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