The Load-Out: Warped Tour 2011

After waiting in line to enter the Toyota Pavilion, I set off to endure the hot and sweaty fun the 2011 Vans Warped Tour has to offer. Despite the intense heat, getting to see some of my favorite bands, all in one day, made it more than worth it. The only subjects of conversation for the next 10 hours of my day were weather, merchandise, and of course, music. Having to sacrifice seeing some bands I had hoped to see was the only way I was able to catch 3OH!3, Paramore, and A Day To Remember, while still having time to check out some bands that I’ve never heard. I also got to check out a couple cool booths.

Sporting a large orange van, it wasn’t hard to miss the fun going on at The Truth Truck. Each day of the tour, the Truth Truck is holding a bunch of fun activities, giving away free stuff, playing games, and making kids knowledgeable about the dangers of tobacco. For anyone big on signings, the AP tent was there with plenty all day and all summer long. There were also a lot of signings along with acoustic sets at the Kia Soul Lounge. Another great attraction seemed to be the Nintendo 3DS tent, where fans can check out the new Nintendo 3DS and demo some new games as well. The most popular place to be however, besides the eight stages, was the Monster Energy VIP Lounge, where fans came to relax and get their free can of Monster. With so many more awesome booths but so little time, I had to cut my meandering short to visit the first band on my list, 3OH!3.

The audience gathered around the main stage during 3OH!3′s performance was especially excited about crowd surfing. Bodies flew up from every angle. This caught the attention of one of 3OH!3′s members, who even named Scranton the “crowd surf capital of the world.” The band was full of humor, which the crowd reacted to well. However there were some audience members only there to wait for the band just one act after them, which was Paramore.

In the beginning of Paramore’s performance, bubbly lead vocalist Hayley Williams stated that this show was the band’s first in the U.S. in about a year. They sure made it count by having the same good, clean fun they’ve been having on stage since before the dramatic departure of former members, the Ferro brothers. Although band members have changed, some things remain the same. Members Taylor York and Jeremy Davis still carried out the signature “Pressure Flip,” along with Williams pulling up fans on stage to sing with her during the song “Misery Business,” just like the good old days. They ended with a blast of confetti, resembling the color of William’s fiery hair just as they did back in 2010 on the Honda Civic Tour.

Judging on the size of their crowd, A Day To Remember seemed to be the biggest attraction of the night. They definitely had the most unique set, sporting inflatable replicas of each of the band member’s heads on top of the stage. Even though their set was at the very end of the day, their fans still seemed to have plenty of energy left in them, seeing that they were able to conduct both a wall of death and a circle pit at the request of lead vocalist, Jeremy McKinnon.

Luckily, I also had time to catch some bands that I wasn’t as fond of. Those bands were Big Chocolate and Foxy Shazam. Big Chocolate was a little different than the other acts on this year’s lineup. Rather than instruments, he used computer software to make his music. Along with some of his own catchy beats, he remixed a couple songs such as “Blackout” by Breathe Carolina. The crowd seemed to love it. And even though he was up there mixing beats, he still kept a lot of interaction with the audience by stage diving, and even allowing a couple fans to come on stage.

With the band’s interesting appearance, it was hard not to stick around to see what Foxy Shazam was all about. Just during sound check I found it obvious that the lead singer, Eric Nally, is very talented. Not only was it his constant dancing and moving around the stage that grabbed the audience, but also his unexpected, powerful voice.

Throughout the day I was even able to avoid long lines for over-priced water, all thanks to those working over at Klean Kanteen. Hitting off their first year on the tour, Klean Kanteen has been and will be at all of the dates this summer, providing fans with free, filtered water, to stay hydrated all day long.

With all of the great people hitting the road this summer on the Vans Warped Tour, make sure to check out as many stands and bands and you can.