Images: Van’s Warped Tour feat. Bayside, Title Fight, Polar Bear Club and more June 20, 2012 at the Luxor Hotel Parking Lot

Blistering blacktop and temperatures of over 100 degrees were not enough to dissuade Vegas music fans from attending the 2012 edition of the Van’s Warped Tour. If the long line to get in was enough to judge, this year’s Vegas stop was a rousing success, with fans of all ages and walks of life vying for the perfect spot to see their favorite bands.

We at Punk in Vegas were particularly stoked with the lineup this year, finding it difficult to get our list of “Ten Can’t Miss Bands at the Warped Tour” down to just ten. Feeling sick as a dog on the day of the festival might seem like a bad thing (and believe me, my stomach would agree), but my avoidance of the sun actually led me in exactly the right direction.

I spent most of my time tucked away in the shade of the new Acoustic Basement tent, catching stripped down sets from some of my favorites including Vinnie Caruana (I Am the Avalanche/The Movielife), who played a nice mix of old favorites and some brand new material. The award for best performance in the tent would have to be a toss-up between Koji and Into It. Over It., which isn’t surprising since both artists release primarily acoustic-based music to begin with. Into It. Over It., aka singer/songwriter Evan Thomas Weiss, regaled the crowd with stories about life on the road and moving away from Philadelphia (a town he doesn’t have much fondness for) while playing favorites off his full length Proper. Koji also used his time in the intimate tent space to connect with fans with his stripped down style, and he surely won over those seated cross-legged in the shade.

Out under the hot sun, I would have to give my vote for best set to melodic punks Polar Bear Club. The Syracuse-based quintet kicked off the festival in the early 2 p.m. slot and blazed through thirty minutes of excellent punk rock with frontman Jimmy Stadt spending a good chunk right in the audience, causing a flurry of crowd surfers to inch closer and closer to the mic for a chance to sing along. Other highlights included pop punks Fireworks finally returning to Vegas for the first time since releasing their excellent sophomore album Gospel. The band launched their set amidst a sea of kids singing along to Gospel opener “Arrows” and never slowed down.

Due to the show’s start times getting pushed back because of the heat, many bands performed after dark on underlit stages, which isn’t ideal for photography purposes. So much apologies if we didn’t get photos of your favorite band. But we do have photos of A Loss for Words, Bayside, Fireworks, I am the Avalanche, Into It. Over It., Koji, Kris Roe, Of Mice and Men, Polar Bear Club, The Used, Title Fight, and Transit!

-Emily Matview

Photos by Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/

and Tyler Newton | http://500px.com/spottedlens