Concert Reports

This year the Vans Warped tour came steamrolling through Ventura’s Seaside Park on June 22nd and proved to be a bombastic way to jump start the Vacation Season as the tour Kevin Lyman started 20 years ago has become as much a Summer time tradition as Baseball, Hot Dogs and Sun Burns. America’s premiere music and lifestyle festival of the summer is now on the road performing to record crowds during the day

www.WarpedTour.com

All Photos: Ray Soto / Central Coast Rocks

Steve Kennedy / www.Facebook.com/SteveKennedyPhotography

JB Brookman / JB Brookman Photography

The 42-date VANS WARPED TOUR®–well established as America’s premier music and lifestyle festival tour of the summer–kicked off June 13 in Houston TX at Reliant Park and wraps up August 3 in Denver CO at Sports Authority Field. A music lover’s playground, the VANS WARPED TOUR has been breaking up-and-coming indie talent as well as both creating and showcasing major established artists since 1995. The nationally-renowned touring festival is bringing their 20th Anniversary to fans across the U.S. and Canada.

Vans Warped Tour is a a platform for music, athletes and lifestyles to co-mingle and thrive in an atmosphere dedicated to music fans of punk, alternative, hip-hop, ska, pop punk, electronica, alternative rock, emo, hardcore and more. Warped is also responsible for introducing music fans to such artists as No Doubt, A Day To Remember, Katy Perry, Blink 182, All Time Low, Sleeping With Sirens, My Chemical Romance, Eminem and Fall Out Boy, among hundreds of others, as well as creating the blueprint for concert tour sponsorship integration that is now used throughout other tours today.

Now entering its 20th year, the Vans Warped Tour has become America's longest running touring festival concert tour and reaches more than 500,000 fans every summer.

Every summer, the VANS WARPED TOUR has consistently offered a wide-range of lifestyle attractions onsite for a traditionally low ticket price.

Special guests Linkin Park performed a Surprise set at the Vans Warped Ventura Tour stop and were joined onstage by members of Issues, Yellowcard, Fitch, Breathe Carolina, The Devil Wears Prada as well as past Warped performers Machine Gun Kelly and Jeremy McKinnon of A Day To Remember

Other Main Stage highlights included the theatrics of Motionless In White, the high octane energy of The Devil Wears Prada, and Breathe Carolina, who’s upbeat electronic rock is always a crowd favorite. Warped Veterans Yellowcard, Less Than Jake and Bowling For Soup also performed favorite sets throughout the day.

 Over at the Journey’s Stage, Beebs & Her Money Makers and Echosmith put in impressive sets while Lionize and Issues proved there is substance behind the hype attached to their bands as of late.

Over at The Warheads Stage The Maine, Anberlin and The Ready Set rocked the crowd while Attila, Chelsea Grin and The Word Alive obliterated the always over the top Monster Energy Stage  

Galvanized Souls made quite the impression on the Ernie Ball stage and rocked their set mid day. Galvanized Souls is an award winning Southern California alternative rock band comprised of four young Southern California musicians, whose enthusiasm and dedication to music pushes their abilities well beyond their years. Winners of the 2013 Thousand Oaks Teen Center Battle of the Bands 12-7-13. Galvanized Souls music is influenced by decades of rock music. Their sound has been compared to Nine Inch Nails, Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters with a dash of Blink-182 and Social Distortion. The band describes their sound as “Modern Grunge”. While a relatively new band, they have played plenty of shows at high profile venues, fairs and music festivals all of Southern California. Galvanized Souls mainly performs original music, but has also has applied their own sound and style to a few select cover songs.

The legendary Shiragirl Stage marks a return on the 2014 Vans Warped Tour for a limited run of dates, and as part of the 20th birthday celebrations for the Vans Warped Tour, Shiragirl has partnered with Conquer Entertainment to once again provide a platform for emerging female artists. Artists such as Joan Jett and Paramore have rocked the Shiragirl Stage at past Warped Tour dates. This year, female artists and female-fronted bands from across the country entered the Conquer Entertainment Shiragirl Talent Search. These artists were hand-picked to play the Shiragirl Stage on the 2014 Vans Warped Tour.  

Shiragirl’s fame extends far beyond Warped Tour. She has rocked many stages across the United States and Canada supporting artists like Rancid, NOFX, JulietteLewis and Joan Jett. Shiragirl was honored with an MTV “Warpie Award” and a coveted spot in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Warped Tour Time Capsule Exhibit, which recognized her groundbreaking work to promote women in music. After years of touring with her all-girl band, Shira realized it was time to break out in a new direction. Shiragirl returns with a new musical sound, highlighting her background as a trained dancer and an in-your-face theatrical performer.  

BEATPORT has announced that it has joined forces with the Vans Warped Tour, bringing a branded stage focused on both electronic and hip-hop acts. Though not the first time these sounds have been on the roster, both companies felt the time was right to solidify their presence. For the stage’s initial lineup such diverse talents as Antiserum, Crizzly, NiT GriT and Wax will hold down the fort, touring through the country from Friday through August. The multi-year deal will allow the electronic music hub to help curate the artist lineup for the BEATPORT stage in the coming years.  

“We’re honored for this opportunity to elevate the dance and electronic music component of this iconic summer event,” said Clark Warner, Executive Creative Director for BEATPORT. “Whether it’s punk, dance, or hip-hop, the underground attitude transcends genre.” The Inaugural Beatport Stage Lineup: Antiserum, Captain Capa, Crizly, DJ Nicola Bear, DJ Scout, K. Flay, MC Chris, NiT GriT, Pacific Dub, Sleeper Agent, Watsky, Wax

About the Vans Warped Tour: The VANS WARPED TOUR® is well established as America’s premier music and lifestyle festival of the summer, breaking up-and-coming indie talent as well as both creating and showcasing major established artists since 1995. The nationally-renowned festival is the most eclectic traveling tour and features a diverse array of artists–with hotly tipped acts in every genre from punk, metal and indie to rock, hip-hop, rap, EDM, reggae and pop; as well as a variety of lifestyle attractions for its traditionally low ticket price. The tour has cemented its place in history by bringing punk rock/skate/action sports culture from the underground to the forefront of global youth culture, while at the same time helping those in need and being the first tour to consistently use groundbreaking environmental concepts every year on the road. The Warped Eco Initiatives (WEI) focus on making the tour more environmentally friendly whether it is through eco conscious catering for the artists and crew courtesy of Tada Catering or a solar-powered sound system on the Kevin Says Stage. Further, www.vanswarpedtour.com even showcases public transportation options for every tour date and carpool social media apps as well as exotic eco travel contests. For more information on the tour that Alternative Press readers voted the “Best Tour/Festival” of 2009/2010/2011/2012 and Rolling Stone called “America’s most successful festival” (2005) go to: www.vanswarpedtour.com. Now in its 20th year, the 42-date tour commenced June 13 in Houston, TX and finishes August 3 in Denver CO  

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