Warped Tour Report

by Amy Willard

Alright, this piece is going to be an informal recap of the July 14, 2009 Van's Warped Tour stop in Columbia, Maryland (that's because I'm still recovering from the 3,000+ photographs I've taken since last Saturday). Pretty much the day started out by heading up to the Merriweather Post Pavilion about 30 minutes before the gates, only to find thousands of fans already lined up in both directions around the venue (insane!).

I picked up my press credentials, and dropped off a box of pasta for the food drive and made my way through the sea of fans to the Hurley stage to catch Sing It Loud. I wasn't too familiar with them, but they put on a good opening set at 11:15 AM.

After my first 3 songs (that's all you're allowed to photograph in the pit) I picked up some more press information-- aka the handy daily schedule-- and headed over to the Main Stage to catch the end of the After Midnight Project set and wait for Chiodos at 12:15. Armed with the usual 9:30 Club security, I ran into some familiar faces while in the pit.

Craig Owens, lead singer of Chiodos, picked up the tempo set by the After Midnight Project and really got the crowd going as he asked the mosh pit to separate entirely-- a gap of about 20 yards-- and then commanded them to "go fucking nuts" at the start of their next song (another instance where I'm thankful I shoot from a photo pit).

After Chiodos, it was mad dash across the field and back to the main pavilion's Hurly.Com stage to catch Lights. I had absoluely no idea who they were (later to find out it would be "who she is"), but was recommended to check her out. She's a tiny girl, with a powerful voiced, armed with a keyboard guitar who I would later discover on the homepage of MySpace. She's definitely worth checking out.

1:00PM? A sprint all the way back to Main Stage for ska rockers, Less Than Jake. Definitely one the more animated groups of the day. I've never really seen a group play it up so well for the photo pit. It was definitely a joy photographing them.

Less Than Jake's set gave me a little bit of down time to explore the hundreds of tents filling both the field and the main pavilion area... that's right, this Warped stop was in two locations which had to be a least a half a mile apart-- running between stages was a marathon (and there was no one holding up cups of water or crackers along the way, my friends).

I checked out the To Write Love On Her Arms tent, along with Invisible Children, and some other great causes represented on this years tour. I also snagged free stickers at most places I stopped. A good suggestion to Warped goers is to set your phone up with Twitter and start following the bands and sponsors, there were a lot of freebies givenway that day and if I wasn't so buys getting to set starts, I would have been all over that!

After my freebie excursion, I headed back to the Hurley.Com stage to catch Meg & Dia. The sister act provided ample entertainment to the pavilion that was quickly filling with A Rocket To the Moon fans who were slated to play the SmartPUNK Stage on stage left after.

I stuck around for the Rocket boys. I got to meet them and do an interview during their DC stop (but wait... there was no interview ever posted to BarricadeBuzz.com... oh yeah, that's because the tape recorded crapped out and my notes were illegible. Go me. Worst reporter ever). Anyways, it was great to photograph them outdoors, with better lighting. Their fans definitely packed the pavilion for their set.

With dehydration setting in (as noticed by my inability to keep my camera steady) I had to get something to eat. Thanks Merriweather Post Pavilion for my $5.00 hotdog and $4.00 soda. So refreshing-- and so necessary to survive the next set: A Day To Remember.

I made my way through the sea of aviators, Converse, Vans, tight jeans, and emo plaid to find a crowd doubled in size at the Hurley Stage since I last saw it for Sing It Loud. Having to push my way through the side stage areas just to get to the pit, I knew I was in for another rough set (not to mention the last time I photographed these guys, I had two crowd surfers thrown on me, and I managed to tear up my elbows on the stage deck pretty bad-- oh and let's not forget the bottles that started flying towards the stage as I entered the pit this time-- where was my helmet?).

Anyways, my goal for the ADTR set was to finally get some good photographs after a poor turn out in Baltimore a few months back. Mission accomplished (the beauty of outdoor concerts is the copious amounts of natural lighting-- it's like a concert photographer's best friend).

After fighting to get out of the pit at the Hurley Stage, I headed back down the path to the SmartPUNK Stage for Hit The Lights-- another band I needed to makeup photos on (shooting the AP Tour was just short of a nightmare...). Lead singer, Nick Thompson, was finally able to get those sitting in the pavilion to rise to their feet and really feel the Warped experience.

