Not For the Weak of Heart

by Kaylee

Summer music festivals are abundant across the country. The genres of music showcased at the festivals range from country, to alternative, to hardcore, to indie, and on and on and on. One of the most notable is the Vans Warped Tour. Every summer, tons of dedicated people travel across the US bringing people what is known as “The Best Day Ever.” Every morning they build stages and set up tents and merch booths, and every night they tear it all down, pack it up, and move to the next city. Most of the music featured at Warped Tour is what most people call hardcore, but music fans of all types attend, and they can always find something to interest them. Maybe it’s the music, or the activism, or the merchandise, or simply the other people there. This summer, as late in the season as it was, I was lucky enough to attend the festival in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I can honestly say that Vans Warped Tour lives up to the “Best Day Ever” title. I loved it, every second of it. Not only were the 60+ bands excellent, even if you weren’t watching a band perform, there was so much else to do. When we weren’t crowd surfing or running between the many stages, we were visiting the acoustic tent, painting ourselves with body paint, enjoying a run on the giant inflatable slip-n-slide, or chatting it up with the other people there who we instantly felt akin to simply because we all enjoyed the same music and being there.

It was easy to turn around to someone in the crowd and comment about how crazy the show was; no one is a stranger at Warped. Some of the crowds were terribly packed, and of course, what is a concert crowd without that one person who can never be pleased? Trust me, I heard my fair share of people whining about how heavy crowd surfers were, and how they kept getting hit, and, “OMG, how stupid is this band?” (My advice to you, sir/madam - go sit in the back).

I was drenched in sweat that probably wasn’t mine about two hours in, and I had to change clothes. I’m a solid 5’2”, so I relied on the help of taller music-goers to help me when I would get pulled under the tide of bodies. I stood on chairs with girls much shorter than I when we couldn’t see. I had a twenty-minute conversation with someone I had never met who stood behind me when I got separated from my group. I experienced so many new things in one day that by the end, I didn’t care that I had ripped my new shorts, or fallen several times, or been elbowed in the face while Bring Me the Horizon played “Diamonds Aren’t Forever.” The feeling can only be described as bliss, and I would suffer 364 terrible days as long as I can get one “Best Day Ever.”

Although I did visit all of my favorite bands at the largest stage, I also wandered around to the smaller stages where the bands were personable, and the crowds were composed of a mix of dedicated fans and newbies like myself. My exploration led to meeting tons of new people and enjoying music that would stick with me in the car ride home, and even a month later I find myself subconsciously singing.
Instead of listing my favorite bands at Warped Tour, I feel like it’s a better idea to list my favorite things and least favorite things there because although the music is amazing, there’s much more than that to enjoy (or despise) and experience.

Out of my favorite things, these are at the top because they set the base for an amazing day to be built on.

Free Water: In preparing for Warped, I read a number of blogs that emphasized the need for water. I also heard a number of horror stories about people passing out and how it was no fun if you were dying of thirst the whole time. The silver lining of this all however, was that free water refill stations were available. My heart dropped into my stomach when we were halfway to Cincinnati, and I realized I had forgotten my water at home. So after a quick stop I bought one bottle of water, only one. It lasted me about an hour once we got in the gates, but the free water station wasn’t nearly as crowded as I had heard, and it never took more than two minutes to get a refill. So ignore those people who suggest you bring seven water bottles and then a frozen one for later; don’t carry more than is needed, and save space in your bag for merch.

Merchandise: So basically, Warped is like an outdoor mall. There are numerous booths selling everything you want, forgot at home, and don’t need but really do ‘need.’ Nearly every band there has a booth, and then there are independent clothing lines as well, all serviced by people who are usually unpaid and still seem pleasant despite the heat and the fact they’re not in the crowd. Prices vary, but if you look around you can usually find a good deal. I bought an entire new outfit from Fellow Threads for $35. The women there were so friendly. They measured me and even held up a sheet so I could change right there in the booth. Why go back to school shopping when you can blow money on band tees and backpacks, right?

As for my least favorite things, I only had a few, but they were very profound.

Book Peddlers: I’m not exactly sure what you’d call them, but these are those one person ambassadors from a spiritual group who asks for money and then shoves their beliefs in your face. My friends and I encountered one of these very people. He asked how old we were, asked for money, was disappointed when we only gave him change, and then shoved a very heavy book into my hands. We nodded patiently, and even gave him a halfway-interested sounding “Oh?” or “Really?” every once in awhile, but hurried off as soon as we could and abandoned the book under a table as soon as the man was out of sight. My suggestions: hurry past these people, avoid them at all cost, do not stop to listen to the rude man with a yoga book.

Traffic: This is unavoidable. We were stuck on the highway in a line that tracked up several miles from the exit for quite sometime. Don’t get angry or frustrated, take this time to look around you and see all the people who are just an impatient as you are. Wave to the people, listen to a little music, and try to be kind to your fellow drivers. No one wants an argument on what is supposed to be a great day.

So, I hope my acquired knowledge has helped you. If you’re thinking about going to Warped Tour but are unsure, I encourage you to do a little research, and then go. It’s a wonderful experience, and I hope you have as much fun, if not more, than I did.