Amidst a summer of record breaking temperatures, The Vans Warped Tour rolls on like a juggernaut, delivering all the metal and underground music it’s fans have come to expect. Although the heat was almost unbearable at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, luckily there was a steady breeze and free water stations to keep it’s attendees somewhat cool. There was even a giant inflatable slip & slide set up by the Ernie Ball Stage, that was in constant use. Monster Energy also provided an air conditioned lounge with free Monster Energy beverages, to help everyone cope with the heat.
With around eighty bands playing on ten different stages, it was a logistical nightmare to catch all the headlners. Every morning the lineup for Vans Warped Tour, is randomly selected, and many of the top acts perform at the same time.
One of the biggest draws of the afternoon was for the local group Every Time I Die, on The Kia Rio Amphitheatre Stage. As the band prepared to take the stage, they were greeted with the chant “LET’S GO BUFF-A-LO!” Even though this is the main stage at Darien, The Kia Soul Stage hosted the biggest crowds of the day. One of the day’s last performances there was Taking Back Sunday. Their short thirty minute set included their hits “Timberwolves At New Jersey,” and “Make Damn Sure.” With the energy they provided, the otherwise exhausted fans, could’ve moshed and crowd surfed forever.
Speaking of standout performances, metal-core maniacs Motionless In White played The Monster Energy Stage, in front of the most ruckus crowd of the day. Chris Motionless has a powerful voice, that is echoed by Angelo Perente’s pounding drum beats, that leads their fans into chaotic reckless abandon. Unable to stay for their whole performance, I made my to The Kevin Say’s Stage to catch Cherri Bomb. This quartet of girls is legit. Their music reminds me of my youth. Good ole’ fashioned, no bullshit, rock n’ roll, and these girls bring it. Consisting of sisters Rena and Nia Lovelis, from nearby Utica, NY (bass and drums respectively), Miranda Miller on rythm guitar/ vocals, and Julia Pearce on lead guitar/ vocals. Even though they only played a short, six song set on one of the smaller stages, their crowd grew ten-fold by the time they finished. These girls are sure to be a huge success, and I expect you will hear more from them in the near future that’s for sure!
Despite the heat, and the occasional dust storm, The Vans Warped Tour provided metal fans an opportunity to catch all their favorites, and experience some acts they would never spend money to go see. With punk and metal playing side by side with rap and reggae, there truly is something for everyone.
Taking Back Sunday Set List:
El Paso
Error: Operator
Timberwolves At New Jersey
Liar
Ghost Man On Third
Decade Under The Influence
Faith (When I Let You Down)
Cute Without The E
Make Damn Sure
Cherri Bomb Set List:
Better This Way
Paper Doll
Shake The Ground
Mirror Mirror
Hold on
Let It Go
We would like to thank Angela Villanueva from MSOPR for allowing BackstageAxxess to cover the show.
