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Tour Rundown - Vans Warped Tour 2008

Written by Art Michalski

Tuesday, 22 July 2008

After 14 years, 2008's edition of the Vans Warped Tour was most definitely one of the most diverse bills in the tour’s existence. It ranged from full on metal to pop-leaning groups that strayed more and more from the bread and butter ska and punk that made Warped a household name. But somehow, it all seemed to work for the estimated 18,000 in attendance down at a warm but not insanely hot Comerica Park. Here is a rundown of the sights and sounds of Warped ’08, in case you missed it:

Most unusual surprise music movement of the day: Dance pop has found its way onto the Warped stage. Most fans are already familiar with Cobra Starship, who plowed through their set with ultra-catchy tracks like “The City Is At War” and “Guilty Pleasure.” The group, lead by former Midtown singer Gabe Saporta, is leading the charge with this music. Also notable was Colorado group 3 OH! 3 (that’s 303), whose dance stuff was full of out of left field lyrics (“Do The Helen Keller” as the hook for “Don’t Trust Me,” what does that even mean?) and toe tappers throughout their set.
Most Bizarre Cover Song: Imagine Gym Class Heroes covering Lamb of God’s “Laid To Rest?” Yeah, I know it's tough. During GCH’s set, which was heavy on a lot of new stuff from their upcoming album The Quilt, Travis McCoy went into an impromptu cover of the fierce metal song. Actually, the band didn’t do too badly with the song and scared every single 15 year old girl with big sunglasses and a crappy emo band shirt on. Much respect guys! Also: Honorable mentions go to the Devil Wears Prada with their cover of Big Tymers’ “Still Fly” and A Day To Remember’s cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.”
Most unusual band entrance song: Both Relient K and the Devil Wears Prada came out to the theme song from “The Office.” Yep, I’m as puzzled as you...
Most Nonsensical On Stage Banter: I know it was early in the day and he was probably hungover but lead singer of The Bronx, Matt Caughthran, listed off Detroit’s great musical legacy: “New Kids on the Block, Avril Lavinge, Sepultura.” Obviously, Caughthran was playing with the naïve crowd.
Angriest Rant on Stage: Leave it to the Canadian band Protest The Hero to rally against The Academy Is... and devil horns used in poor taste all within a 30-second span. The band voiced their dissatisfaction with the infamous devil horns sign, saying that when little girls use it for some emo band it's lost all its meaning. (Sorry to the guys in The Academy Is..., they were the band’s target on this day.) Then for good measure, lead singer Rody Walker asked all photographers to keep taking more pictures of his balls. How discreet…
Set That Looked Like It Could Get Out of Hand Quickly: The aforementioned Devil Wears Prada set. On the small Hurley stage, it was obvious that the band had been put on the wrong stage this day and fans were pressed against most of the fencing. Not a bad set for the upstart band, but don’t ever mention you’re from Ohio again. Or at least when you’re in Michigan.

The What Ever Happened to Award: It’s actually very sad to see the crowds for the punk bands dwindling every year. During way solid sets for the Briggs and Street Dogs, the crowds were sparse to say the least. And during Pennywise’s set later in the day, it was a far cry from the band’s Warped heyday in the late 90s. All three put together solid to above average sets, but it’s a troubling sign to see the genre of music that made Warped what it is today losing ground to watered down music. When Katy Perry outdraws Pennywise, its definitely a new dawn for Warped.
Biggest Crowd of the Day: Chiodos took the crown last year and they came damn close this year for their only date on Warped. But they were edged out by Angels and Airwaves (surprising) and Gym Class Heroes (justifiable) this year. As a side note: The appeal of Angels and Airwaves still puzzles me. Tom DeLonge’s band is a pale imitator of U2 and some of the better bands in the genre, and why a good 20 percent of all t-shirts I saw were Angels and Airwaves shirts is beyond me.
Biggest Pleasant Surprise of the Day: When did Story of the Year get all heavy? Known best for their semi-emo tracks “Til The Day I Die” and “Anthem of Our Dying Day,” the St. Louis band showed off a more rollicking side with their new album The Black Swan. Who would have thought a band that most of the young’ns wrote off after their last record had some juice left in them?
Most Satisfying Band (that wasn’t Against Me!): Unlike last year, where Bad Religion took the title hands down, this year could have various winners. Guess I haven’t still decided- but I guess Chiodos, Gym Class Heroes and Pennywise could all have a shot at that title this year. See what happens when you eliminate Against Me out of the equation?
Other notes: As I Lay Dying played their last show on Warped '08 and we were told that little tidbit no less than 4 times during the day. We got it, thanks! The Academy Is... played a bunch of new material from their upcoming record, due out August 19^th. Reel Big Fish had some technical problems on stage, holding up their set almost 10 minutes. Every Time I Die put on the usual strong set, and are looking for a new label after their deal with Ferret Records ran out.
The Vans Warped Tour '08 continues through Aug 17th. They're rolling though New York and the Midwest before finishing up with dates in California. Check here for upcoming tour dates in your town.

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