Finishing up with HTL gave me just enough time to run up the hill to back of the venue to find the Ernie Ball Stage and catch female fronted, VersaEmerge. There were definitely a band I wanted to make sure I saw, and was a little surprised to find them shafted to the back of the event-- they were really playing in "no man's land," if you ask me. Sierra Kusterbeck, lead singer, is packed with powerful vocals and plenty of hair tossing energy. If you're headed to Warped this year, give this up and coming band some love.

Headed down from the hill I was stopped by two guys armed with an iPod and box of CDs... A familiar sight throughout the day as local bands were constantly trying to get Warped goes to check out their stuff. They introduced themselves as "Standard of Living," and me, begin absolutely exhausted after about 6 hours of running around didn't quite realize who they were, until it finally clicked "Oh wait! I know you guys, you sing "Autumn In Amherst" that song is awesome." I think they were impressed, 'least I hope they were. I chatted it up with them for a little bit, and had them do a video clip for Buzz TV. Nice guys, Josh and Clayton. Check out Standard of Living, NOT on Warped Tour.

I finished out the day by catching The White Tie Affair on the SmartPUNK stage, a very impressive and animated band, that I had never heard prior to being in the pit. The Steven Tyler like performance made photographing fun. They were followed up by The Maine back on the Hurley Stage. The Maine belted out an awesome cover of "Pour Some Sugar On Me," to which the crowd of swooning teenage girls went absolutely nuts-- or maybe that was just them fighting over the Monster energy drink lead singer, John O'Callaghan, had handed into the audience after taking a swig. Who knows.

I made my way back up to the Earnie Ball Stage-- truck if you will-- to catch AIDEN. I was late getting in the pit, so the shots are limited, but I'll just say it involved a lot of eye liner and guitar licking (the photos will explain).

The day concluded with my favorite Florida pop-punk rockers, There For Tomorrow. I also had the opportunity of interviewing them in the fall at the 9:30 Club, and I've got to say, those guys have a special place in my heart-- very earnest and open about their music, it's no wonder so many love them.

Clearly the lesson I learned in my first (that's right, Warped Tour virgin) Warped Tour is that all cannot be accomplished in a day. I'm thinking you really need about 3 Warpeds to really get the full experience-- well probably like the whole tour to get the whole experience, but whatever. It would take at least 2 days to see everyband and probably a 3rd if you want to do all of the meet n greets and signings.

Some acts that I missed, but heard from other attendees that were worth checking out include: Gallows, Escape The Fate, TAT, and Black Tide.

If you've headed out to Warped Tour this year, let us know what your experience was like!

Might Could delivers delightful complexity

By Ben Cantlupe

In Adams Morgan, behind the confines of the worn brick walls of BOSSA bistro, adorned by black and white photographs of nude people indigenous to a place most of us have never been to, Might Could, the acoustic guitar quartet from College Park, MD had taken to the stage. This was the second performance of their first tour, which includes dates in New York, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. On the night of June 28th, they traded sets with guitarist John Lee and his namesake group The John Lee Experience.

Might Could played selections from their two albums as a quartet (the very first album was a duo endeavor) as well a few new, unrecorded compositions. They performed “Machinery” from the album All Intertwined, which is a characteristic composition of the group, but doesn’t encompass all of the compositional facilities that Might Could has to offer.

Like all of their songs, “Machinery” is composed note for note and played as such, despite how incredibly complicated it is and seemingly impossible to follow at times. The song features an ostinato, or repeated bass figure in 7/8 time, but changes time signatures as one guitar plays a melody and the third guitar alternates from harmonizing the bass part to the melody to playing counterpoint. If your head isn’t spinning already, just consider the fact that all of the songs have this level of complexity on top of searing 16th note runs, rhythmic interplay, and a wide dynamic range. Oh, and it was all memorized verbatim. That is an achievement in it of itself.

Don’t be discouraged by the complexity of the songs; Might Could's music is quite an easy listening, even for someone who is accustomed to much simpler music. Some of the songs invoke a folk-spirit and have much softer and slower tones and tempos. Even the faster ones can make you think of mystical places or maybe obscure NES game levels.

You can have a listen for yourself at www.mightcould.net where some tracks from All Intertwined, the newest album (2007) Wood Knot, and the self-titled duo album are available for free streaming online. You can also purchase the two group albums through the website. In addition, you will find their tour dates, so be sure to catch these guys live if they are headed to your city.

