Why I Am Returning to Warped Tour

image taken from pegasus news

Three words: Taking Back Sunday

The announcement of one of my all-time favorite bands returning to the annual touring carnival of music known as The Vans Warped Tour was all I needed to hear. I immediately texted my PIC (partner in concert) and told her that we would be making a comeback.

The reason why I use the words “return” and “comeback” is because after Warped Tour 2010, I thought I was done. I had a good time, but the show seemed to be going through a transformation since my first stop in 2005 (and that was ten years after the tour’s inception so I can only imagine how it has changed in its near two decades of existence).

Warped Tour 2005 was definitely a different time in the music scene

I had a blast at the 2005 stop, when I was an 18-year-old recent high school graduate and the lineup was headlined by Fall Out Boy and All-American Rejects. Fast forward to 2010 and I can barely remember anything about the event because I spent the majority of the time going “who is this?”

The question I had to ask myself was this: Had Warped Tour truly changed or was I just getting older? No matter what decade it is, 18-year-old kids will still be under the influence of different artists than their 23-year old college selves. Hell, I can only imagine the music I will be listening to in another five years.

However, what I personally enjoyed about Warped was still there: the fact that for the price of admission to a regular club show headlined by one band and featuring maybe two openers, you get your choice of damn near 50 bands spread out all day. Granted, some artists would be at the same time - forcing you to choose - but making those sacrifices was half the fun.

And sometimes you have to make time for signings/photo ops, like here with Senses Fail singer Buddy Nielsen in 2009

But in the familiarity sat an unfamiliar tone. Where in the past I was overwhelmed by my choices - “Crap, Anberlin is playing here, but Jack’s Mannequin is playing over there” - it now became “Well... what are we going to do until Gym Class Heroes comes on?”

I’m not one to knock any kind of music in the sense of saying it shouldn’t be included because I truly feel if someone likes what you play then go ahead and keep playing it. But what I can say is that I was ready to stab myself in the eyeballs while sitting through the performance of Iwrestledabearonce. And my problem with that is similar bands were becoming more common. Unless it was just me being single-minded, the variety was gone.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not against ALL the screaming/singing music - just most of it. When your band name revolves around friends being on fire and your songs are a hot garbage consistency of throat vomit, your music is not for me. But if you have some talent behind your act (Underoath, Chiodos, Pierce the Veil) then the show is nine times out of ten a good one. 

Pierce the Veil, killing it in 2010

PTV is just one name that is bringing me back. Warped Tour ‘12 is going to feature New Found Glory and Yellowcard - two bands from my high school days that I have yet to see live. However, it was the announcement of Taking Back Sunday that made this year’s stop go from a “maybe” to a sure thing.

It’s fitting that Taking Back Sunday is bringing me back to this tour considering the parallels between the two. TBS exploded on the scene in 2004 with Tell All Your Friends, then went through massive lineup shifts before returning to the members who produced that classic for their self titled release last summer.

Ironically, with my first Warped experience coming in 2005, it came just after I started heavily getting into Taking Back Sunday. (Yes, for you purists out there - I didn’t become Team TBS until after the second album. But I’m still a fan so take your hipster criticism elsewhere).

Since that time, I’ve gone on to be slightly disappointed by offerings from both - 2009’s New Again; deciding to skip last year’s Warped altogether - but the spark of the two together is enough to entice this writer to give that crazy tour one more chance.

So this is me telling all my friends that Warped Tour this year is where I want to be. Will you be there too?

My Evening with fun. and Sleeper Agent, a live show recap

"I want to go back."

That's the mindset I have been in ever since returning from the Workplay Theatre in Birmingham for fun.'s headlining show on March 10, also featuring Sleeper Agent and States.

The intimate setting of the small venue, combined with amazing performances and what could have easily been mistaken for choreographed sing-alongs left me driving back after the show with a sense of fulfillment.

But before we get to end, let's go back to the start.

