Baby girl, I'm a blog.
I'm nervous.
There, I admitted it.
I'm flying out to Scranton, Pennsylvania, later tonight -- not to stalk the cast of The Office (oh, Jenna Fischer, how I would love to simply hold your hand), but instead to meet up with the behemoth that is the Vans Warped Tour. I'll be on the tour for the following shows:
Sun Jul 27 Toyota Pavilion Scranton, PA
Mon Jul 28 Raceway Park Englishtown, NJ
Tue Jul 29 Post Gazette Pavilion At Star Lake Pittsburgh, PA
Wed Jul 30 Riverbend Amphitheatre Cincinnati, OH
Thu Jul 31 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Noblesville, IN
Fri Aug 01 Marcus Amphitheater Milwaukee, WI
Sat Aug 02 First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL
Sun Aug 03 Canterbury Park Shakopee, MN
Sure, it's only a week. And yeah, I've done Taste Of Chaos and the AP Tour before, so I'm not a total newbie to touring. But I am still so very nervous about joining Warped Tour. I've dreamed about going on this tour since I was 15 years old when I attended the '97 Warped in Chicago, but this is the very first summer since then where the stars have aligned (and AP is footing the bill), so I'm doing it. And I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I'm totally afraid I'll get pantsed by Tom DeLonge for the bad review I wrote of Angels & Airwaves' last album. Or maybe Against Me! will corner me backstage and tell me they hated their cover story I wrote. Or maybe From First To Last might want to exact some revenge for some harsh words we printed a few months back. Or maybe I'll run into Alesana and involuntarily punch their Pterodactyl singer in the throat. (It's a nervous tick, I swear--please don't sue me.)
The point is, as much as I want to go on this tour and just be a dude who watches bands and meets kids, I can't: I'm a member of "the press," no matter how alternative it may be. Becoming buddy-buddy with bands is a death knell for credibility, not to mention bands, once they find out you're a writer, treat you differently, thinking you won't notice. It's a weird, strange balance between shooting the shit with someone in a band whose music you don't like and then panning that band's next record because it's weak, all the while waiting for an expletive-filled text message or e-mail telling you what they really thought of you the whole time.
Look, I'm certainly not complaining about my lot in life. I love my job. I love the holy shit out of it, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. But these strange ethical and moral hurdles come up all the time, and it's a constant struggle to keep yourself on top of your game and not corrupt yourself for the chance to hang out on Gym Class Heroes' tour bus for 10 minutes.
So yeah, I'm nervous. How can you help? Find me at Warped Tour and chat with me. Tell me how your day's going, what bands you're here to see, who you've loved thus far and who let you down. These are things I really do want to know, because AP is entirely built on reader feedback. What, do you think we just put bands on our cover because of their MySpace friend totals? (In that case, I guess next month will be a Hollywood Undead/Jeffree Star split cover...)
Okay, I gotta start getting ready. I haven't packed a single thing yet, and Rachel's picking me up in under five hours to take me to the airport. Wish me luck, and follow our Warped Tour blog to read about my adventures, as I'll be posting there for the next week, not here.
There, I admitted it.
I'm flying out to Scranton, Pennsylvania, later tonight -- not to stalk the cast of The Office (oh, Jenna Fischer, how I would love to simply hold your hand), but instead to meet up with the behemoth that is the Vans Warped Tour. I'll be on the tour for the following shows:
Sun Jul 27 Toyota Pavilion Scranton, PA
Mon Jul 28 Raceway Park Englishtown, NJ
Tue Jul 29 Post Gazette Pavilion At Star Lake Pittsburgh, PA
Wed Jul 30 Riverbend Amphitheatre Cincinnati, OH
Thu Jul 31 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Noblesville, IN
Fri Aug 01 Marcus Amphitheater Milwaukee, WI
Sat Aug 02 First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL
Sun Aug 03 Canterbury Park Shakopee, MN
Sure, it's only a week. And yeah, I've done Taste Of Chaos and the AP Tour before, so I'm not a total newbie to touring. But I am still so very nervous about joining Warped Tour. I've dreamed about going on this tour since I was 15 years old when I attended the '97 Warped in Chicago, but this is the very first summer since then where the stars have aligned (and AP is footing the bill), so I'm doing it. And I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I'm totally afraid I'll get pantsed by Tom DeLonge for the bad review I wrote of Angels & Airwaves' last album. Or maybe Against Me! will corner me backstage and tell me they hated their cover story I wrote. Or maybe From First To Last might want to exact some revenge for some harsh words we printed a few months back. Or maybe I'll run into Alesana and involuntarily punch their Pterodactyl singer in the throat. (It's a nervous tick, I swear--please don't sue me.)
The point is, as much as I want to go on this tour and just be a dude who watches bands and meets kids, I can't: I'm a member of "the press," no matter how alternative it may be. Becoming buddy-buddy with bands is a death knell for credibility, not to mention bands, once they find out you're a writer, treat you differently, thinking you won't notice. It's a weird, strange balance between shooting the shit with someone in a band whose music you don't like and then panning that band's next record because it's weak, all the while waiting for an expletive-filled text message or e-mail telling you what they really thought of you the whole time.
Look, I'm certainly not complaining about my lot in life. I love my job. I love the holy shit out of it, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. But these strange ethical and moral hurdles come up all the time, and it's a constant struggle to keep yourself on top of your game and not corrupt yourself for the chance to hang out on Gym Class Heroes' tour bus for 10 minutes.
So yeah, I'm nervous. How can you help? Find me at Warped Tour and chat with me. Tell me how your day's going, what bands you're here to see, who you've loved thus far and who let you down. These are things I really do want to know, because AP is entirely built on reader feedback. What, do you think we just put bands on our cover because of their MySpace friend totals? (In that case, I guess next month will be a Hollywood Undead/Jeffree Star split cover...)
Okay, I gotta start getting ready. I haven't packed a single thing yet, and Rachel's picking me up in under five hours to take me to the airport. Wish me luck, and follow our Warped Tour blog to read about my adventures, as I'll be posting there for the next week, not here.
posted by Scott Heisel at
11:10 AM
6 Comments:
The day I could be, and should be at Warped in Pitt, I get my wisdom teeth out. Guhhhh.
I so wanted to see Anberlin, but instead I get to sit in an office, while on pain pills and then get teeth ripped out of my mouth.
But you have fun though, and see Anberlin for me!
too bad you weren't at the Ventura Warped, you could have seen our band Letters Burning play... we could use a mention if you like us! :)
www.myspace.com/lettersburning
This post has been removed by the author.
Scott, is the new Underoath really that good? I think this is the first rating that I've seen with a perfect rating since the new rating system was established.
uO are one of my favorite bands and Define the Great Line was so solid, but this new song on their MySpace doesn't do it for me so I was surprised to see how you rated it.
I hope I'm wrong. Looking forward to this, Norma Jean, and Anthony Green's record the most!
Also, can I recommend a new blog title? How about...
"Nice and Blog, Pt. 2"
We need some mewithoutYou action.
Eh, I totally know what you mean.
Even on Warped Tour with a kickass charity,
Sometimes, when noon rolls around, I feel like hanging out with my friends.
But then you remind yourself you are doing what you love, and it's all good in the neighborhood. (Like the way I tiptoed around that copyright infringement?)
Too bad I won’t be at those dates.
Next year, when I shall be approaching skin cancer with all warped dates under my belt, Mr. Heisel, I shall make you’re time more bearable. :)
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