When I drove up to the Milwaukee Warped tour on July 19th, I could tell just by looking at how pumped everyone was that it was going to be an exciting day. I had been to another Warped tour earlier in the week, but there was something about Milwaukee that had a special air about it. These kids were acting more excited than a child getting ready to open their gifts on Christmas morning, and I think this excitement electrified everyone, including the bands.

The day was sunny and humid, but everyone trekked though it like a champ. The Earn It Yourself meet up was at 1:45, and I was excited and surprised at how many kids showed up for the meet up compared to the amount that showed up for the Spring Into Action Tour earlier in the year. There were at least 30 people, and we all had to cram into a tiny, hot room above one of the stages. The meet up consisted of casual conversation with Kevin Lyman about his ideology behind Warped Tour, and we transitioned into a lot of discussion about working with sponsorships and how Warped Tour & sponsors go hand-in-hand with keeping the tour running. We also touched base on social media, and how networking is really your best shoe-in to the industry. Everyone who spoke about his or her experience in the industry all had one thing in common: dedication. Whether it was working for free at venues, being someone’s assistant because you want the experience, or sacrificing a normal social life to live in a smelly van, everyone had to work hard and prove that they had what it took in them to make it to where they are today.

There was no Kevin Says band for the day, so I spent some time interviewing DC Fallout, a punk band who hails from Milwaukee, and they had nothing but good things to say about Earn It Yourself. They told me that they have used EIY’s website to find venues to book shows, and that they are very passionate about the whole “paying to play” phenomena that is plaguing our generation of music. Just like Kevin Lyman said in the EIY meet up, the boys of DC Fallout agreed that hard work and doing things the old fashioned, honorable way is the way to make yourself known and achieve your dreams. One of the things that really stood out to me about this band was how honest and genuine they were. “You have to start from the bottom to get any kind of success,” was what Mike of DC Fallout said to me, and this phrase really stuck out because it’s such a true statement, and really is something that I think represents the whole EIY mentality.

After the interviews, I spent the rest of the day checking out some of the non-profit tents and educating myself a bit, and I checked out a few of the band’s sets. One of the things that saved my life through out the day, however, was the Kleen Kanteen. This year, free water is available at the Kleen Kanteen tent, and as long as you have your own bottle, you can fill up as many times as you want. It was scorching out, so having free water was truly a lifesaver. Also, if you happen to forget your sunscreen or think you don’t need it, a ton of the bands have gotten smart and realized that sunscreen is something kids will need and be willing to buy. If you’re being fried by the sun, stop by your favorite band’s merch tent and see if they have any sunscreen available and buy some! You’ll be saving yourself from the killer sun and be supporting your favorite band.

At the end of the day, I could truly say that the Milwaukee Warped Tour was a success. I was sweaty, smelly, and hungry, but it was all worth it to know that I was able to represent Earn It Yourself and see other kids become involved in what is such a great program & opportunity for success in the industry.