Vans Warped Tour, the long-running, youth-oriented music and culture festival, has unveiled the dates for their 2013 edition. You can see all the dates over at Property of Zack right now, but more specific to our main demographic, yes, the Warped Tour will be returning to Las Vegas on June 28, 2013. Read More »

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, harcore, 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! Read More »

A week after the rest of the venues for the 2012 Vans Warped Tour were revealed, we finally have confirmation on where the Vegas show will be held. The Vegas stop, which will take place on June 20th, will be held at the Luxor Hotel Parking Lot.

This year’s lineup includes New Found Glory, Yellowcard, Bayside, Anti Flag, Streetlight Manifesto, Into It. Over It, Koji, Man Overboard, Fireworks, Every Time I Die, Living With Lions, Make Do and Mend, Polar Bear Club, Senses Fail, Title Fight, I Am The Avalanche and more. You can check out Warpedtour.com for a full list of bands, dates and venues.

For those of you already thinking ahead toward warmer weather and the June 20^th Vegas date of the Vans Warped Tour, the first 5 bands were announced today. Expect to see Bayside, Chelsea Grin, Memphis May Fire, Sleeping With Sirens and The Silver Comet on the tour this coming summer and keep an eye on vanswarpedtour.com for more news. And while a venue has yet to be set, tickets can already be purchased through the Warped Tour’s website for $45.00.

Since the full lineup is likely a ways away we ask you, who are you hoping is added to Warped this year?

There seems to be a lot of local negativity directed at this year’s lineup of the Van’s Warped Tour, the first to stop in Vegas in 7 years. I’ll be the first to admit that when viewed as a whole, the lineup doesn‘t have me as excited as some of the previous years, and coupled with the heat (reported as topping off at 101°F on Thursday) and a rise in ticket prices, I can understand people being hesitant to attend the long-running traveling music festival.

However, there are quite a few great bands playing that are well worth braving the heat and emptying your wallet for. And to help push you over the edge, here are Punks in Vegas’ top ten “can’t-miss” Las Vegas Warped Tour bands of 2011:

1. Against Me! – From the Skillet Café to the Joint, I’ve never seen Against Me! put on a bad show. Reportedly as enthusiastic live as they’ve ever been, they recently started up their own label Total Treble, after leaving Sire Records and bringing in ex-Madball member Jay Weinberg to round out the band on drums. The Russian Spies 7” that they released earlier this month is fantastic, and if it’s any indication of what their live show will sound like, it’s definitely going to be the one set you do not want to miss.

   Against Me! will be appearing on the Teggart Main Stage.
   

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2. Lucero – Ben Nichols and crew return to Vegas after playing three excellent, sold-out shows at the House of Blues opening for Social Distortion earlier this year. The punk/country group is the perfect bar band, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fair out of their element, playing mid-day in the hot summer sun to a mostly younger crowd. The drunken anthems may have to be replaced with bottled water and Red Bull, but I’m betting they will do just fine.

   Lucero will be appearing on the Tilly’s/AP Stage.
   

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3. Last Call – The Vegas pop punk band is gearing up to release their new EP, Stay On the Outside, on Mightier Than Sword in August, so you know they are going to be pumped to be playing to their hometown crowd. This close to the release date, we’re likely to hear a few of those new songs live, and some old favorites too, of course. If you like your punk rock poppy, melodic, and in the vein of New Found Glory, Movielife, and Fireworks, than Last Call is a band not to miss.

   Last Call will be appearing on the XPOZ Local Stage.
   

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4. SHARKS – SHARKS are a British rock band that can already count Mick Jones and Brian Fallon among their growing fanbase. They’ve started making a name for themselves in the US, having toured with the likes of Social Distortion and Chuck Ragan. They sound sort of like a mix of The Replacements, Springsteen, and The Clash, and a good mix it is. Since they’re coming from so far away to play here it’s hard to know when they will be back, and surely by that time their star will have risen quite a bit, so catch them now so you can say you saw them first.

   SHARKS will be appearing on the Kia Kevin Says Stage.
   

