Storms cleared just in time for Warped Tour, but that did not stop the show from being chaotic.

July 22 was supposed to be chock-full of rain, lightning, and high winds, but the exact opposite occurred. Piercing UV rays and blinding sunshine is what Chicago got.

Walking in, the first noticeable thing is how difficult Warped Tour is to navigate. Everyone is in a rush, and no one knows where they are going. It would be so hilarious if the panic of not knowing if you are going to miss your favorite band was not so real.

After a ton of aimless wandering around, TPF caught up with bands The Burst and Bloom and Boston Manor for interviews, and saw numerous bands do what they love.

Some standout performers of Warped Tour were Being As An Ocean, Sworn In, War on Women, and Andy Black.

A few bands TPF was pleasantly surprised by were Alestorm and Stacked Like Pancakes. These bands were unique and are worth giving a listen to.

Some of the most meaningful moments of the day did not actually occur while music was playing.

Shawna Potter’s TEI workshop was extremely informative and a great learning experience. Creating a safe scene is important, and Potter did an excellent job of explaining why.

Perhaps the most important was Hope for the Day’s founder giving a speech during the day. Hope for the Day is an organization that helps those struggling with mental illness. Due to recent events like Chris Cornell’s and Chester Bennington’s deaths, this scene, which has been shaken to the core, needed this helpful reminder that help is available and that there are people who genuinely care for them. This much-needed speech brought open tears and reflection.

When the line-up was originally released for Warped Tour, Kevin Lyman was met with major backlash. Younger show-goers were upset because there were a lot throwback bands on the tour, and they did not think there were enough current acts. Others stirred up controversy because they claimed that Warped Tour was no longer punk enough due to the inclusion of more mainstream artists.

Apparently, none of this mattered once the tour hit Chicago because fans young and old went to see bands like CKY and Anti-Flag, who have been in the music game longer than some of them have been alive. And ‘mainstream’ acts like Sammy Adams and American Authors drew large crowds who had no problem singing along to every word.

With that being said, young fans should not disregard a band just because their parents grew up listening to them. Old does not equate bad. They are called classics for a reason.

Also, not all ‘mainstream’ music is not awful. While the radio can sometimes force certain music down the general population’s throats regardless if it is good or not, there are quite a few songs on the radio that are amazing.

This is prevalent in other music scenes as well, but often people who attend Warped Tour fall into in this musical elitism, which is the idea where they think they are superior to others because they listen to obscure or alternative music. Having that mentality is only hurting concert-goers. They are missing out on a lot of quality music. Warped Tour fans should never be afraid to explore other genres.

Because many people changed their attitude towards the tour once it hit, the only let down of the whole day was that the amphitheater portion of the Warped Tour site was closed off. This area is crucial because it gives fans the opportunity to escape the heat and sit down on something other than scorching pavement. Concert-goers blatantly expressed their dislike of this situation, but they carried on.

This was one of the most dynamic Warped Tours yet. Everywhere people went, they could hear something different. It was incredible.

If you missed out this year’s Warped, stay tuned. You can live vicariously through the rest of TPF’s coverage of the tour; there are interviews, photos, and videos to come.

Warped Tour is coming to a close – it is on its last leg – but we already want to go back.

Until next time, Warped Tour.

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