Hopless and Sub City want you to Do Something

article and photos by Sarah Rutz

Hopeless Records and Sub City have put together an amazing lineup for this year’s Take Action! Tour. A portion of all the ticket sales go towards DoSomething.Org, the organization that Hopeless/Sub City has chosen to be a part of this cool tour for the second consecutive year. The Cleveland show, which was only the second date of the tour, was packed into the House of Blues. Five bands for twenty dollars? Why not? A lot of kids seemed to think the same thing, judging by the amount of people that showed up. Whether they were there to support the headliner or one of the openers, excitement was teeming over all the kids there as they waited anxiously for their favourite performers to take the stage and put on what everyone hoped would be one hell of a show.

Anarbor, a pop-rock quartet hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, were first to own the stage, opening the concert with their infectious stage presence and catchy songs, getting the crowd moving and amped up for the rest of the show. A lot of people seemed to not know who they were, but by the end of their set, everyone was excited and completely into their set. Anarbor really knew how to keep the crowd moving, how to keep them excited and definitely how to put on a high energy show that only set the stage for what else was to come. They weren’t afraid of talking to the crowd and getting them involved in all the action, and certainly weren’t afraid of showing everyone what they were made of. By the time that Anarbor left the stage, the crowd was pretty jazzed and seemed to expect that the rest of the night would be a good one, judging by how explosive the first performance was.

Next up was Every Avenue, which, considering the high-pitched screams and raucous shouts that came from the crowd, was one of the most anticipated bands of the evening. The five members of the Michigan group filed onto the stage amidst roars from the crowd, and tore right into their set. Every Avenue is not unfamiliar with the House of Blues in Cleveland—they were just there a few months ago while on tour with All Time Low. And apparently the crowd wasn’t unfamiliar with them—more than once, lead singer Dave asks the crowd to finish lines in the song, only to be met with hundreds of voices singing his own lyrics right back to him. They completely own the stage, never staying in one place for more than a few seconds, and actively interacting with the crowd. Each member of the band continuously offers grins to the crowds, encouraging crowd participation and keeping a high level of energy throughout their entire set.

Meg and Dia took the stage after Every Avenue was finished, slowing things down for everyone with their combination of acoustic and electric instruments. Quite a different tune from the rest of the bands that were performing at the tour, Meg and Dia still have a way with getting the crowd involved by getting the kids to wave their hands, to clap and even to sway with the music. They even performed a cover of Blind Melon’s “No Rain”, dedicating it to the staff at the House of Blues. All through their set, the crowd was pretty mellow, enjoying the slow down that Meg and Dia brought them. Regardless of how slow their music was, though, they managed to pump a little bit of energy into the room, preparing the kids in the crowd for the techno-screamo duo that is Breathe Carolina.

Breathe Carolina entered the stage in complete darkness, only to start into their first song, Gossip, with strobe lights flashing onto the crowd and backlighting the two performers. They didn’t use any natural lighting (so if you have problems with strobe lights, beware), and their whole set was accompanied by lasers, incredibly cool effects created by two towers of strobe lights, and an excellent performance on their part. Even for people who didn’t know who they were, it was hard to not move along to their addicting techno beats, to jump along like everyone else was. It’s hard not to like two guys that launch themselves into the crowd, regardless of how much of a protest that the security guards put up by grabbing their ankles, just to hold their fans’ hands and to profess their undying love for the kids in the crowd. Breathe Carolina took the energy level in the room and cranked it up about ten notches, and by the time they were done, everyone was completely ready for the final act of the evening.

Excitement teemed over as headliner Cute Is What We Aim For took the stage. Immediately breaking into the beginning notes of “Doctor”, the crowd was already singing along, and by the time the band got to the chorus, everyone was going insane. The floor was bending, shaking, and the combination of the music and everyone’s voices was just insane. Cute certainly knew how to put on a good show—talking with the crowd and introducing each song was it came on with little lead ins, telling everyone what exactly the next song was about. They played a mixture of songs from their previous CD and their latest record, but it didn’t really seem like that mattered too much to the crowd—everyone seemed to know the words to every single some that was played, old and new, and the crowd enjoyed every minute of it. What more could a band ask for?

The night turned out to be a huge success for both the audience and for all the bands—everyone leaving the venue seemed to be genuinely pleased with all of the events that had occurred, and the bands that were hanging out in the lobby were all pretty happy to stop and take a picture, talk with and hang out with all their fans. And, to make all of this even better, this whole concert was all for a good cause.

Take Action! Tour is on the road until April 1^st, so if you haven’t already hit up one of the dates, get out and go see this great tour!

