That was the first thing I noticed about the Vans Warped Tour when it rolled on by to Oregon on August 14th. As a Warped rookie, I was overwhelmed by everything this past Sunday—and fortunately, the heat wasn’t one of them.
The day started off with an endless line of confusion leading up to the closed gates. Even though I had arrived hours early, swarms of people were waiting in multiple lines ready to rush in once the clock hit 11:00 a.m. I had brought cans of food to donate to “Feed Our Children Now” in order to stand in a shorter line, and still managed to wait for a long time (in the wrong line). Regardless of the confusion, talking to strangers and peers who were passionate about music in the lines was exciting and rewarding. Even though Warped Tour is generally stereotyped as a punk rock tour, there were various people there from different backgrounds and cultures—yet we all shared and bonded over harmonies and melodies.
After entering the grounds, one thing I noticed was the smiles on everyone’s faces. The last day of tour was finally here and after a long two months of touring, everyone working the booths were exhausted but happy to be almost done. After making friends with the Fueled By Ramen booth and signing up for the EIY meetup, I wandered around visiting booths and buying merch.
There was never a dull moment throughout the day. Even while waiting for favorite bands to play, the variety of organizations that were along for the tour was amazing. One booth I found incredibly important was the Invisible Children tent. Invisible Children is a non-profit organization “seeking to end the conflict in uganda and stop the abduction of children for use as child soldiers.” I was moved by the videos I saw, and donated. Many other tents were equally as important, such as the Dear Jack Foundation which raises awareness for young adult cancer. It was amazing to see the different organizations that were involved.
Finally, it was time for the EIY meetup. Under the shade of a large oak tree, several other peers and I met with industry leaders to discuss and learn the insides of business within the music. The conversation was a bit depressing at times. The state of the industry is rapidly changing that it’s hard to know where it’s going. Some people voiced concerns about stability in the industry—one thing repeatedly mentioned was, if you are looking for stability then do not work in the music industry. Shelly, an industry veteran, told tales of jobs gone awry. Five firings in fifteen years, to be exact. With the economy trying to recover, labels trying to consolidate, dying radio, mergers happening, and the saturation of the internet—it’s hard to stand out and pave your way! However, one important thing mentioned was networking. You never know where your best job may come from, and since finding jobs within the industry is based on word of mouth and who you know, networking is key! I networked right after the meetup and talked with people who are doing similar things that I am pursuing! The meetup was fantastic and hearing the different ideas shared and questions asked was an incredible experience.
In my opinion, the best band of the day was Bad Rabbits, who put on an incredible performance on the Skullcandy Stage towards the end of the day. Their funk and hip hop sound with metal influences and choreographed dance moves blew everyone away.
Kevin Lyman, founder of the tour, said it best when he remarked that the Warped tour was like a giant tornado, and the last day was when it all “hits the wall.” That statement rang true throughout the majority of the sets played—each band giving it their absolute all and thanking the crew and everyone involved after each set.
