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Web Exclusive: The Aural History Of Warped Tour

Alternative Press - Rob Ortenzi on 7/6/09 @ 7:36 PM - altpress.com

In AP 253, we have a massive Oral History of the Vans Warped Tour, but that's only half the story. Check out our abridged version of the sounds that emanated from 15 summers of Warped.

1995
After working as the Lollapalooza stage manager and putting on a handful of events that mixed extreme sports with alternative music, Los Angeles club veteran Kevin Lyman was sitting on a mountain side with future Hurley staffer Greg Teal when the pair started talking about creating an entire summer tour that mixed music and sports. After nixing the ill-advised idea to name the tour "The Bomb," the Warped Tour was born. No Doubt, Deftones and a handful of others hit the road as Lyman and CAA's Darryl Eaton worked hard to convince promoters it was viable.

Spiderwebs - No Doubt

Bored - Deftones

1996
Who can imagine Warped Tour without Vans, Pennywise or NOFX? This was the year all three came onboard. NOFX and Pennywise weren't interested in playing seated venues, so they ended up in the parking lots. The kids came to mosh while many of the bands came to watch Rocket From The Crypt.

Peaceful Day (Album Version) - Pennywise

On A Rope - Rocket From The Crypt

1997
The guys in Lagwagon and their crew created the Warped Tour barbecue this year, according to Teal. Descendents, Social Distortion, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and the Bouncing Souls were on Warped in '97. Sugar Ray and Limp Bizkit were there, too. "Once we were in line to get food," remembers Joe Escalante of the Vandals and Kung Fu Records, "and Fred Durst came up to our singer and just said, 'Yo, yo, what's up with the eats, Vandals dog?'"

Im The One - Descendents

The Impression That I Get - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

1998
Lyman has a notoriously hard time saying no, so the tour continued to spawn stages as band upon band were added to the bill, foreshadowing the even crazier years to come. Bad Religion--the third in the trifecta Eaton says will "always have a place on Warped Tour" alongside NOFX and Pennywise--joined Warped veterans Civ, Deftones and No Use For A Name, alongside Rancid and MxPx.

Bloodclot (Album Version) - Rancid

Cold And All Alone - MxPx

1999
With a tour led by Blink-182 and Eminem, Lyman says he received death threats from kids accusing him of ruining their precious punk-rock tour. He learned a lot about protecting a brand that year--and Eminem learned how to keep rapping over boos, middle fingers and thrown water bottles. The Black Eyed Peas were also on Warped that year, but of course it wasn't all hip-hop, with not only Blink along but the Bouncing Souls, Pennywise, the Vandals and Agnostic Front along for the ride.

Whats My Age Again? - Blink-182

My Name Is - Eminem

2000
The folks in the production office were so used to having bands wander in saying, "Kevin says we can play," that the Kevin Says stage was created for up-and-coming bands. Green Day, Weezer, AFI, NOFX, Flogging Molly and more packed 'em in that year.

Minority (Album Version) - Green Day

Devils Dance Floor - Flogging Molly

2001
Alien Ant Farm, riding high on their cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," got a lesson in Warped etiquette from Pennywise, Rancid and H2O. With Good Charlotte, Sum 41, the Dropkick Murphys, New Found Glory, Less Than Jake and others alongside Kool Keith, the eclecticism continued.

Little Things - Good Charlotte

Makes No Difference - Sum 41

2002
Thursday, Taking Back Sunday and the Used were emblematic of the changing tide, as screamo took its place in the community alongside pop-punk and the multiple sub-genres with which Warped began.

Understanding In A Car Crash - Thursday

The Taste Of Ink (Album Version) - The Used

2003
Underoath's Tim McTague points to their participation on the SmartPunk stage as a major turning point for the band. Aided by the exposure they got from Warped. Underoath's 2004 album, They're Only Chasing Safety, went gold. Aside from Underoath, fans also indulged in sets from Taking Back Sunday, Glassjaw and the Ataris.

Cute Without The "E" [Cut From The Team] - Taking Back Sunday

Cosmopolitan Bloodloss - Glassjaw

2004
Thursday's Geoff Rickley got married in Las Vegas during the Warped Tour with several band members and staffers in attendance. The lineup was bigger than ever, with several bands-such as Rise Against and Yellowcard--hopping onboard for different legs of the tour.

Like The Angel - Rise Against

Ocean Avenue - Yellowcard

2005
No less than four bands with songs in the Top 20 on the pop charts-the All-American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights and My Chemical Romance--helped make this Warped's biggest year yet. But it wasn't all huge emo bands; the Offspring and Transplants were there, too.

Sugar, Were Goin Down - Fall Out Boy

Im Not Okay (I Promise) - My Chemical Romance

2006
Joan Jett! The Buzzcocks! The old school was represented alongside Rise Against, Senses Fail, et al., but this summer is probably most remembered for the NOFX vs. Underoath "battles" centered around Christianity. Sure, Fat Mike bum-rushed a Bible study and said plenty of things from the stage, but both parties insist they are friendly with each other.

Buried A Lie - Senses Fail

Writing On The Walls - Underoath

2007
Bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Bleeding Through had done Warped before, but this year, As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Throwdown, Haste The Day and others really flew the flag for heavy music on Warped. Paramore and Circa Survive turned heads and, best of all, these different bands from different scenes got along great.

Misery Business - Paramore

In The Morning And Amazing... - Circa Survive

2008
saw loads of big-buzz acts playing side stages, such as 3OH!3 and Katy Perry (seriously, she was on Warped Tour--just last year), alongside scene cred faves like Say Anything. --Ryan J. Downey

PunkB*tch (Parental Advisory) - 3OH!3

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