Promotional tour gives high expectations for new release

By Angelyn Thornton

photos by Amy Willard

On Friday the 16^th fans braved the bitter cold of January to wait in line outside of the 9:30 Club for the return of The Fray. Warming up the crowd for the evening was Vedera, a pop/alternative band out of Kansas City.

Lead by the soft but piercing vocals of Kristen May, Vedera kicked off the evening with a collection of songs from both past albums and future releases. May’s voice, much like the songs themselves, continue to ring in your head even after the music stops. The Vedera repertoire, with its heartfelt lyrics and eclectic moods, could easily be the soundtrack to your life.

The band currently has two EPs and one full length album in their discography with a second full length in the works. The band itself even handed out sampler CDs containing three new tracks for the upcoming release: “Loving Ghosts,” “Forgive You” and “Even I”. The first full length album, The Weight of an Empty Room, and the second EP, Stages, are available on iTunes and you can find the new songs (as well as band info) at www.myspace.com/vedera.

Next to take the lamp and chandelier-adorned stage was the main act, The Fray. After the success of their debut album, How to Save a Life, The Fray embarked on a promotional tour for their self-titled sophomore album which is set to be released on February 3^rd. The band opened with two songs from the upcoming album before launching into a mix of old favorites and new tracks.

One highlight of the set was a beautiful audience sing-along of “Look After You” which really reminded me how powerful and moving live music is. After an exceptional performance of “You Found Me”, the first single off the second record, the band left the stage and returned with a softer acoustic sound.
Acoustic or not, the set had one constant: great music. The world must wait almost two more weeks until the release of the new album but, judging by Friday’s performance and audience feedback, it will be well worth it.

You can purchase The Fray’s debut album and pre-order the upcoming album at iTunes and www.thefray.net.

Anberlin returns to DC at the 9:30 Club

By Angelyn Thornton

On November 2nd, a quartet of alternative indie rock bands took Washington, DC by storm at the 9:30 Club. The first of the lineup was the Orlando based band, There For Tomorrow, making their first appearance in DC as a group. The four-man ensemble opened with the crowd favorite “No More Room to Breathe” whose video, along with the band itself, is nominated in the Breaking Woodie category for best emerging artist at this year’s MTVU Woodie Awards.

Each member is only 19 or 20 years in age, but appearances can be deceiving. These boys each carried the stage presence with that of a seasoned rock veteran, lending itself to their polished performance. Throughout the set, There For Tomorrow demanded audience reaction and made a point to engage the crowd whenever possible.

For an up-and-coming band, there was a surprising number of vocal fans present to enthusiastically sing along with each number. The Floridian band wrapped up its set with their favorite, “Pages.” Before exiting stage Maika Maile, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist, bid the crowd farewell with a “good night and stay real.” A very appropriate send-off for these down-to-earth, hard-working musicians.

Next to the stage was Straylight Run. The Long Island-based trio brought a completely different sound to the club with its heartbreaking lyrics and gravely yet emotional voice of lead vocalist, John Nolan. With a full length album released in 2007 and a new EP just released in September, Straylight Run has been keeping busy in and out of the studio. Nolan decided to forgo any excessive amounts of crowd interaction and the band just plugged away with song after song. The group’s set included standouts such as “Mistakes We Knew We Were Making”, “Existentialism on Prom Night” and “Try.”

The third group of the night was Scary Kids Scaring Kids, six hardcore rockers out of Arizona. With high-octane adrenaline sounds, SKSK brought the momentum up to head-banging level and was the first of the night to induce crowd surfing among the fans. Scary Kids Scaring Kids got the crowd going with hits such as “Deep End”, “My Darkest Hour” and “The City Sleeps In Flames.” Their performance at 9:30 club was their last in the U.S. before the band embarks on a 6-month tour overseas while working on their upcoming third full-length album.

The headliner of the show was Anberlin. These five Floridians took the stage to a venue packed to capacity with shoulder-to-shoulder fans. Stephen Christian, the band’s lead vocalist, took the initiative and repeatedly urged the crowd jump around and move with every song. With a bass line that shook you from the soles of your shoes to the top of your head, Anberlin played a larger-than-life set that included “Paperthin Hymn”, “Godspeed” and “The Unwinding Cable Car.” Though this Washington performance was one of the last few dates on the tour, Anberlin still had the pleasure of enjoying the success of their fourth studio album New Surrender, which was released September 30th.

