Vans Warped Tour 08’



Warped Tour 08’ Miami Florida was by far the wildest, most enthusiastic, chaotic concert of the entire year. Every single band that showed up made every effort possible to get the adrenalin of the audience pumping through their blood. Almost every band did just that.

As the audience approached the ticket counter in a huge mob of people, they could all hear the first bands in performance. This was the part where anticipation was in the minds of the whole audience. The anticipation of the excitement of the rest of the show. The anticipation of the excitement of the mosh pits. The anticipation of the crowd-surfing people. The anticipation of the emotion-filled music taking over their bodies.

When the audience first walked into the general area of the concert, the first thing they would come across was the smaller stages. These stages were meant for the underground, or less well-known bands. The bands that came from all over the world got to play at this massive conglomeration of artists and bands. This was an opportunity for their music to catch the ear of the American people. To prove themselves worthy of fans. I can assure you that most of the bands on the small stages gained a lot of respect from a lot of different people. Think about the pressure that was upon them at their time. How do you think they needed to perform in order to do gain this respect? I’ll let you figure that one out on your own.

To the right of the small stages was a half-pipe. Yes, you heard me right… a half-pipe! Skateboarders were going wild on it. Video’s were being shot. The audience was building as the talent increased. Skaters were pumped.

Passed the half-pipe, there were around 50 kiosks for all the different bands that were advertising their CD’s, T-Shirts, and other accessories. Some bands were even taking part in some charitable organizations. In this, they would donate some percentage of what they made at their kiosk to an array of different causes.

To the left of the kiosks, and behind the smaller stages, there was a group of trucks that belonged to different companies that were sponsoring the Vans Warped Tour. One of these company trucks was Monster Energy Drink. In front of the Monster truck, there was a gated area where fans could try free Monster. This was probably one of the reasons people weren’t dying of exhaustion in the middle of the concert. They had free energy!

Behind the Monster truck, there was a huge hill. This hill was completely inhabited by spectators/fans that were observing the carnage below. The reason I’ve used such a violent adjective to describe the activities below is because just below the hill are the three main stages. These stages were for the famous bands that have already established their respect. The bands that have already proven themselves worthy of fans. Many many fans. Bands such as Reel Big Fish, Say Anything, The Academy Is…, Gym Class Heroes, Devil Wears Prada, Story Of The Year, and many more.

Although every single band performed with the greatest talent, voice, and individuality, the last act seemed to be the main act. It seemed almost as if every band before this one was a prefix leading up to The Big Bang. This band is Story Of The Year.

Although they were only allowed to play 6 songs, every single song they played gradually increased in enthusiasm. As enthusiasm increased, chaos in the crowds increased. As chaos in the crowds increased, more people got sucked up into a black hole of a mosh pit. This mosh pit expanded, until every single person in the crowd had been consumed by it. Almost everyone in the crowd had lost themselves in the music. As the last song finished, the crowd cheered on. They cheered and cheered, until even after the band had left the stage. Since Story Of The Year heard their fans screaming for them, they gave one last encore. The encore was a song called The Black Swan. As the first note struck, the colossal pit sprang to life in one massive concentration of musical energy. This went on for the rest of the song. As the last band of the night packed up their things, the audience dispersed.

People exited this music haven. They reentered reality. Many fans were disappointed it was over, but this experience was definitely one that everyone who went will always remember.

Anyone in the rock nation should at least once in their life attend this massive annual event. It is the Mecca of rock.