The Final Countdown!

There are now two months and eight days until Warped Tour Illinois.

There are bands I will be looking forward to see: Simple Plan, Go Radio, I Set My Friends On Fire, Every Avenue, The Expendables, A Day To Remember, Against Me! and Attack Attack!

Artists I wish were coming to Chicago: Tess Dunn

People I am upset are even on the Warped band list: Big B, Paramore, 3OH!3 and Enter Shikari

Based on experiences at past shows, I have a general idea of what to expect from artists like Go Radio, Every Avenue and A Day To Remember. By general idea I mean that I know what their set list might consist of and how much energy I can expect them to bring to the stage.

I am not expecting to see skate ramps nor will I be paying an arm and a leg for my ticket. I do expect it to be the most interesting day of 2011.

Although I am only going to see a select few of the bands, the day will still be exhausting. Trying to figure out where the stages are, what times the bands are playing and deciding which artists I could go without seeing will be a challenge enough. In addition to that, I will be physically exhausted from running around, trying to stay standing in a crowd and crowd surfing.

Warped Tour holds a special place in my heart. Music is very important to me and Warped Tour happens to be where all my favorite music is played. I look forward to attending concerts, especially Warped, more than some people will ever understand.

In fact, I have the word Music tattooed on my right wrist.

One day a co-worker saw my tattoo and asked me, “Do you play any instruments?”
I answered, “No.” (Although I did play the oboe for three years in junior high and can vaguely remember how to read notes, I don’t really count that.)
He responded, “Do you sing?”
I said, “No.”
Somewhat frustrated he asked, “Then why do you have a Music tattoo?”
Before I could respond another co-worker chimed in, “She’s an enthusiast.”

I could not have said it better myself.

-AngAllOver

Warped = Most reasonable summer concert

Last summer I started listening to country music. When I wanted to stop listening to my CDs or iPod I would get frustrated with the overplayed musicians, who use their sex appeal and dance moves for self promotion instead of their talent, on the popular radio stations. So, I switched over to country stations to broaden my musical horizon.

To my surprise, I started enjoying country music immensely. Now that summer is approaching, country artists are making their way to Illinois, and I just cannot resist seeing them.

The picture on the left is of my best friend, Megan, and I sitting in the lawn of Brad Paisley's H2O Tour 2010.

What separates Warped from other concerts, specifically country, is that with Warped tour, you get the most out of your money. For $45.75 Warped tickets are available for purchase. Last year crowd surfed my way to the front at multiple shows. While security was pulling me down, at my favorite band, Mayday Parade, the lead singer saw me reach for him and touched my hand. To say this was the highlight of Warped Tour is an understatement.

Last week tickets went on sale for Rascal Flatts along with Sara Evans, Justin Moore, and Easton Corbin. As a first weekend offer, lawn tickets went on sale for $26.50. Lawn tickets. My best friend, husband and I, purchased our tickets anyway. We will be ridiculously far and probably only vaguely hear the opening artists, but we’re going.

It’s incredible that for only twenty more dollars, I will be able to see a larger number of artists, as close as I want to see them. Also, Warped starts at around 11 a.m. while Rascal Flatts does not start until 7 p.m. There are more artists, more time and no seating at Warped.

In order to get close to the Flatts, you have to be willing to pay. Right now, the pricing for tickets closest to the stage is $90.65. This doesn’t even guarantee a chance to get as close to the stage as possible.

Loving music is expensive and I’m only willing to pay the minimum price.

I must admit that the medium through which I obtain the music in my library is not exactly conventional. I do not believe that people should have to pay for music. Artists like Angels & Airwaves join me in this belief. When they released their album, LOVE, they had it available on their website to download for free.

The reason I do not feel guilty about how I get my music is because I attend more concerts in one year than some people do in their entire lives. For example, last year I attended Mayday Parade in January, Angels & Airwaves in April, two Warped tours over summer, Brad Paisley in July and then Mayday again in October.

It may not sit well with me that I have to pay unreasonable prices for country concerts, but I will. Music makes life important and I will give back to the artists by supporting their concerts. I’m just glad the artists of Warped recognize the value of a dollar. This only supports what I said in my first blog: nothing compares to Warped.