For more information on these bands, please visit their official websites:

Official Website for There For Tomorrow www.myspace.com/therefortomorrow
Official Website of Straylight Run www.straylightrun.com
Official Website of Scary Kids Scaring Kids www.scarykids.com
Official Website of Anberlin www.anberlin.com

Hanson delivers a new sound with a good cause to VA

By Angelyn Thornton

photos by Amy Willard
It may have been a cold night outside but things were heating up at the State Theater in Falls Church, VA on October 28th. Braving the freezing winds, a line of excited fans wrapped around the side of the building with an hour still to go before the doors were set to open.
After much anticipation, the anxious crowd quickly filled the roomy venue. First on stage was Everybody Else, a 3-man band out of Los Angeles, who brought a simple and uncluttered brand of alternative pop-rock to the venue. With catchy songs and impressive dance moves (courtesy of the lead singer), the joy was contagious.
Despite having no prior familiarity with Everybody Else, Hanson fans gave into the urge to dance and sing along. These three guys interacted with the audience and seemed to be friendly, down-to-earth folks who one could easily spend a mellow Saturday night with. This band was just plain fun. No “ifs”, “ands” or “buts” about it. With more energy and enthusiasm than you could conceive to be possible on one stage, Everybody Else gave a great jumpstart to the night.
Next up was Dave Barnes, a singer/songwriter straight out of the Nashville scene. For this set, Barnes brought a light-hearted and laid-back mood to the theater. Accompanied by a drummer and a bassist, the trio delivered a set full of mellow rhythms worthy of the most delicate toe-tapping and head-bobbing. With album number four now under his belt, Barnes gave the crowd a generous mix of old and new songs.
Never being one to leave an audience un-entertained, he consistently kept the fans laughing with his goofy charm. Barnes and his bandmates also made sure to spread the word about an organization they are involved with called Mocha Club which, with $7 monthly donations from each supporter, provides communities in Africa with food, clean water and education. Check it out at www.mochaclub.org
And finally came Hanson, the main act and the reason why the State Theater was packed with throngs of screaming fans. The boys of Hanson, whose faces were once plastered on every teen magazine in the supermarket, are all grown up and back with a new sound.
The trio of brothers took the stage to a theater brimming with loyal and die-hard fans both young and old. The very moment that the first of the Hanson men stepped on the stage, the sheer volume of the echoing screams was deafening. The boys’ set list included a mix of fan favorites from their previous records and from their most recent release, The Walk. About halfway through, Hanson switched it up with a changeover to an acoustic set.
The acoustic stylings were prefaced with a plug for The Walk Around The World, a campaign that the boys started to raise money to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa. During the day, Hanson hosts a barefoot walk around the town or city that they are performing in that night and donates $1 for every mile counted. The goal is to reach 24,902 miles, the distance around the world. You can learn more at www.hanson.net or at www.takethewalk.net

Dandy Warhols rock the District

By Angelyn Thornton
photo by Amy Willard

On a chilly Monday night, the six members of The Upside Down emerged on stage for the relatively modest-sized crowd at 9:30 Club on September 22nd. Armed with harmonicas, tambourines and all the usual trappings of a rock show, the sextet rocked the house with its smooth blend of voices and alternative folk tunes. Sounding like the rock-and-roll offspring of the B-52's, The Upside Down channels a more kitschy funk into their brand of rock. Even through minor technical problems and flying pieces of tambourine, the prevailed without even skipping a beat and delivered an energetic powerhouse performance.
With echoes of “Will to the stage, please...” and the inevitable good-spirited heckling of the crowd, Darker My Love entered the spotlight as the second act of the evening. Accompanied by a trippy video background, the 5-man band contributed a different style to the evening’s sounds. Throughout their set, the boys wove back and forth between psychedelic funk-rock and folksy indie punk. Jam sessions punctuated each song while unique sleighbell accents occasionally filled the space. With an abundance of charm and appeal at their disposal, Darker My Love quickly won the crowd over and undoubtedly gained some new fans in the process.
And finally the star players took to the stage. With their dedicated fan base on display, the crowd of both young and old(er) swelled to maximum capacity within the club as The Dandy Warhols took their turn. A vivid, yet sometimes over-the-top, light show complimented the simple, no-frills setup of the stage. The set was as much about the music as it was about the spectacle. The high-energy foursome continually spun catchy tune after catchy tune that kept the fans singing along. All in all, it was night of past and present. The die-hards relived their old favorites while a new wave of younger fans was formed.