Vans Warped Tour Pittsburgh
Despite the downpour of rain that we’ve been experiencing lately in Pittsburgh, Vans Warped Tour, the largest traveling music festival in the United States since 1995, made its annual stop on July 9 at the First Niagara Pavilion. Among the musicians in various genres and styles, several Pittsburgh native bands and musicians had the chance to play including Who We Are and Luke Smartnick of Major League.
Local Pittsburgh metal band, Who We Are, formed in early 2015 and shortly after released their first single “One for the Home Team.” The band consists of five native musicians: Chris Barna (vocals), Nicholas Fike (guitar), Anthony McMillan (guitar), Zachery Urbanek (bass), and Jesse Hildenbrand (drums).
Who We Are landed a spot on the Ernie Ball Stage after entering Ernie Ball’s 19th Annual Battle of the Bands contest. By a show of votes, Who We Are won the chance to be the featured band on the Pittsburgh Vans Warped Tour 2015 bands list.
The members of Who We Are started their set with an original, metal song to a crowd of approximately 200 fans. Frontman, Barna then introduced himself, the other band members, and gave a special welcome to their new drummer. Barna also gave shout-outs to friends, family, and other local musicians who came out to support the band at their first show.
After four songs and plenty of rain, the band left the stage to sign autographs, take photos with fans, interact with other musicians, and to sell T-shirts at their merchandise tent.
Although the rain continued to soak merchandise and fans throughout the day, a majority of the well-known bands performed on the Shark Stage and Unicorn Stage under the pavilion where fans took for shelter. Several bands that played on these two stages included Pierce the Veil, Miss May I, Family Force 5, and Memphis May Fire.
As the day came to a close, English metalcore band, Asking Alexandria were the final band to play in order to wrap up Vans Warped Tour 2015.
Asking Alexandria recently replaced their former singer Danny Worsnop with 23-year-old Denis Stoff, the previous singer of Make Me Famous. Stoff’s first performances as frontman of Asking Alexandria began with this summer’s Warped Tour.
Asking Alexandria opened with “Welcome” and continued the performance with eight songs including “Breathless,” “Not the American Average,” “A Prophecy,” and closed the show with “Final Episode.”
Vans Warped Tour continues to be the largest travelling music festival and draws in thousands of young punks, rebels, and rockers each year. The tour will continue throughout the country and make its final stop in Auburn, Washington on August 8th.
Photos by Geo Martinez
