WARPED TOUR 2008

For music loving kids across the country the summer is more than just an opportunity to sleep late, it’s a season jam packed with tours and festivals showcasing the year’s greatest musical acts. One of the summer’s hottest tickets and a tour that certainly stands out among the rest is Van’s Warped Tour (which happens to be truckin’ through its 14th summer). Those that have attended this particular tour in the past know that it’s a day filled with tightly packed crowds, excessive merchandise purchases, being covered in sweat (your sweat and the sweat of about a thousand other individuals), minimal cell service, but mainly it’s a day you get the heart pounding experience of watching some of your favorite bands take the stage.


This year Warped Tour is decked out with appearances by bands such as The Bouncing Souls, Cobra Starship, We The Kings, Gym Class Heroes, Sky Eats Airplane, and Katy Perry to name a few. With such a diverse line up, this year’s tour gave bands the opportunity to play to more than just their target audience. Warped Tour always does a tremendous job of opening ears to new bands and genres.


After attending multiple dates and mingling with the masses I found that the quality of bands were of the upper crust of listening entertainment, but like every festival there were a few that REALLY stood out and left me with that “post show glow.” (Side Bar- By “post show glow” I mean that feeling you have after watching something truly spectacular happen on the stage before you- it’s that happiness emanating from your person and that fluttery feeling in your stomach.) Here’s a glimpse at what makes Warped Tour the summer fest to be reckoned with-

Warped Tour "Band of the Year"- THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA


In the past few months one has become hard pressed to walk through a mall or down the street without spotting at least one person sporting this bands eye catching merch. Since the release of their latest album titled Plagues the band has been launched into a whirlwind of success which shows no signs of letting up. In the past year The Devil Wears Prada has completed tours with bands such as Scary Kids Scaring Kids and Chiodos; for this summer’s Warped Tour the band has been contracted to the Hurley stage where they have been performing in and amongst All Time Low, We the Kings, The Color Fred, and several more.




While their CD speaks novels about the talent and potential this band possesses, it is their epic live performance that will catch the attention and captivate the ears of any music lover. Each member brings a unique energy and vibe to the stage that enhances the overall performance. The instrumentals featured on the album are intricate and full, they are just as powerful and impressive in a live setting. Vocally this band is a powerhouse; Mike has a “gravely” vocal range that rivals the most talented in the industry and produces shockwaves that add more depth and personality to the mainly heavy sounding songs the band is notorious for. Guitarist Jeremy, contributes the more melodic vocal parts, providing catchy interludes and choruses. Jeremy’s voice is certainly unique, and can send chills down your spine; his voice stands out brilliantly against the harsh growls of screamer Mike. The tonal departure from Mike’s growls creates an impermeable hold on your attention and allows for the transition to more melodic riffs and breakdowns in the instrumentals.



Before the band even took the stage kids were gathering in front of the Hurley stage, packing themselves in tightly with hopes to push their way to the front. They opened up with what seemed to be a crowd favorite, “Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over” and played other crowd pleasers such as their Punk Goes Crunk cover, “Still Fly”, and their two hit singles “HTML Rulez Dood” and “Hey John, What’s Your Name Again?” as their set came to a close I could see that they delivered everything the crowd came for. Day after day this band takes the stage and leaves kids with that feeling of confidence and joy, this band seems to be doing with ease what some bands work a lifetime to achieve; they are leaving a musical impression and inspiring youth with their words and music. The band is talented enough to leave this impression on their listeners and onlookers, yet they are humble enough to acknowledge they still want to take their music to new levels; they still want to climb musical mountains. I say with confidence that The Devil Wears Prada is my pick for Warped Tour’s Band of the Year.






COMING SOON!
-Warped Tour's Random Surprise
-Tour Clowns
-Breakin' Out!
-Oldie But Goodie
-Rookie? No Way?!


**By Amanda who had more fun at this year's Warped Tour than any other year she attended...