Kevin Lyman hints that a Warped Tour replacement could be in the cards
We’re keeping our fingers crossed that a recent comment by Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman means it’s coming back. Warped Tour officially officially came to an end after a three-event anniversary run in 2019. The long-standing summer touring festival ended in 2018.
Now though, seemingly coming out of the void to keep our hearts racing, Lyman responded to a fan regarding the future of the event.
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Warped Tour ended its magical 25-year run as the longest continuing traveling festival in North American history in 2018. Over the years it was a clubhouse for music culture, focusing on alt-rock and then branching into a punk-rock juggernaut with tentacles in all kinds of genres and nonprofit initiatives. But all good things must come to an end.
However, perhaps like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Warped Tour will return one day. Well, that day might just be a bit closer than we anticipated.
One Warped Tour fanatic wanted a little insurance policy that their summers would be spent enjoying their favorite bands and not twiddling their thumbs. They tweeted at Lyman with a rather macabre ultimatum. Lyman’s answer is sure to kickstart all of our hearts and imaginations though.
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The Warped Tour founder suggested something might be returning, but it’ll have a different name. In theory, Warped Tour might be gone, but its successor could be right around the corner.
It might just be called something else.
— KevinLyman (@KevinLyman) May 9, 2020
Obviously, with the coronavirus pandemic bringing the music industry (and much else) to a standstill, Warped Tour has no chance of returning in 2020. Lyman even recently spoke with Variety about the circumstances regarding the return of live music. He spoke about how festivals and tours have been postponed. But, scheduling them at the end of the year might be overcrowding the industry. That could spell some very bad news for music.
“Everyone has really had to learn how to play together a little better than they ever have had to before. We really are in a mode of survival in this business.” He went on to discuss how larger festivals are scheduling too close together, forcing select bands to be at multiple events on the same weekends. “If the live business thinks it can push all the traffic to the end of the year, we’re setting ourselves up for the second big hit. First hit is right now, obviously, but we are looking at many painful days ahead if we crowd the market too much.”
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But, only time will tell if something like Warped Tour is coming back and especially when it can come back. Even though Arkansas is set to host the first “socially-distanced” concert at the end of this week and Live Nation is experimenting with other forms of live music, it’s still unclear when life can return to ‘normal,’ or, if it ever will.
California’s governor believes large social gatherings might not happen until late 2021, when a coronavirus vaccine is readily available. A large part of the public agrees.
In a new poll conducted by Reuters and Ipsos, it’s clear that even when shows and other large gatherings are going to be allowed Americans are going to be hesitant about going out again.
According to the poll, less than half of Americans are planning to go to concerts sporting events, movie theaters and more until an effective vaccine is available for everyone.
The poll shows only four in ten Americans who are saying they’re regularly attending events like these are going again without a widely-available vaccine.
But, embrace the good news. Let your imagination run wild about a potential Warped Tour successor. Tell us your dream lineup in the comments below!
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