Though it wasn’t the first Warped Tour I’ve been to, it never ceases to amaze me how people can pull together such a great mega-show everyday for a couple of months every summer.
The stop in Green Cove at the Reynolds Park Yacht Center was a hot one. The dusty air was humid, causing beads of sweat down the most petite of people. I couldn’t tell you what the high temperature of the day was, but when I left the event at 8:45 p.m., my car marked 91° F. I felt bad for those on tour who brave the weather every day.
Yellowcard guitarist Ryan Key said it was the hottest day he’d seen since the beginning of the tour.
Warped Tour is the only locale I don’t complain about dropping $15 on bottled water.
It’s a simple formula: If you’re cheap and don’t hydrate throughout the day, you’re going to be one of the many passed-out fans on the Clay County Fire Rescue golf cart. And yes, that was a common site to see. By 5 p.m., local officials had transported 10 people to the hospital for heat-related illnesses. To thwart the problem, firefighters hauled a fire hose onto the main field and doused heat-exhausted fans.
Fans cool off from a firehose near the main stage. PHOTO BY VIC MICOLUCCI.
Dusty ground was another challenge at the Reynolds facility. The stomping moshers kicked up the sooty brown dirt to make a hazy cloud over the concert area.
I’m no doctor, but I recognize that soot intake, especially around the crowded pits, can be detrimental to people’s health. Vendors that were selling T-shirts and CDs were also selling dust masks for three bucks. For many, bandanas and shirts sufficed.
I’m sure if you haven’t been to the Warped Tour by now, I scared you from it eternally. The truth is, through all the discomforts, it is a great experience like no other.
Everyone goes to have a good time, and the mood of the crowd is always friendly and fun. The people that go truly love music and its accompanying lifestyle. Nowhere else, that I've experienced, can fans get up close to their favorite bands, and many of the band members work their merchandise tents when they are not on stage - I have bought CDs from the lead singers of some of my favorite bands.
Just as it is, like no other for fans, bands enjoy things they could never get anywhere else.
First comes respect
Rock fans are always loyal to bands they know and relate to. Any band that can endure the heat and fatigue associated with Warped deserves a tremendous amount of respect in my book.
Second comes earning new fans
Though the bands definitely never make it rich on the tour, they do gain fans that will follow them throughout their careers.
Fred Cimato, bassist for Cute is What We Aim For, says his band couldn’t do without it now.
“The goal is to win over the kids that aren’t there to see you,'' he said. ''There’s a lot here for us.”
At the end of the day, everyone—fans, bands, cops and vendors alike are exhausted and carry a stench worse than if they had spent a day at football practice. However, I can’t imagine why anyone would complain. I definitely don’t. The experience is like no other, it’s humbling and energizing at the same time.
“It’s so surreal to be here,” said The Starting Line guitarist Matt Watts. “Getting to be around so many great bands in such a great atmosphere is amazing.”
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