-AngAllOver

Joke's on me.

On Wednesday March 23 I said this in my blog post:

“Side note: I usually despise female singers. Do not ask me why but I cannot stand when girls try to sing rock music or anything resembling it. It makes me angry because it sounds horrible.

For example: I think the band Paramore is a joke. Her voice annoys me. In fact, it annoys me so much that for the longest time I could not figure out why I hated that song “Airplanes” by B.O.B. I later realized it was because the lead singer of Paramore, Hayley Williams, is the female vocalist.

This is why me taking interest in a female singer is a big deal because it is normally something I would be completely against.”

And at the end of the blog I said:

“It actually makes me want to give other female singers, who do not sing awful radio pop music, a chance. Maybe Haley Williams has her own story too.”

I should not have said this.

The other day I was browsing the Warped Tour website for information and a new band has just been added on select dates: Paramore.

The picture is taken from the Warped Tour website. 

Ah! I wish I could retract everything I said in that blog; then, maybe, Hayley Williams and Paramore would not be invading Warped Tour. But there is one good thing: Paramore will NOT be playing at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. At least that is one thing to be happy about.

Now, I will be ranting and tearing apart Paramore’s band bio, as provided by the Warped Tour website. I will then try to validate my argument with what I belief is support.

I ventured to the Paramore website and realized that Warped took the bio straight from there, so I won’t even bother with it.

First off, I just wanted to say that before I started writing this I thought maybe I should look into her bio and give her chance, it just made me angrier.

What I did find out is that her band consisted of two other male accompanists: Josh and Zac Farro. This was up until December of last year when they split from the band. Now, she performs with Taylor York and Jeremy Davis.

I found articles from MTV and the Rolling Stone all about the split. Both articles include a quote from Josh and Zac’s exit statement:

"This band became all about Hayley. She had a manager at the time that controlled her every move along with her parents. They didn't like the idea of Hayley being in a rock band so they forced her to leave wanting her to pursue a solo career. Hayley went off to write and record her solo demos while the four of us continued on without her."

It amazes me that she would want to leave the band that made her famous to be a solo act. If she’s trying to be like Gwen Stefani, she should have ditched the red hair for red lipstick. And if she’s trying to be a break out rock singer or try some female empowerment, she should probably change her lyrics.

Paramore’s most famous song has to be Misery Business. Here are some of the lyrics, starting with the chorus:

“Whoa, I never meant to brag
But I got him where I want him now.
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
Just steal it all away from you now.
But God does it feel so good,
Cause I got him where I want him now.
And if you could then you know you would.
Cause God it just feels so,
It just feels so good.

Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change.
once a whore you're nothing more, I'm sorry, that'll never change.
And about forgiveness, we're both supposed to have exchanged.
I'm sorry honey, but I'm passin' up, now look this way.
Well there's a million other girls who do it just like you.
Looking as innocent as possible to get to who,
They want and what they like. 
It's easy if you do it right.
Well I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!”

The fact that “God” and “whore” are in the same song is just appalling. But I have to admit that they way she sings “Whoa” is pretty.

But the fact that her voice is decent does not detour from the image she has given herself. Last May Hayley decided to Tweet naked pictures of herself. Not only is she calling other women derogatory terms, but she is also treating her body as a piece of meat, just like the media tells her to. She definitely belongs with the other pop sex symbol sell-outs.

What bothers me the most is that rock music is supposed to be about rebellion and going against the norm. Hayley does not embrace that, in fact she conforms entirely too much.  

Hayley Williams, you should stick to selling out and singing bad pop/radio music with B.o.B. and taking naked pictures of yourself cause clearly, that’s all you can do well. 

Sincerely,

AngAllOver

A Day To Remember

In my previous blog I gave a list of the bands that are to play the main stage. The band that is clearly highlighted on the website is A Day To Remember.

According to the biography provided by Warped Tour’s website, the band signed with Victory records in 2006 and have released three albums since then. The most popular album is probably Homesick, that was released in 2009 with the hit single “The Downfall Of Us All.” (My favorite song off that album happens to be “Have Faith In Me.”)

