Just For Fun

Warped Tour came to Cleveland last Thursday and despite the quarter-shaped blister I got on my left foot and the unplanned expenditure of $60 for bad food, I had a pretty good time. The phrase "a good time" means so many different things to different people, so let me regale you with my Top 10 Favorite Things About Warped 2008. These things are in no particular order, and are all at the same level of importance.

EVERY TIME I DIE. If those guys did nothing but make moose noises onstage for 25 minutes and then ended with the menacing "No Son Of Mine," I'd still find them worthy of having their own collectors plate created by the Franklin Mint.

ANBERLIN. Scott Heisel and I are disagreeing wildly over the 'lin machine's new jams, but the couple thousand folks watching them at Warped wouldn't want to know. Incidentally, Anberlin were the band voted most worthy of an additional 10 minutes to their set, but due to some sound engineer's logistical screw-up, the band were robbed. And yes, "robbed" is the appropriate word.

THE BRONX. Full-on bad-ass punk rock capable of peeling both paint and skin. They didn't convene El Bronx, their mariachi project, but I was happy enough to hear the new track "Knifeman" at 105 decibels, so....

HORRORPOPS. No dancers or extra guitarists to get in their way; just a tight punkabilly unit that deserves to be massive. Hey Patricia: Did you ever get that week of luxury on the Gym Class Heroes bus Travis promised you?

THE EXHAUSTED GIRL LUGGING AROUND THE HEAVY SIGN READING "FAMILY FORCE FIVE AT THE HURLEY STAGE AT 4 PM" She was huffing and puffing but moving so fast, I couldn't even snap her with my camera phone. Solly, you better have gotten her a bitchin' spa treatment.

BEAT UNION. Weeks before Warped, I kept telling people their live thing is so much tougher than their John Feldmann-produced disc. I have the "toldja so" text messages to prove it.

THE KID PARAMEDICS PULLED OUT OF THE PIT DURING THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA'S SET. I don't know how he got there (and I hope he's okay now), but it was nice seeing a bit of danger in the name of "punk rock."

KEVIN LYMAN, SARAH BAER, KATE TRUSCOTT and LISA BROWNLEE. The Warped braintrust who are always ready with a helpful suggestion, cold beverage and a smile and/or laugh. Three of the four look great in tight clothes, as well.

NORMA JEAN'S CORY BRANDAN.Sample stage banter: "Our new album, The Anti Mother, will make you want to punch a dolphin in the blowhole. What's so great about dolphins, anyway, that they're so much better than tuna? How do they taste?"

PHOTOS OF GABE SAPORTA WITH HELLISHLY UGLY GIRL AT THE PUNK'S DIRTY SECRET MUSTACHO BASHO AFTER-WARPED PARTY. Self-explanatory.