The 17 Best Things We Saw At Warped Tour
In lieu of the traditional show review (because, really, who wants to hear someone yammer on for 800 words about the general vibe), the AP editorial staff have compiled the following list of highlights from yesterday’s Warped Tour stop in Cleveland. Aaand: GO!
CONTRIBUTORS:
[RC] Rachel Campbell
[SH] Scott Heisel
[BJM] Bridjet Mendyuk
[BM] Brittany Moseley
[JP] Jason Pettigrew
[CW] Cassie Whitt
THE AMITY AFFLICTION ft. VOCALISTS FROM LETLIVE., LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES AND ARCHITECTS (UK)
Unfortunately TAA vocalist Joel Birch had recently fallen ill and was off Warped Tour for a couple days (he’s expected to return today), but it’s not all bad news for those of us who had the unique experience seeing of Sam Carter (Architects), Jason Aalon Butler (letlive.) and Chris Roetter (Like Moths To Flames) perform with the band in his absence. [CW]
ARCADE ANTICS
One of the first thing one saw upon entering the Warped press room at Blossom Music Center was a lineup of several arcade games against the wall. While gathering people to contribute to our inaugural “Four Simple Words” feature (launching Monday, July 19), we watched Set It Off, Warped founder Kevin Lyman and many others play a quick round of the shooter game Big Buck Hunter. [CW]
WILLIAM BECKETT SINGS ABOUT A GIRL… LITERALLY
The Academy Is… disbanded in 2011 leaving its members to pursue other paths, musically or otherwise. Frontman William Beckett took the solo route. Beckett very rarely performs TAI tracks, so the fact that he pulled Acoustic Basement creator/ex-Therefore I Am guitarist Brian Marquis on stage to aid in singing “About a Girl” was quite a treat. Bonus: He dedicated it to Mike Shea and the rest of the Alternative Press staff. [RC]
THE AWARD FOR HUNGRIEST METALCORE FRONTMAN GOES TO…
A perk about Warped Tour in Cleveland (well, Cleveland-ish) was a few food trucks showed up to provide an alternative to your usual chicken tenders-and-fries option. Unfortunately, the Barrio Taco Truck ran out of their goods very early on, which left a very hungry and very disappointed Beau Bokan to sulk away after the bad news was broken to him: “We're sold out.” (We're sure he felt better when Blessthefall took the mainstage later that night, once the sun started going down and things cooled off.) [SH]
PLEASE DON'T DIE, JASON BUTLER
@scottheisel I shot Warped yesterday. Didn't know if you wanted a shot of Jason hanging himself for the AP story pic.twitter.com/mA2l08iBPu
— Brad Heaton (@BradHeaton) July 19, 2013
By now, everyone pretty much knows that Jason Aalon Butler, frontman of letlive., is one of the craziest people to ever pick up a microphone. How he goes off as hard as he does every day is truly beyond us. But his stage antics took an abrupt, uncomfortable turn during the band's performance of “The 27 Club,” when Butler threw his mic cord over the structural beam of the Monster stage a few times, then used the slack to fashion a crude noose out of it, which he promptly ran around his head then pretended to hang himself. So, uh, yeah: Please don't die, Jason Butler. [SH]
SATAN IS STILL VERY AFRAID OF THE CHARIOT
One Warped lifer described metalcore deconstructionists the Chariot as “the Dillinger Escape Plan's autistic brothers,” which is the perfect compliment for a band who find straddling the line between full-charging rock fury and glorious, pointless noise an admirable way of life. Frontman Josh Scogin might look like the next-door neighbor who helps your parents with their yardwork, but he’s hardly bashful about exhorting at the humidity-damaged crowd. But it was during one of the first mosh pits of the day, dreadlocked guitarist Stephen Harrison took it upon himself to leave the stage—to play in the center of the mosh. I hope this band stay together for 30 years, duct-taping hearing aids the size of hardrives to their skulls to keep bringing the scree. [JP]
THE EARLY NOVEMBER’S BIGGEST FAN/HYPE WOMAN
Through The Early November’s set yesterday, there was one clear stand-out: The woman losing her mind in the second row. One could feel her palpable excitement in the small crowd as she passionately sang every word and danced along, even turning and attempting to get others to dance. The band eventually allowed her onstage for a couple songs, during which she continued to try to pump everyone up. Vocalist Ace Enders called her their “dancer” and told her she had a bright future ahead. I concur. Passion and fearlessness can take you very far. [CW]
ECHOSMITH—NOT JUST FOR KIDS
The band of siblings that make up Echosmith aren’t even old enough to drink (three-fourths of them can’t even vote), so needless to say their set was all about sharing their youthful energy (and merch) with the crowd. Of course that doesn’t mean the token parent in the audience was left out of the fun. When lead singer Sydney Sierota tossed a free T-shirt into the audience, said token parent caught it. And what did the T-shirt say? “Let’s Love While We’re Young,” of course. [BM]