They also played at Warped Tour in 2008 and 2009. I know for a fact that I attended their entire performance in 2009, but at the time I was not familiar with their music. Now that I know them I will be able to appreciate their performance. What I do remember is standing in the back of the crowd and shoes were being thrown. The gentleman standing next to us used his quick reflexes to catch a shoe flying throw the air and protect the people behind him from getting it. I don’t know I so vividly remember this, but I found it hysterical. Hopefully this time around, the actual performance will be the highlight.

A Day To Remember visited Chicago at the Congress Theater on March 24 along with Pierce the Veil, Bring Me the Horizon and We Came As Romans. My brother Alex Mateo, attended this show. ADTR and We Came As Romans will be at Warped Tour this year, giving Al a preview of what their performances will be like. Having never heard We Came As Romans before, he was highly impressed by them. Since they were the first band who played, the crowd was not as wild, but that did not take away from how well they played.

ADTR closed the show and started off with smoke engulfing the stage. The crowd went crazy. The band started the show by singing songs off their newest album, What Separates Me From You. Although my brother did not stay for the rest of the show, he heard that lead singer, Jeremy McKinnon, entered the crowd in a clear blow up ball while singing a song.

If this is any indication of how their performance will be at Warped Tour then I have another thing to look forward to!

-AngAllOver

Changes/Additions!

The Warped Tour website seems to have undergone some construction cause it looks slightly different. It kinda gives off a red, white, and blue theme.

But just to let everyone know, the Warped Tour pre-sale has begun!

Also, the Teggart main stage bands have been announced:

A Day To Remember

The Devil Wears Prada

Asking Alexandria

3OH!3

Gym Class Heroes

Against Me!

August Burns Red

Attack Attack! 

Tess Dunn, this one's for you.

Recently Added:

Less Than Jake

We’re Doomed

Ionia

So Long Arletta

Planet Smashers

Electric Touch

Motionless In White

Tess Dunn

Black Veil Brides

Madina Lake

Continental

Jack’s Mannquin

Permanent Bastards

Rapid Decline

Street Dogs

Steel Wells

The name that struck me out of this list was Tess Dunn. (Mostly because in her picture she is wearing an enormous fuzzy hat with ears that looks adorable!) I clicked on her name and found out that she is only playing at one set and that will be July 2 at Mountain View California.

Side note: I usually despise female singers. Do not ask me why but I cannot stand when girls try to sing rock music or anything resembling it. It makes me angry because it sounds horrible.

For example: I think the band Paramore is a joke. Her voice annoys me. In fact, it annoys me so much that for the longest time I could not figure out why I hated that song “Airplanes” by B.O.B. I later realized it was because the lead singer of Paramore, Haley Williams, is the female vocalist.

This is why me taking interest in a female singer is a big deal because it is normally something I would be completely against.

Now, back to Tess Dunn. I immediately went to her band links and found her Youtube page. The first song I listened to was a cover of the song “Make You Smile” by +44.

Her voice blew me away. Already being familiar with the song, I had something to compare it to and it was beautiful.

As I listened to her song I went to her bio as provided by Warped Tour. Dunn is only sixteen-years-old and has already played at Warped Tour last year.

I watched the videos from last year’s performance and saw that she played at the Kevin Says sponsored by Kia Motors. It does not appear that she had an enormous turn out, but at her age, that is not expected. As she plays keyboard in front of her band, I could not help but fall in love with her singing. Even though the film quality also contains noise from the crowd and surrounding bands, Dunn’s voice over powers it all.

The song that impressed me the most was, “Wishful Thinkings,” but I also enjoyed others like “Marionette of Me” and “Paper Cuts.”

I continued to read her bio and could not believe the words I saw:

“Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF), an incurable life-threatening disease which causes progressive lung damage, Tess faces issues of mortality that infuse her music and lyrics with radiant richness and haunting depth.”

Reading this just made me sad. Here is this girl with an incredible voice dealing with a disease she has no control over.

