Vans Warped 10th

Though they are mainly a bunch of commie pacifist peaceniks with dangerous hair, I love my buds at the great punk label Epitaph. This year Epitaph is providing much of the firepower for the 10th anniversary of Vans Warped Tour.

I remember vividly going to the first Vans tour when it came through Cleveland in 1995. I was working at WENZ, The End, Cleveland’s modern rock station that only lasted a few years before converting to “jammin’ hip-hop and R&B.” It was a blazing hot summer day, skate punks bouncing off all available surfaces, I broadcast live from our booth for a while and had a festive all-around time.

Now it’s 2004, I’m remarried, have two more kids, and am 45. But it’s okay, the punks are getting older too (nudge, nudge – Bad Religion, Lars). Rock ‘n’ roll never forgets.

Rolling through 47 cities in 56 days, 2004 marks the 10th Anniversary of America’s favorite and longest running tour in history – the VANS WARPED TOUR.

Incinerating the pack and representing today’s best urgent expression of punk, psychobilly and underground hip hop are Epitaph’s finest bands – BAD RELIGION, TIGER ARMY, ATMOSPHERE, THE BOUNCING SOULS, LARS FREDERIKSEN AND THE BASTARDS, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, FROM FIRST TO LAST, GUTTERMOUTH, MATCHBOOK ROMANCE, PULLEY, 1208 and THE MATCHES.

Sounding off with new songs from their upcoming cd The Empire Strikes First co-headliners BAD RELIGION kick it into high gear as radical ideas and revolutionary optimism make no essential distinction between prose, politics and rock ‘n’ roll. When this tour is over, Los Angeles won’t be the only thing burning!

Kicking down the doors of mainstream ‘bling, bling’ mediocrity ATMOSPHERE backed by samples and infectious beats goes straight for the gut with the delivery of an existential storyteller who’s heart felt view of life never fails to connect with real people. “Look at your face … when all I could see was myself looking back at me … reflection.” When ATMOSPHERE hits the stage you’ll see the road of modern day underground hip hop being paved with the same DIY ethos of first generation punk.

Also appearing on all midwest and east coast dates are American psychobilly hellcats TIGER ARMY bringing to you their atomic fueled nocturnally bent musical stylings from their forthcoming album Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Rise.

Other notable performers include Epitaph alumni THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, NOFX and a plethora of many others – NEW FOUND GLORY, COHEED AND CAMBRIA, FLOGGING MOLLY, ANTI FLAG, YELLOWCARD, THE VANDALS, RUFIO, AVENGE SEVENFOLD . . .

Be sure to visit the Epitaph-Volcom-Vans-A.P. Compound for plenty of free giveaways and experience first hand the quadrant of fun filled stages, booths, and band hang-outs that make up the backbone of the Tour.

As if all this isn’t enough to make the Vans Warped Tour the ‘must go to’ event of the summer, the Tour is committed to being environment friendly and has ‘gone green.’ Production staff of the Vans Warped Tour will be using 100% post consumer cutlery and paper products for catering and will work with Bio Diesel to run its generators. The Tour will also provide recycling containers on site for waste.

Last but not least, part of ticket proceeds from the Tour are donated to help fund the following charities and political advocacy groups, PunkVoter.com, TJ Martell Foundation, Take Action!, Land Mine Victims, Boarding For Breast Cancer and Hollywood Heart.

Enjoy the show!

6/25 RELIANT CENTER Houston, TX
6/26 SMIRNOFF MUSIC CENTER LOT Dallas, TX
6/27 VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATRE LOT San Antonio, TX
6/29 NMSU PRACTICE FIELD Las Cruces, NM
6/30 PEORIA SPORTS COMPLEX Phoenix, AZ
7/1 CSUF ATHLETIC FIELD Fullerton, CA
7/2 CSUF ATHLETIC FIELD Fullerton, CA
7/3 PIER 30/32 San Francisco, CA
7/4 DESERT BREEZE SKATE PARK Las Vegas, NV
7/6 COORS AMPHITHEATRE San Diego, CA
7/7 SEASIDE PARK Ventura, CA
7/8 SLEEP TRAIN AMPHITHEATRE LOT Sacramento, CA
7/9 IDAHO CENTER AMPHITHEATRE LOT Boise, ID
7/10 GORGE AMPHITHEATRE LOT Seattle, WA
7/11 COLUMBIA MEADOWS Portland, OR
7/16 GALLATIN COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS Bozeman, MT
7/17 UTAH STATE FAIRGROUNDS Salt Lake City, UT
7/18 INVESCO FIELD Denver, CO
7/20 MARCUS AMPHITHEATRE Milwaukee, WI
7/21 UMB BANK PAVILLION St. Louis, MO
7/22 VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATRE LOT Indianapolis, IN
7/23 TOWER CITY AMPHITHEATRE LOT Cleveland, OH
7/24 TWEETER CENTER Chicago, IL
7/25 METRODOME LOT/HARRIET ISLAND Minneapolis, MN
7/26 VERIZON AMPHITHEATRE LOT Kansas City, KS
7/28 HI FI BUYS AMPHITHEATRE LOT Atlanta, GA
7/29 CENTRAL FLORIDA FAIRGROUNDS Orlando, FL
7/30 USF SUNDROME/VINOY PARK Tampa, FL
7/31 POMPANO BEACH AMPHITHEATRE LOT Miami, FL
8/1 JACKSONVILLE FAIRGROUNDS Jacksonville, FL
8/2 VERIZON AMPHITHEATRE LOT Charlotte, NC
8/3 VERIZON AMPHITHEATRE LOT Virginia Beach, VA
8/4 NISSAN PAVILLION LOT Washington, DC
8/5 POST GAZETTE PAVILLION Pittsburgh, PA
8/6 TWEETER CENTER Philadelphia, PA
8/7 RANDALL’S ISLAND New York, NY
8/8 ENGLISHTOWN RACEWAY Asbury Park, NY
8/10 HERSHEY PARK PAVILLION Hershey, PA
8/15 PONTIAC SILVERDOME Detroit, MI
8/16 RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER LOT Cincinnati, OH
8/17 GERMAIN AMPHITHEATRE Columbus, OH
8/18 DARIEN LAKES PAC Buffalo, NY
8/19 NORTHAMPTON FAIRGROUND Boston, MA