Believe it or not, Warped Tour 08′ is right around the corner. The summer long tour begins in Ponoma, CA on June 20 and ends in Carson, CA on August 17. The tour has been long known as one of the biggest punk tours of the year, but every year it seems more hardcore/metal bands are joining the tour. In my opinion this years’ warped tour line-up is one of the best ones I’ve seen yet, especially for metal lovers like myself. Some of the hardcore/metal bands to look out for on this years’ warped tour include: A Day to Remember, Alesana, All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red (not appearing in august unfortunately), The Devil Wears Prada, Evergreen Terrace, Every Time I Die, Greeley Estates, The Human Abstract, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Norma Jean, Protest the Hero, Sky Eats Airplane, and last but not least, Story of the Year. Click here to view the complete list of bands and dates

History of Van’s Warped Tour

Warped Tour first began in 1995, making this upcoming tour the 14^th annual Warped Tour. The name “Warped Tour” originated from Warp Magazine, a magazine published by Transword Magazine that featured skating, snowboarding, surfing, and music. The concerts are usually held in outdoor venues or large parking lots across the country. There has been up to 100 different bands playing on the tour during the summer. Typically the bigger bands get the large stages and the smaller ones get the smaller stages. In 1998, Warped Tour became international and toured in Australia, Japan, and Europe. The summer concert tour continues to grow in popularity, selling hundreds of thousands of tickets each year.

Oh wait…There’s More!

Aside from the huge list of bands that play on the Warped Tour, there are many other side attractions to visit. This includes a half-pipe where you can watch crappy skateboarders who think they are good fall on their ass. I remember last year when I went there was a tent with TVs & Xbox’s that you could play Guitar Hero 3 on before it was even released. Warped Tour is also a good way to get a chance to hang out and talk to your favorite bands. Usually after a band is done playing they will migrate to their designated tent to visit with fans. Some bands even do signings at specified times, but beware of the mile long lines. Every band has a merchandise stand set up if you want to get a band shirt of your favorite shirt or pick up a cd. This show is definitely worth the $30 it costs to get a ticket. Warped tour usually runs from approximately 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. so drink lots of water and prepare for some killer music!

Banner from the Warped Tour last year

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