Vans Warped Tour: Your all-access pass
For this year's Vans Warped Tour, I navigated the madness with a notepad and a video camera, taking you guys from backstage to the front row. You can see my 27 videos on FresnoBee.com. My five Warped Tour highlights were in Today's Bee. And here's a gallery of Mark Crosse's photos.
Thursday update: The last of my Warped Tour videos just went up on the video page. Those include performances from Katy Perry as well as a variety of stuff from the Denny's afterparty, like this spontaneous dance circle featuring members of 3OH!3 and All Time Low:
Here's one of Katy Perry performing. There's another on the video page.
Here's a view of the festival from the roof of the Save Mart Center:
Here's Kevin Lyman, the tour's founder and producer, giving us a backstage tour:
Wednesday afternoon update: If you're wondering whether there's still some good Warped Tour left, the answer is "Yes." Angels & Airwaves and Say Anything perform back-to-back on the Highway 1 stage, at 6:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. On the Hurley.com stage, a bunch of buzzworthy acts are still to come, starting with Shwayze at 6:15 p.m., then Katy Perry at 7:15 p.m. and 3OH!3 at 8:15 p.m.
It's hot out here, but the Save Mart Center has opened its doors and kicked up the A.C. for people to relax during sets. The fashion around the grounds is pretty fun, too -- everything from the traditional Warped kids with mohawks and spiked leather jackets, to girls wearing close to nothing, to a whole group of people dressed in '80s neon, influenced by groups like Cobra Starship and 3OH!3, I presume.
So far my favorite acts: Oreskaband, an all-female Japanese ska band. Gym Class Heroes were good, too.
Comments:
My daughter will be there.
I'll be biting my nails all day.
Keep an eye on the kid with the tie-dyed shirt and black headband.
riiiiiight.
Posted by: Msjoey at August 13, 2008 10:17 AM
Oreskaband was surprisingly good...strange i didnt see you in the crowd watching them though - I was the OTHER guy over 21....
Posted by: Tweed at August 14, 2008 11:36 AM
wow dude, good job covering any punk bands, which what warped tour is all about. what? nothing about punk legends GBH or the Horrorpops? nothing about possibly the best band there, Reel Big Fish? rediculous
Posted by: kbohigian at August 14, 2008 12:04 PM
Both Reel Big Fish and GBH were on super early, before I even made it out of the press area (which took forever). I totally would have tried to see Reel Big Fish, though. I shouted them out in my story today at least.
As you can tell, I was bouncing around a lot, from the backstage area to the show area, writing on deadline for the print edition and doing all these videos with a camera that was only cooperating 50% of the time.
So I did the best I could.
Posted by: Mike Oz at August 14, 2008 12:09 PM
Oh, and if you're mad about Warped Tour not being punk enough -- that ship has totally left, man. Warped Tour is pretty much an alternative/emo/pop/indie festival these days -- and most especially this year.
Posted by: Mike Oz at August 14, 2008 12:11 PM
Which is the reason why I didn't go. Warped isn't punk anymore. Course most bands calling themselves punk aren't punk so maybe this is a mute point.
Still great job on the coverage Mike.
Posted by: Michael at August 14, 2008 12:21 PM
Good job on the coverage Mike.
I saw you jumping around from stage to stage, even when i was trying to stop you for a quick word.
But its all cool.
You got the job done.
I enjoyed the coverage and the photos especially.
Youre the next best thing to happen to the Bee since John Branch.
Posted by: Angel at August 14, 2008 11:26 PM
Again my friend, what you covered were some of the minor groups and also some of the bands that have been featured on the whole tour. There were many other bands that were working hard back stage that only were able to play selected shows on the tour itself. Having the chance to find out this information first hand by one of Fresno's very own who worked the tour. He was able to give me a full day of having fun and meeting all the bands and members. I see that you have no mention about him and yet he might have been a wonderful person for you to interview. Seeing as he worked the tour not as a sponsor or just a crew member, but as production and catering member of the tour itself. Hope you find him.
Posted by: Stony at August 18, 2008 6:11 AM
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