FIVE KNIVES
I was not sold on this Nashville electro-rock outfit’s debut EP, which was very much a DIY prospect that the band's label reissued. Fortunately, their live show makes all the promises their record didn't while throwing a bunch more on the table, in the form of a drummer that won't/can't stop (live drums are what separates the world from mere dubstep), two synthesizer operators damaged by Wax Trax records and the Guitar Center keyboard showroom and the not-so secret weapon of Anna Worstell, who brings rock ’n’ roll swagger, pop sensibility and a lot of danger to the forefront. I hope I see a clip of her punching Ke$ha in the face in the very near future. [JP]
HEY GIRL, I HEARD YOU LIKE RYAN GOSLING
Ryan Gosling is a good actor, and debatably a better meme. The “Hey Girl” phenomenon hit the internet like wildfire, and even sparked a book. Because of this, it was no surprise that Associate Editor Brittany’s excitement for For The Foxes’ Gosling-centric tee was prevalent within minutes of some of the editorial crew entering the Warped grounds. [RC]
GIN WIGMORE WAS AN UNEXPECTED “AW YEAH”
Her band got onstage in retro Mad Men-esque suits with their tiny framed blonde singer, who belted out tunes so loudly she probably didn’t even need the microphone. Instantly, they became my favorite set at Warped. While they didn’t have much of a crowd, I suspect this band is going to get pretty big. I turned on the TV this morning and their video “Man Like That” was on VH1. They’re also in a Heineken commercial. Check Wingmore out if you can because she’s definitely worth it. [BJM]
GRANDIOSE BAND T-SHIRTS
Whether it was the band T-shirts Warped goers were wearing or the ones bands were selling at their tents, it didn’t take me very long to pick up on a new trend: Bands are getting a lot more intense with their T-shirts. From the shirts that didn’t mince words (Memphis May Fire’s “You’re Such A Sick Sad Waste Of A Human Being”), to the prolific (We Came As Romans’ “We Are The One True Hope”) to the downright ridiculous (a fan’s “Austin Carlile Or Die” tank), the Warped crowd seemed to be embracing the written language—for good or bad. [BM]
GUEST SPOT EXTRAVAGANZA
Silverstein were bumped to the mainstage and found a pretty massive crowd waiting for them. Luckily, they had some tricks up their sleeve, most notably in August Burns Red guitarist JB Brubaker, who picked up Billy Hamilton's bass for a circle pit-inducing cover of NOFX's “It's My Job To Keep Punk Rock Elite.” (Of course, that wasn't the only special guest during their set; this editor [pictured] was roped into doing his best Liam Cormier impression when the band played “Vices.”) [SH]
HELL ON WHEELS
Playing at the same time as Warped super-draw Sleeping With Sirens at the end of the day is rough. The entire grounds beyond the main stage turns into a barren wasteland, so I’m glad I decided to opt out of the flock to catch London’s Itch at the Spotify stage instead. A crowd of roughly 30 gathered in a circle around the rapper who was wheeled offstage two songs in (he’s in a chair due to a leg injury) and enraptured us on our level. [CW]
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS GUEST LIST
After looking at the day’s schedule more than a dozen times, I suddenly realized something: Sleeping With Sirens’ new song “Alone” features Machine Gun Kelly, who happens to be from Cleveland. I bet he would make a guest appearance onstage. Sure enough he did, along with Memphis May Fire’s Matty Mullins who joined SWS for “Congratulations.” But the most memorable “appearance” (and definitely the strangest) was by Jeffree Star. He watched the set from the side of the stage, hidden from the crowd, so only a few people saw him. But I’m guessing they were just as confused as I was. [BM]
THREE CHEERS FOR SPOOKTACULAR HAIR
The running joke around the office is that New Years Day vocalist Ash Costello and I are virtually the same person, mostly because of our love of all things spooky and My Chemical Romance (we joined hands at the end of the day yesterday and lamented to the heavens to bring them back), but also because of our shared taste in hair color; however, Costello’s hip-length, red/black “half-head” style is spectacular and more vibrant than one can imagine person. Number of NYD “half-heads” spotted yesterday: Four. [CW]
WARPED’S CAST OF CHARACTERS
For some reason, people love wearing costumes to Warped Tour. Collectively, the editorial staff saw Waldo (crucial crowdsurfing during Silverstein's set, dude!), Spongebob Squarepants (covered in autographs, natch), a girl with a massive pink beehive wig, a shirtless guy with a chicken head mask on and even Green Man. We sincerely hope that guy didn't die of heat stroke by 2 p.m., because man, it was brutal out there. [SH]
