Vans Warped Tour

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Vans Warped Tour - Pomona

Written by Melissa Garcia

Sunday, 03 July 2011 09:43

This year’s Warped Tour was no different from any other tour in the past. The weather was hotter than the crotch of a skinny jean wearing rocker and the music was at its best. Between handouts from animal right activists and walking through the maze of merchandise stands I stumbled upon Passafire’s performance. The small stage drew an even smaller crowd but those who did happen to get there had no choice but to stay and watch.

“Kilo” was a crowd pleaser like a cool breeze on a hot day, the reggae was relaxing.

The Savanna, Georgia natives mixed reggae, ska, psychedelic rock and a hint of hardcore into something unforgettable. There constant changes from fast tempos to slower ones were always unexpected and never sounded out of place.

While all the band mates were enthusiastic performers the bassist, Will Kubley, dominated the stage. While showcasing a song off their new album “Start from Scratch,” (due out in December) Kubley spit some rhymes and slapped the bass better than Paul Rudd in “I Love You Man.”
Fear, being no stranger to Warped Tour, played a midday set to a small crowd of aggressive punks. Vocalist, Lee Ving, is the only original member from the ‘70s and his aging isn’t stopping him from keeping punk rock alive.

I wasn’t expecting too much energy from the band since most of them are pushing 50, but they proved me wrong. Their ‘fuck you’ attitude riled up audience and mosh pits were in full swing by the second song. The set turned eclectic when the saxophonist from Fishbowl ended there set with a monstrous solo.

Black Veil Brides are Warped Tour newcomers and after missing two weeks of the tour, singer Andy Biersack is back to the hair, the makeup and the music. From the way Biersack jumped around on stage there was no way of telling that he suffered three fractured ribs after falling off stage just two weeks prior.

“Fallen Angels,” proved that their glam rock look doesn’t reflect there sound. Their music reaches far beyond American rock and into a rugged hardcore scene.

We Came as Romans left the crowd in a frenzy. WCAR were relentless in the pursuit to get the crowd excited. “To Move on is to Grow,” had the audiences energy at its peak. It’s hard to believe how much they put into shows when its 100 degrees outside, but the spray from the singer, Kyle Pavone’s spit was refreshing…. Not!

Miss May I, a metal core band from Troy, Ohio gave everyone a reason to get into the mosh pit and throw some fists. Singer, Levi Benton and guitarist Justin Aufdenkampe, carried the show with the energy they performed with.

“Relentless Chaos,” and “Forgive and Forget,” which was also featured on the movie “Saw VI,” were fan favorites. Let’s just say the security had their hands full (literally) with the crowd surfing, head banging and mosh pitting fans who over took the crowd.
To end the night was 3OH3!, Warped Tour’s random act of the evening. “My First Kiss” and “I Can do Anything” sparked a different kind of dance that was obsolete throughout the day. Upbeat vibe was a great way to end a very successful day in Pomona.