Personally, I always try to get to shows in time to see the opening band perform. There have been times where the opener has actually been better than the headliner and I have discovered new favorites this way. Unfortunately for this certain event, I arrived just as States was finishing their set. Though I got there before the official 8 p.m. start time, they must have started early because by the time we walked in the venue they had played their last song. However, I do mention them because I checked them out before the show and was really looking forward to their performance. Maybe next time.

But I did get there just in time to find a spot and watch the guys and gal from Sleeper Agent get accustomed to the stage before exploding into their brief, but strong set. While this blog is fairly new, S/A is a band that has been featured on here plenty of times, with an introduction last July and again with Year-End recognition for their debut album Celebrasion.

Holding their songs in such high praise, I was looking forward to seeing them in a live setting and I was not disappointed. The band knows how to purely rock with lead-singer Alex Kandel at times resembling the siren-calmness among a sea of swirl-hair chaos, though not afraid to rough the waters herself.

The thing I really appreciated about Sleeper Agent is that they didn't let the fact that not many knew who they were get to them. They still powered through their sit that included the hits "Get it Daddy" and the recent single "Get Burned" and at one time was the recipient of a new fan saying "I don't know who you guys are, but I think you're great" (to which Kandel replied: "We don't know who you are, but we think you're great").

The band acknowledging the fans in the crowd that already knew the songs before the show. Before high-fiving here, Kandel held the mic for some to sing along with the bridge in "Be My Monster."

After the performance, I headed to the merch table hoping that a couple band members would be there to sign autographs and take pictures. To my surprise, Kandel came out within minutes and began working the table, taking the time to chat with those that came by. Believe me when I tell you she is one the nicest people you will ever meet and also believe me when I say that if you start to develop a slight musical crush on her that you won't be the only one.

After getting the autograph, it was time to regain our position for fun.'s performance. When I got back, I saw the stage now featured a backdrop with the letters "F U N." and screens in between each. We were in for a show.

Coming out to "Some Nights Intro," frontman Nate Ruess crooned the crowd while we all waited in anticipation for what was to come (much like the album itself). A cool moment came when a female in the crowd shouted "I LOVE YOU" just before Ruess delivered the line "And you have every right to be scared."

The band then exploded into the title track from the newest album, getting the crowd rocking and swaying back and forth. I'm not sure if it was a goal in the making of Some Nights, but some of the tracks presented,  such as "It Gets Better," seemed destined to be performed live and the crowd reacted as such.

But admittedly, something I didn't expect took place throughout the night. While fun. is currently riding a popular wave right now with the success of "We Are Young," the crowd really came alive when tracks from Aim and Ignite were played. "Be Calm" was done as more of an acoustic-piano version and when asked to "sing along if you know the words" it was as if the whole crowd was part of the band during "The Gambler."

Even the final song of the night came from A&I, as "Take Your Time" sent everyone happy after a night of jumping up and down and swaying along with one of the funnest bands going today.

Personally, the whole night was one I won't forget. Concerts are something that when I go, I anticipate a full experience, not just basically listening to some songs I like only much louder. Both fun. and Sleeper Agent gave me that and I look forward to the night when I can do it all over again.

Bonus track:


Usually I don't have time to do the "stalk the tour bus till the band comes out" thing, but with the show on a Saturday night, I was determined to try it. After waiting a little bit in the cold night/morning, Ruess and Jack Antonoff came by and seemed almost honored to sign autographs and take pictures.

I had asked that, since he was doing so many standard poses, we could do something fun. He said he would do his eskimo face. I tried myself but ended up laughing when the picture was snapped.

A really cool moment came at the end of the signing/posing when a fan asked Ruess what a certain line from "It Gets Better" (Like starlight crashing through the room / we'll lose our feathers) was supposed to mean. At first he responded by asking them what they thought it meant and each answer was met with a shake of his head. Finally he gave an explanation that I thought at the last-minute to hit record in order to capture.

Double Review: "Reign of Terror" & "Some Nights"

It's been a good past couple weeks for music fans on the Internet.

