“I couldn’t wait for the summer and the Warped Tour” – a running inside joke to every band, vendor, and fan of the Warped Tour, is this one line from the widely-known Blink 182 song, “The Rock Show.”
The 25th Anniversary version of Warped Tour was something unique. (Be sure to also check out our festival preview here.) Handfuls of bands took to the 4 stages this last weekend, under the summer heat on one of the nastiest beaches in America known only as, Atlantic City, NJ.
Yes, that’s right. The festival took place ON the beach. In the sand. Surprisingly, most people thought it was a great venue location and talked about how AWESOME it was being able to see their favorite band on the beach. That was until we got evacuated. Kevin Lyman appeared on stage as he cut Atmosphere’s set short, saying everyone had to leave immediately, and that we could return in about one hour after the storm passes. Attendees were told to seek shelter in the casinos and to keep an eye on social media.
On the walk to my car, I hopped on Twitter. There were lots of mixed reactions. Some people saying that they did a great job on the evacuation, others complaining about how poorly planned this event felt with the long wait times for the ATMs and water.
No matter the feelings though, before we knew it crowds were navigating beyond the entrances and to one of the four stages waiting to see the remainder of Varials and Atmosphere’s sets. Warped Tour social media post an updated setlist. And just like that, the rest of the night was consumed by Good Charlotte, Set Your Goals, Bad Religion, 311, and of course, A Day To Remember.
Day two felt like it flew by, even with everyone sunburnt and probably dehydrated. The weather was a bit cooler, but Sunday was more nostalgic for myself, and for everyone I knew that was there. A recollection of our formative years hit hard between The Used, Taking Back Sunday, The Starting Line, and BLINK 182. Not to mention bands like, The Offspring, Thrice, and Sleeping With Sirens who take me back to the days when I street teamed at Warped, or the first time I covered Warped Tour for a publication.
The more I have discussed Warped Tour with people, the more I have determined what a rejuvenation it is for some to rediscover music that has been drowned out of their everyday lives. That not being able to wait for “summer and the warped tour” was once a way of life. But now - it’s just a 25th-anniversary show, what most would consider a special occasion and a good reason to spend the $100/day to see some of their favorite bands play the Vans Warped Tour one last time, for now at least.
There is one more chance left to catch the Vans Warped Tour 25th anniversary show - July 20th & 21st in Mountain View, CA.
One Last Summer with the VANS WARPED TOUR: Prepare Yourself for the Atlantic City Extravaganza! [Festival Preview] →
If you’ve ever been to Warped Tour, you know what an eclectic group of musicians might await. However, twenty-five years ago, in 1995, Warped Tour kicked off with just 24 bands, the majority coming from the alternative rock genre. Starting in Boise, Idaho, the tour wrapped up almost two months later in Detroit.
Just one year later, in 1996, Vans became the big name sponsor and thus the name changed to the “Vans Warped Tour.” The genre likewise shifted to a more punk rock aesthetic with only a couple of extra bands added to the bill, including 311 and Beck.
Over the next handful of years, it morphed into the Warped Tour we all know and love. It became the place to see your favorite up-and-coming bands as well as discover new music as artists were given a platform to reach a greater audience.
As we all know, there are plenty of music festivals, but none quite like the Warped Tour. So, when it was announced that 2018 was the last year for the WT festival, a lot of us were collectively sadden, but also understood, that all good things must come to an end. And just when we didn’t know how we were going to fill the hole that was left by the absence of the tour, Kevin Lyman swooped in and saved us with 25th Anniversary shows.
June 29 & 30th will be the 2nd of these last 3 shows, taking place on the beaches of Atlantic City. 311, A Day to Remember, The Offspring, The Aquabats!, Blink 182, The Menzingers, Set Your Goals, Taking Back Sunday, The Starting Line, and Valencia are just a few bands that will be in AC for the weekend!
Aside from the 50+ bands that will be taking the stage throughout the two days, there will be a skate ramp where you can watch skate demos from some of the top skaters, also freestyle motocross, a wrestling ring for the final Warped Smackdown, and David “The Bullet” Smith returns as the human cannonball for his first appearance since the 2000 Warped Tour, and a Warped Museum (curated by photographer Lisa Johnson) featuring art of and inspired by the tour of the last 25 years.
Warped Tour already took care of transportation for you too. They are utilizing a service called Rally to get to the show. You can find a pickup up point over at https://rally.co/warped-tour-atlantic-city - The locations go south to DC & Maryland, and north to Penn Station in NY and Paterson NJ with roughly 20 additional pickup locations. From Philadelphia rides run about $40 each way, which is about a 45-minute trip. Once you are as far away as DC, the price is $70 each way. Take a look and book, the sooner the better as prices increase May 15th.
For those of you that want to drive in, take a look here and pre-book your parking - I use services like this for work, and they are very handy. They get you the parking you want, at a price you can afford, and also allows you to compare prices to nearby parking lots and garages. Highly recommend doing this before you come!
If this is your first Warped Tour, let’s run down a few things! Also, because this is on the beaches of Atlantic City…
01. When to Show & Go
- Doors are at 12pm and the last band will play around 9:30-10pm – Set times are posted the day of.
02. Stay Hydrated
- They will have HYDRATION STATIONS available for you to fill your own container with filtered water. You’re allowed to bring in: a. One (1) EMPTY water bottle (up to TWO (2) liters in size) PER PATRON, b. One (1) FACTORY SEALED water bottle (up to ONE (1) liter in size) PER PATRON, c. Camelbacks (MUST BE EMPTY)
03. Getting Wet & Salty
- You can go swimming in the ocean at Warped Tour! Bring a towel; doors to the ocean from the venue will be open till roughly 7:30pm.
04. Skip the Line!
- Go to the Feed Our Children NOW! Tent located by the main entrance with ANY ONE of these in exchange for an express entry wristband: a. 3 Canned goods (no dented or expired cans), b. $5 donation, c. 1 used cell phone
05. Weather is NOT a Factor
- Event is RAIN OR SHINE. Bring a poncho, sunscreen, hat, and hair tie, whatever you need to get by.
06. Got Needs? Bring ID!
- If you need to bring special foods or medication – Keep in mind you need an ID that matches your prescription bottle, and a doctors note for any special foods you might need.
07. Drinking = Identification
- If you are of age and want to drink: Bring your government identification!
As hard as it will be to say goodbye to the Warped Tour, at least we get one more summer of an epic lineup to do so. If you plan on going, hurry up and grab tickets while they last. 2-day general admission tickets are still available for Atlantic City.
You can head to www.vanswarpedtour.com to check out the full line up, tickets, find hotels, and more information about shuttles to the venues.