Before her performance of the song, “Your Words Could Bite Ears Off” she explains that the reason for her raspy voice is because of the cystic fibrosis and that she hopes to help rise money for finding a cure and inform the public of this disease.

Having this knowledge, I wish Tess Dunn would come to Chicago so I could see her in person and tell her how inspiring she is. Despite her disease, she pursues her dream and uses that as a way to educate her fans.

It actually makes me want to give other female singers, who do not sing awful radio pop music, a chance. Maybe Haley Williams has her own story too.

But this blog is dedicated to Tess Dunn. I hope she succeeds in every aspect of her life. Good luck at Warped this year!

-AngAllOver

Tour Explained!

As of today, there are 78 bands on the Warped playlist. The most recent additions to the list include the following nine bands:

D.R.U.G.S

Demerit

Good Guys In Black

Cold Forty Three

The Sheds

Veara

Vonnegutt

Marchee

Gatsby’s American Dream

(As I was browsing through the list I saw that The Expendables are going to be there which makes me happy because I got into their music last year and love it)

Anyway, moving on, it had never occurred to me that others did not understand how Warped Tour works. I will try and give a brief overview of how the tour travels.

Warped starts June 24 at the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, Texas and ends August 14 at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsbro Oregon. There are 43 venues that they will appear at total.

Of course, not all 78 bands play at each venue. That would be impossible.

For example, I Set My Friends On Fire plays at each 43 venues. The new band added, D.R.U.G.S., plays from July 7 through the end of the tour.

When you get to the venue, there are stands and stages set up all over the place.

At a normal concert, the main band plays on the huge stage. Well, the main stage at Tinley Park’s First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre is split in two so immediately following the bands performance on one side, the next band on the other side can play.

Also, I would recommend buying a map/time sheet after immediately entering the venue. These generally cost two dollars and are vital to knowing what will be going on during the rest of the day.

On one side of this two dollar treasure is a map of where each stage is and what they are called. On the other side is a list of the stages and underneath shows which bands are playing there and what times.

I’m not exactly sure how many stages there are, but I’m guessing about eight. Bands are playing simultaneously throughout the day and if two bands you like are playing at the same time, you have to chose which one you would rather see.

The shows begin as early as eleven and ends around nine.

Hopefully this helps in explaining how there can be so many bands playing throughout the tour and been seen at so many venues. 

Throwback :]

The band I am most looking forward to seeing at Warped Tour 2011 is Simple Plan. Nothing makes me happier than a little throwback.

At 2010 Warped Tour Indiana I saw The All American Rejects and Sum 41. It was thrilling to see them because when I was younger I was absolutely in love with their music.

Now that I have seen bands I previously loved, it makes me even more excited to see Simple Plan this year.

In 2004 I saw Good Charlotte at Warped Tour Michigan. I was completely obsessed with them at the time. I am talking, an entire wall full of posters, a scrapbook of their magazine clippings, over 10 band t-shirts and knowing all the lyrics to their CDs obsessed.

But since it was my first Warped Tour I did not know what to expect and it was actually a horrifying experience.

My cousin, who went with me, and I decided to wait at the stage they were going to play at, not knowing that crowds left because there are long breaks in between bands. The band Rise Against was actually the next band playing the stage. A crowd formed, the music started and my cousin and I were pressed against the rail with an unbearable force.

Of course, I live for that feeling now, but when I was thirteen and unprepared for it, it was the terrifying. We were being smothered. We could not breathe and could barely stand. Thankfully we were close enough that security could see we were struggling and grabbed us out of crowd.

Hours later, when it was time for Good Charlotte to play at the same stage, my cousin and I were so traumatized we stood all the way in the back of the crowd. I had to enjoy them from afar. The experience could have been a lot better.

This is why I am so thankful that now I am older, and I can handle the crowd, I can finally appreciate the music I once loved to the fullest.

Simple Plan caught my attention in 2002 with their album No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls. Their hit tracks off the album include, “I’d Do Anything,” “I’m Just A Kid,” “Addicted,” and “Perfect.”

Their upbeat songs about love and youth immediately appealed to me. As soon as I found out they were going to be at Warped I downloaded their old songs and the memories started flooding back to me.

Simple Plan’s most recent self-titled album came out in 2008. Honestly, I do not remember hearing any of their songs on the radio but I am still excited. But, like Sum 41 and The American Rejects, I imagine Simple Plan is going to play their most popular songs at the show.

Because I am at the age where I can remember bands from earlier years, I am so appreciative of these bands playing. Simple Plan is going to be the highlight of the day and I have never been more excited.

-AngAllOver

New bands added:

Shut Up and Deal

Freshman 15

illScarlett

It Boys!

Larry and His Flask

Terrible Things

The Black Pacific

The BOTS 

Big B?

Six new bands have been added since we last spoke:

A Skylit Drive

Big B

Moving Mountains

New Years Day

Passafire

Places and Numbers

Under usual circumstances, I am excited when there are new bands added to the band list, but this time, I am a bit uneasy.

What concerns me about this list is that there is an artist named Big B on it. Underneath his information it says hip hop/ rap. I would like to know why there is any room for Big B, or hip hop in general, at Warped Tour.

Either the submissions on bands have been significantly low or the people who are choosing the bands have gone crazy.

In the spirit of giving Warped Tour the benefit of the doubt, I am going to research exactly who Big B is in hope of trying to see what the people of Warped Tour see in him.

When Googling Big B, it appears that his most popular CD is titled White Trash Renegade. Not only is this disturbing, but it’s also a disgrace to the fans of Warped Tour. If they think this kind of music appeals to the people who attend Warped they are highly underestimating and insulting us.

But let’s further investigate Big B, just for fun. Tracks on the CD include, “Whiteboys,” “Hit That,” “Outlaw,” “Shut the F*ck Up” and “Hooligan.”

…

I do not understand how from this evidence, the people of Warped Tour found it fitting for him to be an acceptable candidate for playing the tour.

The sad part is, as I previously stated in another blog, I feel Warped is straying away from the original concept of why it began.

I ask my fellow Warped Tour attendees to avoid Big B at all costs. It isn’t that I have anything personally against him, I just am against what he represents at Warped Tour, and that is, of course, rap music. I do not hope Big B does not do well in general but I hope he does not do well at Warped. Maybe then Warped will get the point and stick to a stricter criteria in deciding which bands have the honor (while Warped still has its good name) of playing the stages.

For those who are not discouraged by the lack of selectiveness from Warped Tour, there is still a chance to submit to the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands. For more information visit: http://www.battleofthebands.com/   

-AngAllOver

I Set My Friends On Fire!

This blog, I would like to do a band profile. The reason for this is because I love this bands’ music but have never seen them before, nor do I have any concrete knowledge about them.

I Set My Friends On Fire is a band that I have been patiently waiting to see. They first caught my attention when I heard their song “Things That Rhyme With Orange.”  This song is on their first and only album, released in 2008, You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter.

“Things That Rhyme With Orange” is what I would consider a perfect song. Like Taking Back Sunday’s “Cute Without The ‘E’ (Cut From The Team),” everything about this song is perfect: the vocals, the lyrics and the melody.

The video is quite comical also.

The reason this band stands out for me is because of their lyrics. Although it can be unrecognizable to the untrained ear, ISMFOF has interesting lyrics, to say the least. Here is an example from the song:

“I'm so iconoclastic; I'm clastic!

I only want you to think I'm fantastic.

I'll participate in what you believe,

If you give me the attention!

Yeah, yeah that's the only compensation

I want to be included in your conversation.”

These lyrics appeal to me because they are articulate but touch on issues that relate to the age of their fan base. This, along with adding the occasional profanity and their overall sound, makes them unique and enjoyable to listen.

Lyrics like these are not found on the radio and it is a shame. Most lyrics heard mainstream are either about cheating, drinking or sex/lust/love. Rock/alternative/punk are the only genres and venture out and decide to talk about what it feels like to not be involved in the conformity of society.

ISMFOF joined the scene when they remade their on version of the song “Crank That” by Souljda Boy and renamed it, “Crank Dat Calvary Boy,” as a parody on their Myspace.

