The sun beat down on the dusty parking lot as we pulled into the Savemart Center, Aug. 13. Fellow seniors Ellie Mullins, Andrew Rurik, Molly Griffin, Emily Krieghoff, alumna Melanie Nachtigall, ’08, and I paid $40 to see a line-up of bands featured in Warped Tour the last day of summer vacation.
The line was made up of some motley characters and stretched around a couple of corners. We steadily made our way to the front of the line, with scents of sweat and cigarette smoke drifting around us.
Endless rows of booths for bands and organizations such as To Write Love On Her Arms filled the parking lot. Numerous stages provided constant entertainment for any avid music enthusiast.
The party began with All Time Low jamming on the ‘Hurley’ stage. Hundreds of fans crowded towards the front, hands high up in the air and crowd surfers making their way to the stage. Perspiration dripped off my arms as the crowd swayed and I made it just an arm?s length away from lead singer Alex Gaskarth.
With time to spare until Forever the Sickest Kids (one of my favorites), we headed over to the ?Ernie Ball? stage in time to catch a satisfactory performance by The Audition. On our way, while passing by a screamo band playing at one of the main stages, a swarm of men in yellow security shirts guided an injured mosher out of the mass of concertgoers.
Forever the Sickest Kids brought to the stage a new kind of energy. Lead singer Jonathan Cook gripped a gold microphone embossed with rhinestones. The crowd pushed and shoved, always trying to get closer.
In the end, FTSK left us impressed and wanting more. From dry throats to sweat-soaked T-shirts, everyone seemed to need a drink of water. On the way to the next stage, a man holding a hose sprayed water everywhere, rejuvenating us.
In an attempt to escape from an angry horde of Story of the Year fanatics, Mullins and I ventured back over to the ?Ernie Ball? stage in time to catch the sound check for Between the Trees. Lead singer Ryan Kirkland connected with his audience and entertained a few of us fans by sharing stories behind his new music. With a final performance of ?White Lines and Red Lights,” they exited stage left and we jumped in line to grab a quick picture with the band.
As the sun set, one final act remained. Mayday Parade took the stage and made for a great ending to Warped Tour. We went our separate ways, and a few of us headed to my yellow Volkswagen Beetle convertible.
There was a unanimous decision to drive home with the top down. Rurik pulled up to the first stoplight beside a white van. The door slid open and the band members of Between the Trees stuck their heads out, commenting on the hilarity of seeing a guy driving such a feminine car.
As the turn light switched to green, I found our favorite song by the band and pressed the play button, in time for all of us to scream and yell while we drove off into the dark.
