Question about Vans Warped Tour
 

This will be my first time going to this show. I'll be at the one in Charlotte this year. My question is how many stages are set up? With 34 bands playing, is there a chance to see most of them play? Do they overlap? Somebody fill me in. thanx

They do overlap. There's usually about 3 stages, and usually 2 acts overlap. One stage is tiny and has the lesser-known bands. If you're just going to see the big-names, you won't miss anything if you don't want to. The down side, if you keep bouncing back and forth between stages, you'll never get a good spot down in the pits.

Just make sure to see Taking Back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria. I really want to see these bands (and a few others but all of those I've seen before) but won't pay out the ass and sit through tons of bands I don't give a shit about to see them.

This is one of the weaker Warped lineups ever, IMO. I went three years ago when it was Rancid, 311, AFI, and a lot more GOOD bands. It's definitely dwindled to being geared more to the teenage-girl pop-punk crowd. A shame, really.

i plan on going for the first time as well just to see FLOGGING MOLLY. any band i see after that is just extra. they probably wont play very long sets will there?

30 minutes.

At the Pittsburgh show last year there was a lot more than three stages. There was the main stage which was two parts (left side and right side) in the parking lot. Then on the venue's main stage was two more stages. This place has fixed seating and warped is all general admission, so they put main in an area for everyone. Then there was two side stages off in other places. Then yet another stage, but it was more of a local stage.

Here's a tip, get there early since the bands are drawn at random to play. They have listings all over the place, plus at the band's merch tent they'll tell you what time.

Side note: I saw Coheed last year and nearly fell asleep during their performance, my friends all felt the same way. I like them on album, and maybe they were having a bad day, but they were awful.

Star Lake is such a horrible venue for that tour as are the other cookie cutter amps scattered throughout the country. i thought Station Square was a perfect venue for Warped. its mostly under cover, the Mon River (and cooler breeze off of it) immediately to the north, and parking and exit are relatively easy. and if the venue isn't a deterrent enough the lineup sure is.

FYI: those who are going just for Flogging Molly...with a new cd out late summer you can be sure to expect a full tour in the fall. sure beats a 30 minute set in the summer heat with a bunch of knuckleheads plastering Yoo Hoo stickers on everything.

Last time I went, maybe 4 years ago, I only wanted to see 3 bands. Green Day, Hot Water Music, and NOFX. Of course Green Day and Hot Water Music had to play at the same time...bah. And the NOFX drummer couldn't play because he got stabbed in the hand or something, so they brought in a new drummer from other bands on the tour for every song. It would have been cool if the drummers actually knew the songs.

I know you probably like punk music, but make sure you check out Atmosphere a indy rap group from MN.

I am going this summer for the first time as well...but only to see Bad Religion honestly...I could care less about the other bands...

I'm going for the first time also. I wish I had gone when Dance Hall Crashers and Rancid played. Well, I'll be bringing my wife and sister-in-law with me. My sister-in-law likes Good Charlotte and I think we'll have a good time.

Star Lake! :D They moved it from I. C. Light (whippin' out all the old school names ;) ) because there was too many people, so then they put main out in the parking lot, thus cramming 3x many people in 1/2 much space. Except I will say I like Star Lake more for one reason, with the exception of their new bagpipe player I met all of the Dropkick Murphys and got their autographs on an LP, even the chick who sings on Dirty Glass/merch girl. Even more better yet, I got to talk to Tim Armstrong!!! Where the buses were it was easy to catch most of the bands, on the other hand it seemed more bands would roam the crowd at IC. I met Benji from Good Charlotte (I don't like their music, but he is an awesome guy) and the Vandals, so that's rawk.

I don't see what's so bad about the line-up, not as good as previous years, but still decent. Allister, Anti Flag, Bad Religion, Bouncing Souls, Dynamite Boy, Flogging Molly, International Noise Conspiracy, Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards, Matchbook Romance, Motion City Soundtrack, NoFX, Planet Smashers, Rise Against, Rufio, Story of the Year, Sugarcult (my guilty pleasure), Tiger Army, Tossers, Yellowcard. That's a decent enough group of bands, something to occupy me this summer, especially if X-Fest doesn't add any more acts.

when they had Warped at IC Light the buses were easy to get to as well, in fact if you parked in the secondary lot west of the venue you had to walk right past them going to and from your car.

as for this year's lineup, Flogging Molly, Lars and the Bastards, and (i)nc are the only acts i care to see. all of which have new cds out soon so they will tour beyond Warped. the rest of them annoy me to no end.

Yeah, get there early and check the times for when all of the bands are playing. You may have to make a few tough choices in who you want to see more, but you should be ok if you're planning on seeing most of the bigger bands there.

I went last year and really liked Thrice a lot. The year before was the best. NOFX, Bad Religion, Hot Water, Thursday. Not sure if I'm going to go this year or not. I would like to see Coheed, but I've seen just about everyone else on the list this year.

Buy ONE bottle of water when you get there, and then just keep filling it up with tap water. Everything food and drink wise is extremely over-priced. The one in Chicago sells $10 burritos.

That is good advise. A good rule of thumb is drink a bottle of water after every band you see, it gets way too hot and hydration is a good thing (although it might be spelled wrong). Last year I was walking from under cover to main stage and saw a friend coming out of the pit, I shook his hand and steam came up.


The thing I liked about Starlake was you didn't even have to leave the venue, catch them walking from the main stage behind the fence, a few bands were inviting people around by the buses to hang out. Security was a little angry.

I counted and there are 70 bands total for the Charlotte show. 8 stages total. I can see a problem I will run into, because I want to see:

Coheed & Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, Simple Plan, Yellowcard, SOTY, Sugarcult, Billy Talent, Avenged Sevenfold, From Autumn to Ashes, Lennon!!!, Letter Kills, Underoath!!!, Moments in Grace, and The Bled. The first 7 are on the main 2 stages. But I really want to see Lennon and she'll be on Volcom Stage...which is probably a smaller one.