It just doesn’t seem like summer to me until the Vans Warped Tour rolls into town, a favorite with the younger crowd and the young at heart. The annual traveling rock festival made a stop this past Tuesday at PNC Music Pavillion in Charlotte bringing with it a host of up and coming bands as well as some old favorites. One of the best things about Warped Tour is the wide variety of music that comes along with it. With seven stages and performances beginning in the late morning and continuing all day, there is never a lack of something to see and do. It was a beautiful but extremely hot and humid day in the Queen City so it was important to have a game plan for the day. Although the stage guides are published in advance, the actual set times at Warped Tour vary and are not available until the day of the show so one of the first things to do is grab a schedule and formulate a plan of attack. Since I am a metal head at heart, I knew I would spend a lot of time at the outdoor Monster Energy stages checking out as many metalcore acts as I could so I was careful to take some shade breaks and see what was going on under the roof at the main Pavillion Journeys stages as well.
I was eager to see some bands that I never had the chance to before so I headed down to check out Ice Nine Kills. The Boston metalcore act put on a terrific performance with frontman Spencer Charmas egging on the crowd as he climbed over the barricade for a song and waved a huge Ice Nine Kills flag on stage. Gamers would enjoy the stage set from the Atlanta band Issues which featured Pokemon speaker cabinets and a Pokemon themed drumset. After a solid set from Issues, I stayed put for the ska punk of Reel Big Fish. Not many bands on the tour feature a top notch horn section and there’s nothing more fun than an audience sing along to “Everyone Else Is An Asshole.” The hardcore punk band Vanna deserves a shout out with an electrifying performance which really took the energy level up a notch as bassist Shawn Marquis could be seen jumping and doing splits all over the stage. The post hardcore machine that is Crown The Empire was on fire with scalding guitars and a set which featured giant inflatable astronauts.
At about the midway point of the day, I noticed the sky to the northwest getting very dark and threatening so it was off to see Sum 41 under the roof. Frontman Deryck Whibley led the punkers through an outstanding selection of songs featuring their new single “Fake My Own Death” as well as crowd pleasers “In Too Deep” and “Fat Lip.” At one point, their performance was interrupted as the skies opened up with heavy rain and flashes of lightning. Whibley announced that they could only continue if everyone out on the lawn took cover. After a few minutes, the show went on. Afterwards, an announcement was made to either stay put or take shelter in your cars until the storm passed. It was a short delay of no more than an hour before the outdoor stages were able to begin again. So I donned my cheap, plastic rain poncho and headed on out. I arrived just in time to see Knoxville deathcore band Whitechapel. As I was in the photo pit, the weather broke bringing the sun back and cranking the humidity. I couldn’t wait to rip off the rain gear as I was begining to feel a bit like a burrito waiting to be microwaved. Thankfully the weather situation held the rest of the evening and the show was able to continue without any more delays. After another vicious deathcore set by Veil of Maya, I was ready for Motionless In White to hit the stage. MIW always puts on a great show and they are a real visual treat as well with horror type makeup and costuming. Even with a diminished stage set for Warped Tour, the effect is very well done. Bassist Devin “Ghost” Sola wins best dressed for his hair, makeup, and costume as well as the oversized rosary and Bible on his mic stand. The band was tight as they rolled through a short but wicked set with songs from their huge 2014 “Reincarnate” album as well as their new upcoming single “570.”
Next up were Florida rockers and Warped Tour stalwarts Yellowcard. The band is playing the entire tour this summer and has recently announced that this fall’s tour will be their final one. This made for a special set as Charlotte rock fans knew this would be the very last time they would see Yellowcard at Warped. Frontman Ryan Key got the fans pumped up from the minute they ran onto the stage and violinist Sean Mackin was stellar. After checking out solid sets from The Maine and Falling In Reverse, it was time to call it a night and make the long, tiring walk across the parking lots and head on home.
I have attended many rock festivals over the years, some large and some small, but there is always something special about a day at Warped Tour. The excitement and energy from the fans is palpable and each and every band hits the stage and gives 100 percent each and every time. It’s a great place to catch up with old friends and make a few new ones all while enjoying a variety of music from some great rock and roll bands. Be sure to check out Vans Warped Tour when it makes a stop at a city near you!
Motionless In White Set List:
Reincarnate
Devil’s Night
Abigail
570
Immaculate Misconception
We would like to thank Danielle Mardahl from the Vans Warped Tour for the credentials to review this years festival.
