Mayday Parade
The one and only Mayday Parade has been a band I've been following thoroughly ever since I saw them perform with Every Avenue and All Time Low in Toronto back in late 2007. There was something catchy about the music and even catchier about the boys in the band. The just recently released their newest album "Anywhere But Here" a couple of months ago which gave a little more pop and a little less rock vibe to the songs they belted out. I was impressed with them back in 2007, but this time around I wasn't...but we're not going to blame the band, we're going to blame the venue and the organizers. For the most part the organizers did a great job with the event, but the set up of the stage that the band was performing on was poorly situated and didn't really benefit anybody. Mayday Parade is a rather well-known band and set on a small stage and in an awkward area, resulted in a lot of unhappy people, including myself. I managed the press pit for the first three songs and then after that, pushed to the side and was barely able to hear the music, which thoroughly disappointed me, as well as many others. Overlooking that, from what I could see, they had a great vibe and performed their best despite their less-than-opportune situation! They still rocked out and had a great time entertaining a Canadian crowd they clearly don't see enough of.
The New Cities
The New Cities are one of the few Canadian Bands that played for the two Canadian Warped Tour dates. This wasn't my first time seeing them and it won't be my last. Even if you're not a fan of their techno-pop-rock sound you can't help but feed off of their entertaining moves onstage. They bounce all over the place and know how to pump up the crowd. These wonderful French-Canadian boys know how to rock out and have a blast while singing perky, upbeat songs that you can't help but dance along to - and I know, because even though I can't dance I still do so! They are so much fun to watch, and listen too. During the set though (which was short to begin with), an unfortunate incident happened to a fan. I won't go into details but needless to say she was injured rather seriously and for her consideration the band decided to cut their set short. Although unfortunate, you could see the concern for their fan radiate from them and were extremely upset with her situation. Later that night on Twitter they all were wondering her state hoping she was okay. This here heightened my love for these guys. Their concern and devotion to their fans is always evident and it's great to see that that still exists in today's world.
The All-American Rejects
Last but certainly NOT least was the All-American Rejects. These guys are some kind of crazy - or at least, lead singer Tyson Ritter is. Their performance was electric and the audience loved every single moment. Singing old favourites that everybody knew the words too and bouncing around like a fool made every moment memorable during their set. Ritter's vulgar language and quirky comments left many wondering if he was stoned or drunk during the show, but that didn't stop them from singing along, dancing or crowd surfing throughout the show. They were incredible to see live and although I'd been listening to their music for years, this show was the first time I'd gotten to see them live. I have to say though, I was definitely NOT disappointed!
The day was long, the weather wasn't the greatest (until the sun came out during AAR's set, of course) and my feet were overly sore, but overall the Vans Warped Tour was considered a success in my eyes. I had fun as did everybody else in the crowds and everybody I hung out with during the day. It will definitely be something I'd be interested in going to again when it comes around again this time next year. But until then, this review will have to do!
