Warped Tour left Vegas with a seven year gap between stops after 2004’s Independence Day show at Desert Breeze and last year’s date at The Plaza parking lot. Luckily, we aren’t being subjected to that kind of wait again. The Warped Tour is already back upon us, hitting the Luxor parking lot this time with a lineup that is overall much more impressive than last year’s (and from a glance at the years that passed us, better than them as well). With so many quality bands spanning ska, hardcore, punk and everything in between (as well as a brand new acoustic tent) it can be a bit overwhelming to narrow down what to check out. So we’ve pulled some staff together to bring you the ten can’t miss bands of the 2012 Warped Tour! In no significant order except for alphabetical:
Every Time I Die: It has been a long and winding fourteen-year career for Every Time I Die, and the Buffalo veterans have never sounded better. Armed with a new drummer and fresh off Ex Lives, one of the best metal albums to hit shelves this year, ETID is definitely one of the highlights of this year’s Warped Tour lineup. This will be the fourth time I lose my voice singing along with this band and they’ve outdone themselves each time. The crowd will surely feed off the band’s intensity as they always do and while triple digit heat in a downtown Las Vegas parking lot isn’t the ideal spot to take in an ETID set, you can believe me when I tell you that it’ll be worth it. On a tour that unfortunately plays host to its fair share of crappy scene bands, it will be awesome to see Every Time I Die remind everyone what metal is really about with their electrifying live performance. I, for one, am counting down the hours. – Felipe
Fireworks: I remember four things about the last Fireworks show I went to: Doubling my money on video poker, having a drink too many, thinking there should have been at least three times as many people there, and finally, how good “Geography, Vonnegut, and Me” sounded live. Focused on Make Do & Mend and The Wonder Years, Fireworks stole the show for me with the energy and general quality of their performance. Since their mellow brand of pop-punk doesn’t induce many stage dives or circle pits, their polished musicianship and attention to detail was left to shine. And shine it did. They played songs off their then-new album Gospel and songs off of their debut, highlighted by the aforementioned jam and “Detroit,” which resonates incredibly well live. Fireworks has since then shot up my list of bands I need to see again soon, and this Wednesday, you and I both will have that chance as they’ll be a part of the 2012 Van’s Warped Tour. Make sure you don’t miss them! – Felipe
I Am the Avalanche: For those of us that grew up on The Movielife, and waited with bated breath during the six years between vocalist Vinnie Caruana’s I Am the Avalanche releases, this is the Warped Tour band not to miss. Avalanche United was one of my favorite records of last year and seeing IATA play with Bayside, Saves the Day and Transit at the House of Blues was a show highlight of 2011. Songs like “Brooklyn Dodgers” and “Holy Fuck” beg for singalongs, and if you know what you’re doing, you’ll be right up front screaming every word. – Ashleigh
Into It. Over It.: After spending years touring the U.S. with The Progress, Damiera, and Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start, Evan Thomas Weiss decided to start writing his own songs. He wrote a whole bunch, one a week for an entire year, which were recorded and released as 52 Weeks under the name Into It. Over It. One might think that such output couldn’t sustain itself, but in the years since that release, IIOI has not slowed down a bit, releasing splits with Koji, Such Gold, and last year, the full length, Proper on No Sleep Records. Although the bulk of the releases are with a full band, Weiss will be spending his time on Warped Tour with only an acoustic guitar in tow. Expect to hear personal, thought-provoking songs with ample stories to back them up. – Tom
Make Do and Mend: It’s no secret that I’m a fan of “The Wave” – a collective of hardcore and punk bands that includes La Dispute, Touché Amoré, Pianos Become the Teeth, and Defeater. While since being clarified as more of a joke between friends than an actual movement, the term did help a group of similar (yet fantastically different) up and comers find a shared audience. One of those bands, post-hardcore outfit Make Do and Mend, are a band not to miss this year on the Warped Tour. Out of their brethren, they are arguably the least connected to the hardcore scene, sounding more like the long lost cousins of Hot Water Music than Thursday or Modern Life is War (and HWM must’ve picked up on this, as the Gainesville quartet tapped the band to open for a number of their recent shows) but they do share the quality musicianship and fiery intensity that has given this “movement” of bands such a dedicated fanbase. – Steven
New Found Glory: Do I really have to persuade you to catch this legendary pop punk outfit? NFG never disappoint because they always play a great set of songs from their enduring discography. It’s been years since they’ve played Warped Tour so I’m sure they’ll pull all the stops. Timeless tunes and high-energy performances…this band truly embodies the Warped Tour spirit. – Ian
Polar Bear Club: Polar Bear Club has been working on perfecting their sound for years and I think they’ve finally nailed it. The band is a breath of fresh air as they’ve incorporated elements from a plethora of genres without straying away from the punk rock ones we know and love. I’ve seen them perform before and, believe it or not, their songs sound better live than they do on record. Don’t miss this band! – Ian
Streetlight Manifesto: The outdoor, summer setting of the Warped Tour is the perfect venue for ska and in my mind there isn’t a band playing in the genre as good as New Jersey’s Streetlight Manifesto. The band plays ska at a blistering pace that would put most punk bands to shame and is sure to incite the most frantic circle pits of the festival. But the heart of the band lies in the lyrics of former Catch 22 frontman Tomas Kalnoky, who gives Streetlight substance by tackling such weighty themes as suicide and the perils of war. And the frequent “whoas” and “heys” are just too much fun not to sing along with in person. – Steven
Title Fight: Even though they have been touring constantly for the past 12+ months supporting last year’s excellent LP Shed, expect a show full of intense energy and insane crowd participation. It’s a shame that Warped Tour isn’t stage dive friendly, because it’s quite the sight to see kids flying off stage at any given moment while they play. Regardless, it will be a highlight of the day, and Title Fight is at the top of my list of must-see bands. – Tom
Transit: Seriously, how good is Transit? Last year’s genre-spanning Listen & Forgive brought them onto a whole new level and hopefully expanded their audience outside the narrow realm of pop punk they had previously inhabited. This band takes what they do seriously and that sincerity comes through in their lyrics and expressive live performances. Don’t miss them! – Ashleigh
The 2012 Vans Warped Tour takes place June 20th at the Luxor Parking Lot. Tickets are still available through vanswarpedtour.com.
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