The band consists of Matt Mehana and Chris Lent and is signed by Epitaph. Their specific genre is experimental, but genres nowadays never really give any insight as to what the band actually sounds like. Instead of trying to describe what they sound like, I would highly encourage taking a listen. 

They originate from Miami, FL and will be touring on Warped from June 24^th to August 14^th. 

This will not be the band’s first Warped Tour, they appeared in 2009, and I doubt it will be their last. I Set My Friends On Fire is the band I am most looking forward to see in 2011, without a doubt. 

-AngAllOver

Warped Tour 101

Warped Tour has changed drastically since its start in 1995. In the beginning it was geared towards mostly punk rock music.

Warped Tour used to have less mainstream performers. The two most well known bands at the first Warped Tour were No Doubt and Sublime, but these bands were mostly popular within their genre rather than mainstream.

In 2008 Katy Perry was at Warped after the release of her hit song “I Kissed A Girl.” Of course her fame has sky rocked since then and she headlines her own tours, but nevertheless, she was still a pop singer.

In 2010 my brother, friend and I were sitting near the main stage waiting for the next show we wanted to see and suddenly started to hear a familiar song. It was “Cooler Than Me” by Mike Posner. At first I thought it was a band covering the song since there have been multiple Punk Goes Pop CDs. I looked at my band list sheet and realized it was indeed Mike Posner.

The fact that these two performers are constantly being played on mainstream radio just goes to show how Warped Tour has drastically changed.

In addition to pop singers joining the Warped Tour lineup, there have been an increasing number of Christian rock bands. The Devil Wears Prada, Relient K and Attack! Attack! are examples of bands with a heavy sound and lyrics that express their Christian values.  

Because of how heavy the music is and that it is hard to decipher the majority of the lyrics because they are screamed rather than sung, fans might not realize that their songs have strong Christian undertones. But they are Christian bands.

The punk rock music that used to be played consisted of lyrics that went against the norm and society, not about their love for Jesus.

Also, its full title is Vans Warped Tour. The Vans company sponsors professional skaters and has a successful clothing and shoe line.  

When I went to my first Warped Tour in 2004 Michigan, I can remember that there were still skating ramps and skateboards being sold by vendors.

Vans still has a tent along with the rest of the vendors, but within the past couple years, the skating aspect has seemed to disappeared.

Warped Tour may have changed from its punk rock skater look, but the tour still has a huge fan base. Young bands still strive to play at Warped Tour and that is a success in itself.


-AngAllOver


***********************************************************

New bands added since the last blog:

Middle Class Rut

Peelanderz

Relient K

River City Extension

Stephan Jerzak

There For Tomorrow

The Acacia Strain

Blacklist Royals

Unwritten Law

Yelawolf

First time?

It has just occurred to me that there might be some first timers at Warped 2011; this entry is for you.

Going to Warped Tour is something that cannot be compared to. To put it simply, Warped is a normal concert on steroids.

Throughout my life I have been to a variety of concerts: from artists such as Britney Spears and Lil Wayne to Brad Paisley (twice) and Linkin Park (also twice) and everything in between, I have almost seen it all. And let me tell you, nothing even compares to the rush of Warped.

For country fans, Warped is like Country Thunder. For people who like that weird and random music, this is better than Lollapalooza. And for people who are scared of Ozzfest, well, this is less intense.

Here are some pictures from Indiana 2010 that will give you a preview of what Warped looks like:

Alesana

Bring Me The Horizon 

Sum 41

Mayday Parade (Where I started)

Mayday (Where I ended)

The All American Rejects 

(The one and only Tyson Ritter crowd surfing on a mattress)

After seeing these pictures, you might wonder how you are going to handle all the chaos. Not to worry. I have complied a list of tips that will help you make it through your very first time.

Tips to prepare yourself for Warped Tour:

1.     Wear sunscreen. Most years, the weather for Warped is extremely hot and no matter what your skin tone, you will burn from standing in the sun all day.

2.     Be prepared to get the closet you have ever been to a stranger. When people, such as myself, are determined to get as close as they possibly can to their favorite band, they will get uncomfortably close to you and anyone else who stands between you and the band.

