Vans Warped Tour Review

“Van’s Warped Tour: The Tour That Won’t Die! Technically speaking, why the hell should it?”

July 23^rd 2005, the infamous and everlasting perennial summer punk extravaganza, Van’s Warped Tour, rolled into Chicago Tinley Park’s Tweeter Center. On their site, they are even billing this fęte as “The Tour That Won’t Die!” Warped Tour celebrated its 10-year Anniversary, even though its success waxes as much as it wanes but this year’s lineup was reasonably good. It is the longest running indie tour of its kind. This was by far the most organized event we have ever attended, Ozzfest could stand to take some pointers on how the organizers did just that…

For once, we realized that the early worm does not always catch the worm. We did not make it to the venue until 2:30, so our synopsis of this fest is brief. And wouldn't you know it, the newly hatched bands that all the critics were all abuzz about, went on before noon. It was still another scorcher out at Tinley however; the hordes of punkers did not seem to mind the sweltering 100°+ heat. We cannot ever recall seeing many kids with bags as they were loving the hell out of their freshly purchased items. Many modeled their new digs to their friends piling layer upon layer of t-shirts, etc. despite the stifling climate. Even those around them admired their selections.

Speaking of buying stuff, it was like a day at an overpriced flea market. There were more merch tents than stages for the bands to play. Can you say capitalism? Damn! Better this way than sky-high ass ticket prices from some other summer festivals we suppose. Oops, did we say that? At least there were freebies available at almost every tent. Not to mention the suppliers looked to be more than ready for the hungry crowd. Their supplies were not depleted, good looking ahead!

Throughout the day, we witnessed a plethora of strange and interesting sightings. Many of the kids were passing out from heat exhaustion as the Tweeter Center staff/paramedics had to work overtime to revive the weary. Many others were fallin’ by the wayside when My Chemical Romance stormed the stage. We also ran across our local Chicago heroes SKANK, personalized vanity plate bearing their love for their favorite band. How cool is that? Gotta love exposure! We also ran across a couple of amusing trailers and buses alike. Of course the Sugar Hooker one took the prize!

All in all it was one hell of a showing as fun was had by all. And speaking of fun, we caught up with everyone's favorite suntanned metal maven and Trustkill/Hopesfall merch girl this go round, Ms. Suzy Paradise along with Sona. We are happily are looking forward to year eleven, the next installment of the Van's Warped Tour!

PS Speaking of Hopesfall, if you came here looking for photos of the band, click here for a previous review when the band was on the Totally Badical Tour.

My Chemical Romance Frank Iero - Guitar; Mikey Way - Bass; Gerard Way - Vocals; Ray Toro - Guitar; Bob Bryar - Drums

Hordes of frenzied, maddened, swooning, sweating girls, and guys, surprisingly enough, filled the North Stage area as My Chemical Romance performed their seemingly enchanting set. It looked as if lead singer, Gerard Way, cast a magical spell on the hysterical and hyperactive crowd. It was a scene out of the Beatles storming America or something. Okay, not that many of you can remember this, hell it was in black in white and was before our time, believe it or not! A combination of exhaustion and the little girlies being overtaken by lead singer, Gerard Way’s ghostly magnetism. Sporting a swat team vest and a new black bob haircut, reminiscent of Billy Pumpkin (Oopps… Corgan) circa 1991.

Gerard played a bit of Simon Says without stating the game was really taking place. Whenever our pale weathered friend suggested the crowd do, they did. "Give the security guards a hand & pat 'em on the back." "Give them hi-fives." Each break in the set was a much-needed moment to regroup and catch their bearings due to extreme heat. MCR's guitarist, Ray Iero, was in what would translate to most as a hysterical fit. Wiping about the stage trying to free himself from a swam of bees. Sweat and spit flew from his person. It was quite gross but that spectacle was derailed by Gerard getting the audience's attention to a hush by asking, "Hey, I gotta question for the girls". As he turns around to stick out his plump posterior, "Are these jeans too tight?" Then all hell brakes loose! The over ecstatic fans got so out of hand that extra security as called in to carry out the sweaty limp bodies initiating the photographers to leave the pit early. You can always count on Gerard to give good show.

