The headliners were announced this morning for this year’s Warped Tour, the first to play in Vegas in 7 years. So now the real discussion on whether or not to attend the festival can begin. We knew it would be hot. We knew it would be crowded. But are the bands worth it?
The Teggart Main Stage bands are:
A Day to Remember
3Oh3!
Against Me!
Asking Alexandria
Attack Attack!
August Burns Red
Gym Class Heroes
Showing us that having an exclamation point in your band’s name apparently gives you a good shot at getting headliner status (note: Gym Class Heroes and Asking Alexandria are not on the Vegas date).
Against Me!, arguably the best band on that list, will be on the Vegas date and are always fun to watch. Supposedly they have been playing more Axel Rose heavy sets since parting ways with Sire, and if that trend continues they will be a must-see act this summer. But who else on the Vegas lineup is worth checking out (a full list of bands can be seen here)?
My top 5:
5. Larry and his Flask – The bluegrass/folk-punk band played Vegas last year with the Dropkick Murphys and are also set to play the main stage at this year’s Punk Rock Bowling. They bring the same sort of fun and frantic energy to their music that Old Man Markley does, and I think fans of the later will love the former. From what I hear, they put on a fantastic live show, too.
4. SHARKS – SHARKS are a British rock band that counts Mick Jones and Brian Fallon amongst their growing fanbase. Their music kind of gives me a Clash/Replacements vibe, which a cursory search around the ‘net seems to be the common comparison. These guys sound like they could go big, so check them out now and say you were there first.
3. Less Than Jake – Do these guys ever put on a bad show? Even if you’re not a fan of their music, it’s hard not to get swept up by their infectious enthusiasm, something that seems to have only grown in their 2+ decades of making music together. The Warped Tour mainstays recently played an extremely fun set at the House of Blues and I suspect their stint on this tour will be just as enjoyable. My only wish is that they have Jake Crown in tow and we get a Coffee Project set, too.
2. Street Dogs – Fresh off their superb set at the Beauty Bar and possibly after their set at Punk Rock Bowling (if rumors pan out). Mike McColgan, former lead singer of Dropkick Murphys, is one of the best modern frontmen in punk rock, effortlessly blending social commentary with energetic stage antics, and able to make the biggest venues feel like intimate clubs. You’ll want to try and get up close for the inevitable singalongs.
1. Lucero – Ben Nichols and crew return to Vegas after playing three excellent, sold-out shows at the House of Blues opening for Chuck Ragan and Social Distortion earlier this year. The punk/country group is the perfect bar band, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fair playing mid-day in the hot summer sun to a mostly younger crowd. I’m betting they will do just fine.
So who are your “must see” acts this Warped Tour, and who do you think we overlooked?
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