UltimateGuitar.com, 11 July 2006, Warped Tour Review

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Vans Warped Tour In Pomona, California: Pouring Emotions

It was all about striking the right balance at his year's Vans Warped Tour in Pomona, California. With a heavy helping of highly political bands as well as acts offering old-fashioned entertainment, the summer event still seems to epitomize American freedom and creativity. This equilibrium is probably one of the reasons why the tour has maintained its wide appeal and attracted such a large number of musical acts to Warped Tour, which marked its 12th year in 2006.

With 10 different stages, over 100 bands performing, and numerous consumer and political booths at the nine-hour event, concertgoers barely have time to fit all of it in their day's schedule. The layout can still be a bit overwhelming if all you've got is the central wall showing the bands' showtimes as your main resource. But for the most part, people quickly learned how to navigate the grounds, with many making it a point to arrive early enough for a coveted stage-side (or mosh pit) spot.

Early on, one got the distinct impression that President Bush may be one of the main reasons why some bands drew the largest crowds. Thanks to the Commander-In-Chief's pursuit of Iraq, anti-establishment bands were given a surge of energy - which was very evident at Warped Tour this year. While some punk-like characteristics are heard in many of the Warped Tour bands, there was one act in Pomona that truly epitomized the genre. As one of the first performers of the day, The Casualties immediately attracted a large audience with the larger-than-life multi-colored spiked hair sported by vocalist Jorge and guitarist Jake (no last names provided). The New York City-based band supplied the right kind of venom into the early audience with their politically driven "The Unknown Soldier" and tribute to the Ramones, "Blitzkrieg Bop."

The anti-Bush sentiment was also very apparent in the performance from Anti-Flag, a band that drew one of the largest crowds of the day. With the band's extremely vocal stance on Iraq in songs like "A Trillion Dollars," Anti-Flag did not shy away from making their feelings known about the president and the shaky state of the world today. It was extremely obvious that the band connected with many of the kids, given that anyone who did not arrive at the start of the set could barely get a space to stand.

One of the tour's musical strong points came from a band that was not even from the top names on the roster. With a sound based on dual-guitar, straightforward rock approach, Valient Thorr presented the most melodically tight and driving sounds of the tour. Comprised of five men with impressively long beards, Valient Thorr may have not been the top draw, but nods of approval came from multiple audience members. Hearing a perfectly harmonized dual guitar solo (executed flawlessly by Eidan Thorr and Odinn Thorr) may be something you'd more likely hear at Ozzfest, but the band's anti-Bush stance made them extremely relevant. And hearing a little something different from punk or emo was absolutely refreshing.

Helmet, a band known for the 1990's platinum-selling album Meantime, sounded as impressive as ever at its Pomona performance. Vocalist/guitarist Page Hamilton whipped out several inspired guitar riffs with body-shaking distortion that proved why his band was such an influence in the metal and post-hardcore scene. Unfortunately, the band did not attract as big as crowds as expected. This is not to say that there weren't plenty of appreciate fans enjoying the band, which introduced the crowd to the present-day Helmet sound (Hamilton is the only remaining original member) with renditions of "Birth Defect" and "I Know."

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this year's Warped Tour was that a few "old school" bands actually felt new again. Two acts that saw their peaks during the mid-nineties sounded fresher than ever - more so than some of the younger bands. The Living End and Less Than Jake accomplished this task by sticking true to their sounds. During the nineties they blended in with their respect punkabilly and ska genres, but this year they were among a small group that sounded like nobody else on the roster.

Less Than Jake used to be one of hundreds of ska groups at the Warped Tour, but this year the band's horns were a godsend among a series of screamo bands. While the band did not necessarily put on the most solid show of the whole pack, they did offer a nice escape with a horn section that sounded tight and vibrant on songs like "Johnny Quest (Thinks We're Sellouts)."

The Living End put on the best set of the day, largely in part to the band's stellar musicianship. In comparison to some of the younger bands that don't venture far from rhythmic playing, guitarist Chris Cheney, double bassist Scott Owen, and drummer Andy Strachan offered a tight set of old and new sets, highlighted by impressive solos from Cheney and Owen's trademark jumping-off-of-the-double-bass. Of course, the biggest reaction from the audience came when "Prisoner of Society" was played. If you were looking to see a mosh pit to end all mosh pits, then The Living End audience supplied it. Even security had to be brought in when a mysterious burning substance emanated from the swirling smoke emitted from the pit. Through it all, the band kept on playing and the crowd just moshed more and more - fire or no fire.

While some of the highly anticipated bands did not perform at the Pomona show, namely AFI and Bullet For My Valentine, the show did have a classic set performed by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts. The group stuck to the favorites for the most part and gave audiences a solid performance with "I Love Rock N' Roll" and "I Hate Myself For Loving You." Jett's vocal growl has retained its power and the band's melodic-based rock tunes were palatable for most any concert attendee (and their parents).

The crowd was an affable one, with a generally easygoing feel. While the music was probably the biggest draw, some came just to get a taste of the whole Warped Tour experience. Concertgoers Claudia Garcia, 20, and Aperle Alvarez, 18, said while their favorite bands were Underoath and Shaunteclair, there was something even more appealing about Warped Tour. "There's just so much positive energy in the whole thing and the people are great," said Garcia.

It was indeed the energy from the people that seemed to really enhance any given band's performance. When you saw the audience give out as much energy from the band, which was the case with shows by The Casualties, Anti-Flag, and The Living End, you know that music is definitely making an impression in the world. Will the Warped Tour bands who spout political ideas resolve conflict in Iraq? Well, probably not. But watching the emotion that they're fueling in everyday Americans like they did at the Pomona show is pretty exceptional in itself.

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