The summer sun beats down on crowds of hundreds as people tap their feet in anticipation of one of the largest music festivals of the year. People have started lining up since the night before in hopes of catching a glimpse of their favorite bands.
VANS Warped Tour is splashed across the banner that hangs in front of the gate that will soon be opened. Up and coming musicians walk among the crowds, advertising their CDS, band merchandise. The energy of the crowd is astounding.
Warped Tour, a summer punk rock music festival, is something many people look forward to yearly. It is a chance for them to discover new bands, listen to old favorites, and if they’re lucky, they can even meet some of the musicians that they see on stage.
Started in 1994, by Kevin Lyman, Warped Tour features around a hundred bands per show. The festival starts at around eleven am, and ends at nine pm. Over the ten stages that are set in various locations, artists play thirty minute sets, with many performing at the same time. The stages are far enough apart that the bands do not disrupt each other. People are able to pick which one of the artists they would like to listen to at any set time based off of a giant schedule that is located near the middle of the venue.
Aside from the music, Warped Tour also contains tents where bands sell merchandise and promote themselves. Because there are around a hundred bands performing, there are also a lot of tents, and it becomes a very interesting atmosphere of meeting people and buying fun things.
Warped Tour travels all around the country. If you have the chance, why not go and see what all the fuss is about?
