The Lordz had a good sound to them but it was not what I really was looking for so I went to the stage I initially set off to and managed to see a few songs performed by the talented Beat Union. The Beat Union brought their UK rock and really impressed me with their sounds that mixed up new wave with punk rock. I liked these guys a lot more than I thought I was going to. It was a shame I could not find their merch booth though as I would have liked to have picked up one of their albums.
I felt like as if I was traveling the Sahara as I made way through the grounds to the Highway 1 stage to check out Story of the Year. For the first time to my memory the Warped Tour did have a water station that looked almost like a broken radiator spilling out luke warm water at its best to anyone who was smart enough to bring a container or keep one of their overpriced beverage containers to refill. The idea of free water was a great idea especially for a day that required much hydration.
Story of the Year drew in a nice size crowd and was the first band that actually expelled some energy onto the festival grounds. The St. Louis post-hardcore act pushed through their material with plenty of fan approval and participation, especially when lead signer Dan Marsala worked on his crowd surfing skills.
Boston’s Street Dogs took over the Highway 1 stage just when some might have started realizing they should have invested in some sunscreen before the fest. The UV rays seemed to have no effect to everyone checking out the Street Dogs. I was treated to some new material from their album State Of Grace that sounded a little more structured than their older material. The end of the set validated it was a punk rock show as the fans carried off the lead singer Mike McColgan all the way to the Street Dogs merch booth.
The Briggs were my next entertainment decision so I hoofed it through the crowds of half clothed festival goers back to the Hurley Stage. Hands down this band maintained the punk rock feel that the festival has survived off all these years. Performing songs from their latest release Come All You Madmen was a treat for me as I had no idea that it was released. This was one act I wish could have played a few more songs, old or new, as I really enjoyed their performance.
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