Setlist not in order: I'm Not Okay (I Promise), Helena, Broken Glass Syndrome, I Hate Your Eyes, Sydney.

Skindred Benji Webbe - Vocals; Mikey Dee - Guitar; Dan Pughsley - Bass; Dirty Arya - Drums

Skindred crowd (Photo: Erika Kristen Watt)

Before they took stage left of the massive Tweeter Stage, the restless audience sat in their seats blankly stared ahead at the previous act. As soon as Wales' Skindred went on, all eyes were on the band. The once somnolent spectators leapt to their feet to rush the front of the stage, as if someone had administered a shot of adrenaline to their backsides. Suffice it say, Skindred lit up the Volcom stage delivering a searing raga-metal performance from hell. It was almost like the band had something to prove. Let's put it this way, they proved they can fit in anywhere, on any bill!

Vocalist, Benji Webbe commented on how scattered the crowd was. Maybe it was due to the fact that while Skindred played stage left Throw Rag was setting up stage right keeping all fixated on the stage up/stage down theatrics. His agitating words struck a cord, immediately all members in audience got involved in their fuel-injected set. They left the crowd fired up and ready for Throw Rag's set.

Transplants Rob "SR" Aston - Vocals; Tim Armstrong - Vocals/Guitar; Travis Barker - Drums

It is always good to see ex-Rancid guitarist/frontman, Tim Armstrong, out and about, and Travis Barker, ex-drummer of the now defunct Blink 182 in which was asked to join the band in 2002. Tim's friend/roadie joined up with Tim as these men then transformed themselves into a super outfit known as The Transplants. This group has enlisted the help of Davey Havok (AFI), Lance Henricksen (Rancid), Danny Diablo and others to appear on their studio efforts. Today the band performed many singles from their newest effort, Haunted Cities as well as pulling from their debut album and self titled album, Transplants.

The triumvirate known as The Transplants made one hell of a first impression. Keepin' it real to a "T". You didn't know whether to listen to the music or just start frogging. Although each member was from a different genre in music history, they gelled quite well together. Almost morphing into a 'do whatcha like' jam session. Each watching the other for encouragement and pace. Can't wait to see what the future has in store for this "supergroup"; however whatever it is, it looks BRIGHT!

The Offspring Dexter Holland - Vocals/Guitar; Kevin 'Noodles' Wasserman - Guitar; Greg K. - Bassist; Atom Willard - Drums

It was business as usual, coming back into punk rock's bosom, enters The Offspring. With the release of their Greatest Hits CD, some feared they lost touch or ran out of ideas to regurgitate their past sound. But that's truly not the case. Dexter Holland was a sharp as ever in their limited Warped 2005 Candid (Photo: Karma E. Omowale)

Warped 2005 Candid (Photo: Karma E. Omowale)

35-minute set. This band may have been around since the beginning of Warped, 1984 to be exact, but they shined like a diamond in the ruff. Noodles tore it up. The crowd was jumping and singing along to EVERY tune. Oh how we missed thee… They're tunes are custom made for chanting, chugging, pogoing and palin' around.

During Offspring’s set we thought Jackass was holding auditions as drunken frat guys systematically pounded on one another with open had shots to the back, ribs… It was definite comic relief as the night progressed, as as this year's festival was drawing to a close. Fun, fun, fun!!! We'd also like to acknowledge Noodles' tee shirt, it was pure bliss to see him wear such message latent garb.

Setlist not in order: All I Want, Genocide, Self Esteem, Separated, Come Out and Play, Bad Habit, new song off Greatest Hits CD, Kids Aren’t Alright, Staring at the Sun.

Avenged Sevenfold M. Shadows - Lead Vocals; Synyster Gates - Lead Guitar; Zacky Vengeance - Rhythm Guitar; Johnny Christ - Bass; The Rev (formally, The Reverend Tholomew Plague) - Drums

M Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold (Photo: Erika Kristen Watt)

Setting: 8:15, South Stage. Smoke machines blasting on high to set the ominous mood. From what we understand, a sound bite from the movie, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas blared through the PA. Then seconds later out of the fog, lead singer, M. Shadows, announces to the fever pitched crowd, “We’re Avenged Sevenfold from fucking Orange County, CA!” The crowd erupted. These headlining metal/punk gods demolished the South Stage; they were larger than life. Honestly, we were curious to see what all the hype was about (this was our first time seeing A7x) however they far surpassed heightened expectations. In a genre inundated with unoriginal bands and regurgitated music, it is refreshing to see a band like Avenged get up on stage and do their thing. Mixing clean good vocals with cookie monster-esque/hxc screaming vocals is more than a plus when it is done correctly. Fortunately, for this quartet, they succeed in this arena. Even though it is amazing that Shadows can still growl his ass off despite recent surgery on his throat in which one can only assume why the band is concentrating on cleaner vocal stylings these days.

Shadows dedicated “Bat Country” song off their brand spanking new album, City of Evil, to the late writer Hunter S. Thompson. He asked the crowd they had seen the movie Fear and Loathing based on the Thompson book by the same name. The crowd went ape shit in response to his question. Toward the end of the set Shadows asked the crowd, “Are you fucking tired from standing in the sun for 12-hours?” The crowd lost it at that point.

In our book, this band scored a 13 on the Energy Star efficiency rating in the heat-filled night. Avenged Sevenfold was the perfect conclusion to Warped Tour 2005. Many ran to the front of the stage area attempting to secure souvenirs from their favorite performers; however, their efforts went in vein. Some sifted through the large piles of rubbish but nothing of significance remained. The dejected fans hung their heads low as they journeyed towards the exits. We were BEAT, burnt, and dehydrated. One can only imagine how others felt who had endured the expanse of the 12-hour marathon. With raised PBR's in the air, we salute the Warped tour for another successful run.

NORTH STAGE

SOUTH STAGE

MAURICE STAGE

VOLCOM STAGE

Transplants

Fall Out Boy

My Chemical Romance

The Offspring

Strung Out

Relient K

Dropkick Murphys

Thrice

The Starting Line

Senses Fail

MXPX

All-American Rejects

Avenged Sevenfold

Matchbook Romance

ATREYU

No Use For A Name

Gogo Bordellos

Motion City Soundtrack

Mae

Hawthorne Heights

Reggie & the Full Effect

Kinison

Bedouin Soundclash

Funeral For A Friend

The Bled

Saosin

Riverboat Gamblers

Valient Thorr

Dorothy Sanchez

Halifax

Gym Class Heroes

Amber Pacific

Horrorpops

Lost City Angels

Skindred

Throw Rag

HOT TOPIC - KEVIN SAYS

SMART PUNK

ERNIE BALL

CODE OF THA CUTZ

Gone All Summer

Roundeye

Still Not Sexy

The Timmys

Shoreline

The A.K.A.S

Near Miss

Burning Bright

Butane

Griz

Emery

Boys Night Out

HOPESFALL

Yesterday's Rising

The Spill Canvas

June

Greeley Estates

A Change Of Pace

Matches

Rockbox Block

Lordz of Brooklyn

The Nillaz

Fivespeed

Brother Reade

Supreeme

My American Heart
A Wilhelm Scream
Big D & The Kids Table
Bleed The Dream
Monty's Fan Club
Opiate For the Masses
Split Habit
Much The Same
Shira Girl
The Dollars
Midway
Gina Young
Calentura
Shiragirl
Paramore

TNA - Jam One

Natives of the New Dawn

Verbal Kent

Psalm One

Hangar 18

Arcane

Longshot

Glue

Josh Martinez and Sleep are the Chicharones