Nine standout artists from Warped Tour 2013
Throughout this year's Warped Tour run, which ended yesterday in Houston, we received plenty of feedback from within the tour and from you about who was winning over new fans and taking the tour by storm. Here are nine of the bands from Warped who we think should be on your radar.
CROSSFAITH
HQ: Osaka, Japan
Fan testimonial: "They're so intense, so in-your-face. Their musical skill is mind-blowing." - Andy Davis, Louisville, KY
Claim to fame: Connecting Warped artists across continents.
Tamano Terufumi (programming), Takemura Kazuki (guitar), Ikegawa Hiroki (bass), Amano Tatsuya (drums), Koie Kenta (vocals)
How has Warped Tour helped your band?
Terufumi: I've enjoyed it personally, and, as a band, it's been a great way to play a lot of shows.
What was your best experience on the tour?
Kenta: The barbecues every night—those have been amazing.
Hiroki: Skateboarding with my favorite bands.
Kenta: This tour is different from most tours- there are so many bands, and now we're like family. I can't wait to meet them again.
Worst?
Terufumi: Our bus has fucked up twice.
Tatsuya: Hangovers.
Kazuki: I broke a tooth.
What are your next plans?
Terufumi: We go back to Japan to play Summer Sonic.
Kenta: Then we go to the U.K., back to Japan, then this October we'll do a tour in Australia with Bring Me The Horizon and Of Mice & Men.
Who were your Warped stand-out artists?
Kenta: Architects, While She Sleeps, The Amity Affliction, Bring Me The Horizon
CROWN THE EMPIRE
HQ: Dallas, TX
Fan testimonial: "I love how they talk to the fans. They give everyone a voice." - Mason Chenoweth, Oxford, OH
Claim to fame: This summer's breakout act of the Ernie Ball stage.
Andrew Velasquez (vocals), David Escamilla (vocals)
How has Warped Tour helped your band?
Velasquez: A lot of tours we've done have been small markets, so this has been a test to see how many people will actually come out.
Escamilla: We've learned a lot about each other—being in such close quarters all the time.
Velasquez: And we've been winning a lot of new fans, people who walk by and stop to watch.
What was your best experience on the tour?
Velasquez: Buffalo was dope. We happened to play between two bigger bands’ [set times], while there was nobody else playing. We were on the smallest stage, but that day we had a crazy amount of space, and everyone watched us.
Escamilla: Also, [at another show] a mentally challenged friend of ours—he can't speak, but he's in love with music, he wants to be a singer, but physically can't—we brought him on stage for one of our songs.
Worst?
Velasquez: I almost fell the other day. The security guard's head broke my fall.
Who were your Warped stand-out artists?
Velasquez: Gin Wigmore, I fell in love with her.
Escamilla: Bring Me The Horizon and Memphis May Fire.
CITIZEN
HQ: Michigan/Ohio
Claim to Fame: Your favorite band's favorite new band.
Mat Kerekes (vocals), Nick Hamm (guitar), Eric Hamm (bass)
Have you noticed a lot of buzz this summer?
Nick: The biggest thing I've noticed is that a lot of bands you wouldn't think would like our band have shown us attention. It's really awesome feeling support from your peers.
How has Warped Tour helped your band?
Kerekes: It's helped us reach people we normally wouldn't. People pass by as we're playing, and they just stop and listen.
What was your best experience on the tour?
Eric: The catering. It's pretty great.
Nick: This is the healthiest I've eaten in a long time.
Worst?
Kerekes: When it rains. That's a disaster.
Nick: The other day people were literally floating in merch bins, and rowing themselves around.
What are your next plans?
Nick: Taking it easy for a little while, then we'll be playing more songs off our new record [on the road] later in the fall. We also have a new song coming on a compilation called Off The Board in October.
Who were your Warped standout artists?
Nick: For The Foxes. I just happened to see them. You have to dance to them; you have no option. >>>