Photos by Merideth C. & Shane Glenn, review by Merideth C.
Believe it or not, Warped Tour has been traveling the country as the premier summer rock event for 18 years! The first Warped Tour took place in 1995 and it still brings as much anticipation in 2012 as it has every year before. This year's lineup seems to have garnered much more excitement than last year with several big-name acts including Rise Against, Taking Back Sunday, The Used, New Found Glory, Anti Flag, and Every Time I Die.
One of the biggest draws of Warped Tour are the smaller acts, because so many in the past have gone on to have a lot of success after playing (see No Doubt, Social Distortion, Katy Perry, Green Day, The Black Eyed Peas, and Eminem). This year the smaller act lineup was awesome and featured such bands as Dead Sara, Transit, Fireworks, Polar Bear Club, The Wonder Years, Breathe Carolina, Of Mice and Men, and many other great bands.
The lineup was almost as hot as the weather. Actual temperatures were close to 100 degrees; with the humidity, it felt closer to 110. Without a cloud in the sky, I can't imagine how many people left with sunburns and heat exhaustion. To be honest, I preferred last year's location outside Comerica Park mostly because it is fun to have the downtown atmosphere. Warped Tour, though, provides its own unique atmosphere, so the location doesn't really matter. The only thing that really matters is the music and the dancing.
Apart from the music, Warped Tour offered a half pipe for skating, a slip and slide, and a reverse daycare where parents who escorted their children could cool off in air-conditioned comfort. Over-heated fans could take advantage of free water refilling stations and a misting area, though both of these had extremely long lines. There was also a fire hose spraying water down onto overheated fans.
Overall, this was a really fantastic Warped Tour. There were downsides, but the quality of the music and the readily available opportunities to dance (in whatever fashion suits your taste) made for an awesome and memorable day.
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Find out more about Warped Tour
- vanswarpedtour.com
- Buy merch from Warped Tour
- Twitter: @vanswarpedtour
- 2012 Warped Tour Compilation on iTunes:
