Happy Birthday, Warped Tour!
The Traveling Punk Fest Celebrates Year 15 at the Arlington
Last Sunday night, deep in the heart of downtown L.A., 2,000 lucky fans got a chance to take part in the punk rock party of the year. The all-night musical fest was held in honor of the Vans Warped Tour’s big One-Five, and everyone from the All-American Rejects to the Aggrolites showed up to rock out. Pennywise and Rise Against delivered rocking sets and onetime Warped staples Blink-182 even Skyped in a shout-out. If you missed the show, worry not, because theaters across America (including our very own Arlington) are screening all the highlights this Thursday, September 17, at 8 p.m. For tickets and info, call 963-4408 or visit ncm.com/fathom. And if you want the skinny, check out our list of reasons to attend below.
1) The Old-School Attitude: Since Warped Tour’s start back in 1995, its traveling stages have played host to plenty of punk rock royalty, ranging from The Specials and Billy Idol to the Misfits and Social D. No surprise, then, that the festival’s big anniversary bash would bring in some of punk’s most well-established names. On Thursday night, you can catch big-screen snippets of sets from Bad Religion, NOFX, and Ice-T, meaning even old-school fans can find something to enjoy.
2) The New-School Sounds: For youngsters interested in taking in the show, this week’s screening will also offer up plenty of tunes from some of Warped’s best and brightest new additions. Included on the bill thus far are pop punkers (and Top 40 wunderkinder) All-American Rejects, as well as heavy hitters Rise Against and Santa Barbara’s own smart-mouthed tartlet (and rare female Warped representative) Katy Perry.
3) The Free Concert Tickets: In addition to the screening, the Warped folks are hosting a pre-premiere party contest for fans and attendees. Once you get your tix, register your group and theater online at warpedtour.com. From there, it’s up to you to organize, throw, and document your pre-show rager with as many folks as you can find. Then, send a three-minute video of your party to warped12thpremiere@gmail.com by Thursday, October 15. The winning pre-party organizers will score up to 30 free passes to the 2010 Warped Tour closest to their hometown, and get a chance to attend a private backstage BBQ.
