This past Tuesday the Vans Warped Tour made their annual summer stop in Charlotte at the PNC Music Pavillion. As always, the festival brought a huge variety of bands spread out on multiple stages highlighting everything from metalcore to pop-punk to EDM music. Acoustic acts were featured in the Acoustic Basement tent and the Warped Comedy Tent provided something a bit different as well. There were also plenty of vendor booths and non-profit organizations set up for fans to buy some cool merchandise or support a worthy cause. With temperatures reaching 95, the First Aid tent was also busy even though there was a water slide and misting area to cool people off as well as hydration stations for fans to refill their water bottles.
Of course Warped Tour is all about the music. With so many options, you have to have a game plan and so I gravitated toward the two side by side stages featuring a host of metalcore artists throughout the day. One of the most unique acts of the day was Family Force 5 from Atlanta, Georgia. The band is a unique blend of genres with a little rap, metal, and dance thrown in. Their act featured small trampolines and lead singer Crouton was jumping like crazy and really got the crowd involved in the show. If you’ve never seen them, they are definitely an act worth checking out. English metalcore favorites Asking Alexandria put on a blistering set led by lead guitarist Ben Bruce. This was the first time I got to see new frontman Denis Stof and he seems to be a good fit vocally for the band. He isn’t as seasoned of a showman as former vocalist Danny Worsnop but perhaps over time he will gain more confidence in his abilities. Since set times vary each day on Warped Tour, up next were Warped Tour veterans Black Veil Brides. Their set was a crowd favorite as fans jumped, danced, and surfed like crazy. Led by lead singer Andy Biersack, Black Veil Brides know how to put on a show. They are seasoned pros and perform like a well oiled machine, definitely a band not to miss.
Following BVB, was the post-hardcore band We Came As Romans. I had never seen them perform live before and they blew me away. Putting in a rousing set, guitarist Joshua Moore did not stand still for one minute. Jumping the entire time, he was quite the sight and a really got the crowd pumped up. After that, I took a walk over to the Beatport stage which had various EDM and rap artists performing. I caught a bit of Le Castlevania who was performing to a small but appreciative audience. Next came the indie rockers Never Shout Never. They are a unique group and have a real folk/hippie vibe to them. Frontman Christofer Drew is not only a singer but plays guitar, harmonica, and even a ukulele. Their cover of “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes was one of my favorite moments of the day. The rest of the evening belonged to metalcore with Pierce The Veil opening their set with confetti guns that shot out at the audience and August Burns Red frontman Jake Luhrs swinging his microphone with circus like skill. A fitting close to the evening was a solid set by Memphis May Fire with Matty Mullins giving it all he had vocally as darkness began to fall.
No matter which bands are on the bill for Warped Tour, you can always be guaranteed a good time. You’ll leave the venue hotter, sweatier, and happier than you have been in a long time. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for next year. Be sure to check them out when the tour rolls into a city near you.
Black Veil Brides setlist:
Faithless
Heart Of Fire
Coffin
Wretched and Divine
Kickstart My Heart (Motley Crue cover)
The Legacy
In The End
We would like to thank Danielle Mardahl from the Vans Warped Tour for the credentials to review this years festival.