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5. Larry and His Flask – Larry and His Flask were the bearded MVPS of this year’s Punk Rock Bowling, playing their bluegrass-influenced folk-punk up and down Fremont Street for anyone who would listen. It’s hard not to get caught up in their infectious enthusiasm, and it looks like they will be delivering it in droves this Thursday. They bring the same sort of fun and frantic energy to their music that Old Man Markley does, and I think fans of the latter will love the former.

   Look for Larry and His Flask roaming the festival, throwing mini-parties throughout the day.
   

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6. Less Than Jake – These Warped Tour mainstays have been a band for 2 decades and show no signs of slowing down, putting out their (no kidding) 287^th release Greetings From Less Than Jake on their own Sleep it Off Records just last week. You can hear the first single from that EP here, or just come out and hear it live because no one ever has a bad time at a Less Than Jake show. The band also revealed that they will be doing signings and other special events on every stop of the Warped Tour, so remember to check their Facebook on Thursday for details on what Vegas’ event will be.

   Less Than Jake will be appearing on the Tilly’s/AP Stage.
   

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7. Street Dogs –Mike McColgan, former lead singer of Dropkick Murphys, is one of the best modern frontmen in punk rock. He effortlessly blends social commentary with energetic stage antics over anthemic street punk, and always makes every venue feel like an intimate club. You’ll want to try and get up close for the inevitable sing-alongs and fist-pumps.

   Street Dogs will be appearing on the Tilly’s/AP Stage.

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8. The Wonder Years – Like Last Call, The Wonder Years represent the new breed of melodic pop punk from kids who grew up listening to Drive-Thru Records during the label’s prime. If you’re a fan of bands like Saves the Day and Starting Line than you’re going to instantly love The Wonder Years’ catchy hooks and memorable melodies. What makes the band stand out from many of their pop punk peers is their lyrics, which shun the superficial and oftentimes touch on social awareness and thoughtful self-analysis. And then there’s the drumming from Mike Kennedy, which will blow you away. This is a band that gets better with every release, and will be a treat to see live.

   The Wonder Years will be appearing on the Nintendo 3DS Stage.
   

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9. At Sixes and Sevens – This is another local Vegas act who you’re not going to want to miss. The indie rock band put on a killer live show recently at the Holding Onto Sound self-titled album show, and I expect as much will be true this time. They’re young and talented and you can get hyped for their set by checking out their Home Grown EP for free on the band’s bandcamp.

   At Sixes and Sevens will be appearing on the XPOZ Local Stage.

10. The Aggrolites – Another alumni of Punk Rock Bowling 13, the reggae/ska act infused with a healthy dose of soul are pretty much the ideal summertime band. Be prepared to dance to the funky beats, bob your head to the rhythm, and have an all-around good time.

    The Aggrolites will be appearing on the Tilly’s/AP Stage.
    

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There are a number of other great bands playing this Thursday, June 30, at the Plaza Hotel Parking Lot, from the punks in Battle Born to the ska styling of Big D and the Kids Table. Who are you most looking forward to seeing?

Vegas heat isn’t exactly forgiving, so the announcement that this year’s installment of the Warped Tour would take place June 30th on the sweltering blacktop parking lot of the Plaza Hotel was a bittersweet moment for fans of this year’s lineup, which includes Less Than Jake, Lucero, and Against Me!.

Adding insult to injury, the price of water at the traveling festival is notoriously high. Many have been critical of the tour’s exorbitant water prices, which are often out of the price range for the tour’s primarily younger audience. This criticism has been ramped up after the death of an attendee at the Bonner Springs, Kansas date was rumored to be caused by dehydration.

The Warped Tour and its founder Kevin Lyman offered their condolences after the incident, and have responded to the overall criticism by instituting some welcome changes this year. According to Property of Zach.com, Lyman announced at the Warped Tour’s kickoff party that the price of water will be dropped to $3 a bottle, compared $10 a bottle last year, and there will be refill stations for bottles purchased on Warped Tour grounds.

Food prices will also be lowered and patrons will have the ability to pre-purchase food vouchers for $8.50. In addition to providing some safeguards for the health and well-being of fans, these new policies will allow concert-goers to spend more of their hard-earned cash on merchandise which will more directly benefit the bands.

This year’s Vegas date is still going to be oppressively hot and with any event of this scale, accidents are likely to happen, but it’s good to know that some consideration has been made in order to keep attendees hydrated without breaking the bank.