Vans Warped Tour 2013 – at The Sleep Train Amphitheater – Chula Vista, CA

I used to have a calendar to count down the days leading up to The Warped Tour.   Since then, I’ve upgraded to obsessively following the Twitter feed. Walking into an arena with thousands of people who all share an interest in teen angst and loud music, Warped Tour is now home to a selection of post-hardcore groups, pop Punk bands, a few alternative rock icons, death metal, Punk, and even electronica.

The best part about the Warped Tour as a music festival is it allows you to see a spectrum of bands across genres without breaking the bank. Warped Tour San Diego, (technically Chula Vista) is no exception to the menagerie of girls wearing little to nothing, men with tank top tan lines and women's pants, and crowds of people in all black, long sleeved sweatshirts.  Each band has a merch tent, along with sponsor tents and vendors, all bidding for whatever is left in your wallet. 

Like Moths to Flames, the post-hardcore group from Ohio, kicked off our day.  The Monster Energy stage is the Shangri-La of stages for post-hardcore bands, with an inflatable roof that has become synonymous with quality performances. The crowd was energized to get moving early in the day, and quite a response roared when “Know Your Place” and “The Blackout” blared through the amplifiers. The group appeared to be very comfortable with the crowd, especially for only having one studio album release. They concluded with “You Won’t be Missed”, and the crowd lost it in a debauchery of circle pits and hardcore dancing. 

Other notable performances on the Monster Energy stage included Upon a Burning Body, Silverstein and The Architects.

Hawthorne Heights first appeared at Warped Tour in 2005.  The emo-rock group from Ohio, famous for “Ohio is For Lovers” and “Saying Sorry” have struggled with popularity since their unfortunate loss of guitar and vocalist Casey Calvert in 2007. Despite the adversity, the group performed flawlessly on stage, showing that their experience has not left them jaded. The crowd was lack-luster, but this may be the start Hawthorne Heights is looking for to ascend back to the throne.

Blessthefall has been a Warped Tour band many times, cycling from former frontman Craig Mabbitt (Escape the Fate) to a fresh, energetic Beau Bokan.  Bokan has recorded on the latter two of three studio albums, with another on the way later this year, titled Hollow Bodies.  His ability to translate songs off the first studio album in order to connect to die-hard fans is typically a difficult hurdle for new frontmen to get over, and he has done an exceptional job.  Bokan appears to feed off the energy of the crowd, walking in and among them while performing.  The setlist had a decent variety of old and new, with a song off the upcoming album titled “You Wear a Crown but You’re No King.”  The album looks to follow the prestige that blessthefall has set up for themselves. 

Following The Black Dahlia Murder, the band I was most enthusiastic to see was scheduled to appear.  Chiodos is a post-hardcore band with a long history.  I was fortunate enough to see Chiodos at the Outland Ballroom in Springfield, MO with less than one hundred people, and the performance was unforgettable.  Lead vocalist Craig Owens has a long resume, including Cinematic Sunrise, supergroup Isles & Glaciers, a solo career acoustically, and the group Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (D.R.U.G.S) formed in 2011.  Craig had left Chiodos early in 2011 due to internal conflicts, and the band appeared to struggle with their studio release illuminadio as the new lead singer received a fair amount of criticism. The set began with “The Undertaker’s Thirst for Revenge is Unquenchable (The Final Battle)” and followed with the D.R.U.G.S. Song “Thermacare”.  After the song, he asked the crowd, “How many of you thought you would never see this again?” Referring to Craig’s disappearance, the crowd teemed with excitement and rose their hands.  The bands history has led to a very loyal fan base, and every single person appeared to know all the words as the set continued.  Excitement permeated the air as Craig mentioned his gratitude for the fans, and announced a new Chiodos album release early next year, with an accompanying tour. They then premiered the song “Expensive Conversations in Cheap Motels” that they cryptically alluded to on the bands facebook page earlier in the week. 

Craig concluded the Chiodos set with hit track “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last One Minute on the Creek”, off breakthrough album All’s Well That Ends Well.  He then walked to the Acoustic Basement to perform songs from his long history. Craig’s tagline, printed on several tanktops and posters, “Learn to Love Yourself”, was brought to life as Craig said, “I want this to be one giant fucking kumbaya, if thats okay with you?” The setlist included songs from Chiodos, D.R.U.G.S, and his solo career.  Concluding with “A Letter from Janelle,” the crowd all sang in unison, “It’s so easy to get lost in constantly having to present whatever face you believe a person wants to see rather than your own.”

Sleeping With Sirens has achieved a large amount of popularity in the brief time since their formation in 2009.  Vocalist Kellin Quinn has been featured on tracks with some of the most notable post-hardcore bands in recent years, including the tracks “Miles Away” by Memphis May Fire, and “King for a Day” by Pierce the Veil.  The performance kicked off with wild excitement in the largest crowd among bands we had seen. Each song exemplified the live performance perfection the group has become renowned for.  Quinn’s vocal range is extensive, and the songs felt much heavier live than on album.  The band performed songs from a selection of each studio album they have released, including the recently released Feel on June 4th, on Rise Records.  Overall, the Sleeping With Sirens set held my attention with enough alteration from album sound to make it seem authentic, and brilliant energy from their live performance.

Memphis May Fire killed it on the Kia Soul Stage late in the evening, with a guest appearance of Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens, and Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil hanging out watching the show. 

As the sun started to go down, there was one more band scheduled to go on at the Kia Forte stage.  Black Veil Brides, who I had only listened to in passing before the show, had an exceptionally large crowd from what I had expected.  I will admit, I was a little reluctant to watch a band who I had assumed were almost entirely a gimmick. However, when the first guitar riff pervaded my senses, I know I was in for something more than I had bargained for.

Calling Hollywood home, Black Veil Brides have successfully fused metal, post-hardcore, and alternative rock into a mind-bending euphony.  With performances of hits “In the End” and “Knives and Pens”, as well as a  cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”, the band showed that they knew how to take advantage of stage presence. 

Walking out and through the parking lot, as the tents started to go down and the headlights illuminated the asphalt, we looked back at a day of music that seldom comes to Southern California, let alone anywhere.  Fortunately, the Warped Tour seems as alive as it did when I would drive hundreds of miles to go see it for just one day, and it doesn’t appear to be dying off any time soon.       

    More photos of the show can be seen HERE

- Tyler Jo Gaines-
Big Wheel Contributor

 

 

 

 

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