What the hell happened to the Warped Tour
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I have been going to the Vans Warped Tour for years now. As I have gotten older, I have begun to stick out like a sore thumb. With the average age of concert goers hovering around 16, I look like I am auditioning for Dateline NBC, To Catch A Predator. I don't mind, and have always enjoyed going for the music while maybe getting a chance to chat it up with an artist or two. Still loved the year I went and got to meet Steve Caballero the old school skate veteran I grew up admiring.The thing that always used to get me excited was going to each of the record labels booths, and picking up stuff for cheap. Cd's would be no more than 8 bucks, and shirts would be at the most 10.I felt it was that understanding that most of the kids who listen to punk music don’t have a lot of money to spend. Over the last few years, this aspect of the Warped Tour has disappeared. You can still find a few places where the swag is cheap, but for the most part everything has gone way up in price. I have also noticed that many of the record labels do not put much effort into making their tents stand out from the rest. Many times, things are sold out and the selection of items for sale is meager at best. I feel what was once a great place to go and experience skate punk culture, has become another event for record companies to exploit the consumer base.I am hoping this year is different. It seems like it might be judging from the confirmed bands so far. I only wish I could make it to Cali to see Fishbone play the last 3 dates of the tour, I am sure they would make it worth your price of admission. They are also going to have veteran skateboarder Mike V at each stop of the summer tour. Mike V, the star of the Fuel television series, DRIVE, will be bringing his intense, passionate and diverse skating to every stop of the 45 city North American tour. Twenty years into his professional career and showing no signs of slowing down, Mike was recently recognized by Slap Magazine as one of the 7 most respected and longest lasting pro skaters of all-time. If there is one reason to go check out this years tour, you have it right there. Also Agent Orange is playing quite a few dates, and that is a big plus in my book. I can only hope the record labels remember why this tour was started in the first place, and do a little extra for the fans that are paying to go.
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