3.     Look up. In attempt to get closer to a band or just because it is the most exhilarating feeling in the world, people will crowd surf. It is for your and the person who is crowd surfing’s benefit that you help them stay up so that they do not fall on top of you.

4.     Do not wear your favorite clothing. By the end of the day you and your clothing will reek of sunscreen, sweat and alcohol. Also, once again, it gets really hot. Old clothing or bathing suits accompanied with old clothing is encouraged.

Last year my brother wore an adorable Breathe Carolina shirt (pictured above) and took it off at the second show we went to because he was too hot. He placed the shirt in his pocket, but after jumping and rubbing up against so many people he discovered that by the end of the show it was no longer in his pocket and instead, gone forever.

5.     Pace yourself. At some point you are going to get tired. That’s okay. Take a break, buy some overpriced water, find some shade and relax for a little a while. If you try and do too much you will become dehydrated and exhausted.

6.     Have fun! I would have to say my two favorite days ever were at Warped Tour Indiana 2010 and Warped Tour Illinois 2008.You do not have to be front row at every show to have a good time. Warped is what you make of it. If you go in with a good attitude, fun is inevitable.


-AngAllOver

Six New Bands!

Since last week, six new bands have been added:
Set Your Goals
Abandon All Ships
The Dance Party
Foxy Shazam
Mc Lars with Weerd Science
I SET MY FRIENDS ON FIRE! :D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-AngAllOver

Countdown to Warped 2011

There are approximately five months and 21 days until I will be crowd surfing, singing from the top of my lungs, and sweating profusely at Warped Tour 2011 at the first Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park. In addition to these activities I will also be trying to keep from people pushing me over, making sure I can breathe, and hoping that the tall people surrounding me will protect me from my fellow floating crowd surfers.

Warped Tour in Illinois is by far my favorite day of the year. In fact, last year I attended both Warped Tour in Illinois and Indiana. This will be my forth-consecutive year going and fifth time overall. (I forced my parents to take me in 2004 because my favorite band at the time, Good Charlotte, was playing).

There are so many bands that not every band stays on all the dates throughout the entire tour; different bands often play at different venues.

As of now, there are 21 bands playing this year:

The Aggrolites

Big D and The Kids Table

Dance Gavin Dance

The Dangerous Summer

Enter Shikari

Every Avenue

The Exposed

Family Force Five

Go Radio

Grieves With Budo

Lucero

Miss May I

Of Mice And Men

The Ready Set

Sharks

Simple Plan

We Came As Romans

Winds of Plague

Woe, Is Me

The Wonder Years

The World Alive

These bands can be seen on the Vans Warped Tour website. By clicking on each individual band, the dates that each band is playing can be seen.

http://www.vanswarpedtour.com/bands

I immediately clicked on Go Radio, Every Avenue, and Simple Plan to see if they were going to play in Tinley. They are!

I recently saw Go Radio and Every Avenue together when they were on the Fearless Friends Tour 2010.

This is the best picture I took of Go Radio, specifically lead singer Jason Lancaster, at the concert. My brother, Alex (I usually refer to him as Al), and I have admired Jason for quite some time. He was the original lead singer of, my favorite band, Mayday Parade. Although I love the new lead singer, Derek Sanders, of Mayday Parade, Jason will always have a special place in my heart. 

It appears that there are no hard feelings between Jason and Derek since both Go Radio and Mayday Parade were on the Fearless Friends Tour.

This picture is of Jason (left) and Derek (right) singing early Mayday Parade’s song “Miserable At Best” together. Mayday Parade will always be in Jason’s past, but Go Radio is definitely what is in his future.

 

 Simple Plan is a band I’m excited to see for the simple, no pun intended, fact that I liked them when I was in junior high and have never seen them before. Last year I was able to see Sum 41 and the All American Rejects, and it was the most amazing flashback to junior high. I am expecting the same energy and excitement for Simple Plan this year.

Even though there are only 21 bands listed so far, I already have a good feeling about this year and am looking forward to see the bands that are added to the lineup! 

-AngAllOver