Vans Warped Tour Review

Have you ever been a kid in a Candy store and not been able to decide what you want to get? Well, that was the dilemma for me at Today's Vans Warped Tour show in Orlando. Over 40 talented bands performing on six stages made it almost impossible for me to decide which bands I should see. This was a good dilemma because no matter what stage I went to I was assured of seeing a great show and when you throw in the Motocross and skateboarding shows that took place you have the recipe for one kick ass rock show and when you factor in the price (usually less than 30 dollars before service charges) The Vans Warped Tour gives you the best bang for your buck this summer concert season.

Highlights of the Orlando show included a great performance by The Used who continue to impress me with their showmanship and lead singer Bert McCracken's incredible stage presence. Bert has an energy onstage that few singers match and the whole band feeds off of his energy and that takes their show up to the ozone layer. When they finished their set I felt like my head was still in the clouds for several minutes. I'm sure I wasn't the only person who felt like this after their remarkable performance. They blew me away so much I had to take in their show again the next day at Vinoy Park and their set that day sent me to another world.

My cousin Elizabeth told me to check out Drop Kick Murphys who hail from my home state of Massachusetts. I anxiously awaited their set and they did not disappoint playing a 30 minute set that had the crowd wishing they would play for hours. Fans were crowd surfing all over the place and singing the words to every song they played. This is a band your going to be hearing quite a bit about in the future.

Having shot Simple Plan twice before this year I knew how good they are live but their performance at today's show was the best I have seem them. Pierre was making eye contact with several fans in the crowd and having a ball jumping all over the stage and the band never once let the 90 degree heat of Florida bother them. Seb was jumping all over the stage and Chuck was banging away on the drums and this made for one hellacious performance.

AFI - (which stands for A Fire Inside) is a band that Impressed me from the second they took the stage. Lead singer Davey Havok has a voice that almost seems like it came from the heavens and the band is so in synch with each other you would think they have been performing for decades. All this created a performance that is going to take years to fade from my mind. This is a band I would see over and over again.

The Ataris - closed out the show with a superb set that included their hit single Boys of Summer which had fans shaking their heads and wishing the show would continue for days. Kris Roe's vocals always sound great live and he really can crank on the guitar too. Mike Davenport is one of the better Bass players I have seen perform this year. If The Ataris come to your town do not pass up the opportunity to see them in concert. You will be glad you did.

If all this wasn't enough I went to The Vans Warped Show at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, FL. I thought I was prepared to decide which bands I wanted to check out today but again I ran into that same "problem" I had yesterday. So many talented bands performing I tried my best to see as many play as possible. Once again the weather was beautiful out. While it looked like it rained out in Clearwater it barely rained out here in Vinoy Park. Later in the day a cool breeze came and that cooled it down some but the bands sent the temperature soaring with set after incredible set. All I have to say is after taking in two Vans Warped Tour Shows is when does the next tour begin?

Tsunami Bomb - Opened the day with a white hot set that let fans know today was going to be once hell of a show. It took fans about 30 seconds to migrate to the stage to hear their set and once they did many started crowd surfing and others were singing words to their songs. Lead Singer Agent M has a very powerful voice and her stange presence is outstanding. She handles a mic like a pro and oh yeah she's cute too. It would not surprise me to see them headlinging shows at bigger venues in the near future.

One Man Army - is a Three man band with a sound that is so infectious that once you hear it you want them to play all day. This was the first time I saw them play and their set really Impressed me. The play with a tremendous amount of energy and they are so good musically if you close your eyes you would think there are more than three guys cranking away on their instruments. Jack Dalrymple is a first rate guitarist. Chip Hanna really knows how to bang away on the drums and Heiko Schrepel is equally Impressive playing the bass and has a great voice which flows so well with their songs you just want to listen to them play all day and night.

All American Rejects - Who hail from Oklahoma hit the stage and played a set that bordered on Spectacular climaxing with their hit single Swing, Swing which had me shaking my head and jumping all over the place just like many of the fans who caught their set. The have a sincerity you don't see often in this business and you can tell these guys love to perform for their fans. Their songs seem to come from the heart and once you hear a song from them you want to hear it over and over again. Just like when you seen them in concert. You want to see them over and over again. If you have a chance to see them do not pass it up this is a band that is on the way to the top.

Story Of The Year - got on stage and rocked the crowd with a high charged adrenaline fueled set of rock and roll that left such an impression on fans that many (including yours truly) were talking about their set all day. I think my assistant Kayte said it best when she said, "These guys kicked ass".

Yellowcard - This was one of the more enjoyable sets of the day and it all starts with classically trained violinist Sean Mackin who's outstanding stage presence adds an element to this band that is totally unique. As he was jumping around on stage Ben Harper was jammin' away on his guitar and lead singer Ryan Key was making eye contact with the audience and the fans were going wild. If I were to rate their performance it would be a "10".

Rancid - Rocked the roof off of the stage but anyone who has seen them knows they put on one of the best shows in rock today. Song after song they blew the crowd away with their incredible sound and great stage antics. Bands like Rancid are one of the reasons why this year's Vans Warped Tour was one of the best tours of the year!

S. T. U. N. - Played one of the best shows of the day. I was pretty tired after shooting all day (their show didn't start until about 5:30 pm) but about 2 minutes into their set, I absorbed some of the energy they gave off and that reinvigorated me. Their sound is so unique they have an old school punk sound merged with a new school attitude and that makes for a show unlike any I have seen before. If I was to describe their set in one word I would say mesmerizing. If you have a chance to see this band perform live don't miss it!

As the concert ended Kayte and I were walking back to my car we couldn't get over how so many great bands played today. Because of space limitations we are not able to review every band we photographed in our two days of covering the Vans Warped Tour but we will have photos and Interviews online soon of many of the bands. For those of you who did not make it to the show you missed 9 hours of great music and shows with a price that makes it the best value of the year. For those of you who did make it to the Orlando or St. Pete shows we will see you next year. If you would like to tell us about your Vans Warped Tour experience we will put your comments online so don't hesitate to email us.

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Vans Warped Tour 2003

Vans Warped Tour Review

Vans Warped Tour Review