Last week, the sophomore efforts from fun. and Sleigh Bells made their way onto various streaming sites and the two albums were released for purchase on Tuesday. And though one band has made a name for making noise and the other has made one for having, well... fun, it's fitting the two were released on the same day as there are a few similarities between them.

Both feature artists that found success with previous bands. Derek Miller of Sleigh Bells made waves with Poison the Well and Nate Ruess still has fans from his days with The Format.

Both have been featured in various commercials and TV shows that has taken them from indie darlings to future stars.

And both have made a musical impact doing something that's hard with today's genres - being unique.

So how did the recent releases rank on The Sight of Sound? Read below to find out.

fun. - Some Nights (4 stars)

I'm just going to say this upfront - I am a huge fan of this album. It's only February, but it has set the bar as far as my favorite of 2012 (you hear that Silversun Pickups?) because quite simply put it's a wonderful release.

On the band's debut, Aim and Ignite, Ruess and bandmates Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff put together a selection of songs that highlighted strings and poetic wordplay. It seemed to have a sense of being serious without taking themselves seriously.

Enter Some Nights and from the very start it's clear the band wanted to go bigger - and they succeeded (look no further than the song currently taking over the world, "We Are Young" featuring the very underrated Janelle Monae). Comparisons have been made to Queen in the opener "Some Nights intro" but the band also employs hip-hop beats on "All Alone" and big bass with an 80s style riff on "It Gets Better."

"Carry On" and "Why Am I The One" call back to the simplicity of the band's debut, but I respect them branching out and trying different styles because when you listen you can tell they were having fun (look, it's a hard pun not to use).

The only issue perhaps is that it's greatest strength does become it's weakness. That is, employing a bunch of different genres and sounds will make for a good shakeup but can be hard to keep up with at times. For example, after the uplifting "All Alright" it's sort of a step in a weird direction when it's followed up by the big band sounding "One Foot."

And the autotune. When I listened to this album for the first time, I live tweeted my thoughts and here is what I said during the closer "Stars" (one of my favorite tracks on the album):

It's simple, but it's how I still feel. Ruess has an amazing voice that doesn't need any help, but the way the band uses it here it's like an additional instrument. Point: I like it.

In summary, fun.'s sophomore effort takes one or two missteps, but overall is a really joyful ride. The greatest albums are about the experience and from start to finish I enjoy my time with Some Nights.

Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror (3 stars)

The New York duo (Miller along with Betty Page reincarnated into punk form in Alexis Krauss) bring the noise on Reign of Terror, that's for sure, but how much of it is really substantial. Or for that matter, how much of that matters?

I struggle with this band, I really do. At first, I liked their sound. Then hated it. Then loved it. And finally I came to the conclusion that my reasoning for the flip flops is because at times they have a sound that can fill an arena and other times a sound that could barely fill a basement.

Treats provided that same mixture, but where the album dipped with the overplayed "Rill Rill" it bounced back heavily with "Crown on the Ground" and "Infinity Guitars." On the follow-up, they seem to settle down a bit more.

And for me, that's a bit of a setback. I think Sleigh Bells is at their strongest when they absolutely shred speakers and the chaos only picks up sporadically here. But when I got past that, I still recognized a well put together release.

One thing they did beautifully was somehow find a way to be both light and dark at the same time. Take future single "Crush," which swoons quite simply "I got a crush on / I got a crush on you" and then a few tracks later the band goes full on into 80s heavy metal meets Skrillex-style noise in "Demons" ("you'll be taken down brick by brick by brick").

It's a chaotic compromise found throughout the album, at times dragging you to hell with bass in your face and elsewhere lifting you to the heavens with guitars as wings.

Simply put, if you were a fan of Treats then you shouldn't hate Reign of Terror. And if this is your first time hearing any of it, be prepared for some big sounds and lulling vocals. And have some aspirin ready for any possible headbanging.

sidenote: "Demons" is by far my favorite track on the album and right now is my favorite track of the year. It's an absolute beast that should be listened to with the sound turned up as high it can go.