Review by Rachel Jablonski
Baby blue sky without a cloud in sight, warm
sun beating down, comfortably cool enough in the shade, overlooking
the water with seagulls circling overhead. It was an absolutely beautiful
day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The second day of Warped Tour 2005 could
not have asked for better conditions. The weather was gorgeously cooperative,
the turnout was good, and the physical set up was brilliant. Band and
promo tents were placed just so attracting kids galore. Scattered stages
throughout the park, with the main stage nestled against the brilliant
blue sky and gentle water backdrop, provided a perfect setting for continuous
music throughout the eight hour day. And nonstop music it was.
Impressively, perhaps having worked out all of the first day kinks, the day consisted of a very well orchestrated time schedule, coordinating which band was to play on which stage at what time. As soon as a band on one stage was finished, the adjacent stage would start up. In addition, stages on the other side of the park might be featuring a band as well. A total of nine stages were involved in this orchestration. This was a treat for the audience as it eliminated the oftentimes long, drawn out pauses between sets for the changing of gear. Instead of waiting they could jump from one stage to another and hear music all day long. But there is a downfall to this method.
No matter where you stand, in the distance are dueling sounds, each calling out in desperate plea to be heard. Ultimately the listener has to decide where to turn dominate focus. There are simply too many bands to see! No one can possibly see them all and with two, sometimes three, stages active at once fans are bound to miss a band or two or more that they were hoping to see because they were playing simultaneously with another band they were interested in. Such was the case for me.
Opiate for the Masses, a band that has really caught my attention with their release called The Spore, unfortunately happened to play at a time that conflicted with my press schedule. Having seen the band perform in Iowa this past May, this is a big disappointment because this is not a band to miss live. Yet, I did. I will not make the same mistake twice however and hope to see them live again soon.
Having interviewed vocalist Larry Soliman and guitarist Jeremy Mendez of My American Heart earlier in the day, I was excited to see the band’s set. The band, consisting of a group of guys no older than 18 years of age, has a positive attitude and a work ethic that is quite impressive. This definitely sparked my curiosity. With an album not set to be released until September, I was unsure exactly what to expect. During the interview I found both Larry and Jeremy to be nice, soft spoken kids, but they turned out to be entertainingly stereo on stage. My American Heart displayed an invigorating energy with their great guitar sounds and good songs led by Larry’s stage presence. He is fluid on stage and seems to know how to keep an audience’s attention. Judging from their encouraging performance, the band’s album The Meaning in Makeup will definitely be an album to look for in coming months.
Like My American Heart, most of the bands on this tour give off quite the constructive vibe. The feeling throughout the park was quite positive, infectiously so. Warped Tour 2005 consists of a good number of bands in the pop/punk genre, but while the tour is not at all fluffy pop, it is not we’re-punk-fuck-you-and-fuck-everything attitude either. The bands and the music create a welcoming atmosphere with a heavy edge. And the crowds, the majority of whom were relatively young in age, indulge in it.
“Bleed the Dream saved my life,” a 14 year old kid said to me while we were waiting for Bleed the Dream to play on the Hurley Stage. “Really?” I replied, not sure quite what to say. “Yeah, I’m serious,” he said looking at me intensely and right in the eye. “I was thinking about suicide, but I just happened to hear the song ‘Broken Wings’ and it gave me hope.” Clearly, Warped Tour means a lot to these kids and I was happy to see my new friend so lively about it. He was not alone. The number of kids I saw singing to every song in the set was impressive. I have now seen Bleed the Dream play a handful of times and they continue to get tighter each time I see them, even with a new drummer. The positive outlook and determination the band possesses after the tragic loss of their drummer and friend Scott Gottlieb is impressive. For him they continue to work hard.
And so does the entire Warped Tour crew. It takes a LOT to put on this kind of tour and the fluency with which it was run in Milwaukee was extraordinary. “This is a fucking amazing tour,” exclaimed Warped Tour transportation coordinator, a friend of a friend whom I amazingly happened to bump into and had the fortune of meeting. “Everyone is so friendly with each other and… look right there! There’s fucking Kevin Lyman right there just walking around with that bike of his. He’s the brains behind this whole thing, but he doesn’t have to be here and there he is. Everyone on this tour works hard.”
For more information
on Warped Tour:
Official Site