THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO VANS WARPED TOUR LONG BEACH FOR TOTAL NOOBS
Our time is almost here! Vans Warped Tour finally hits up Long Beach this weekend, and GSM has got you covered from start to finish. However, some of you may be attending Warped for the very first time—or, this might even be your first festival. No judgment here. There’s a first time for everything! If you’ve got pre-show jitters like us, fear not. We’ve compiled some tips and tricks to make the most out of your weekend near the Aquarium of the Specific Pacific. It’s looking to be an incredible time, and we’re so excited. This is my first Warped Tour, but certainly not my first festival, so I’ve learned a few things. However, I admittedly am earning some personal gratification points this weekend. My parents used to hear me bitch EVERY YEAR that I wanted to go to Warped Tour SO BAD. My mom almost took one for the team because she actually liked the eyeliner wearing boybands music I listened to. Her personal favorite was Gym Class Heroes. Any time Travie was on the lineup, she was so ready for “Snakes On A Plane,” but our scheduling logistics just never worked out.
BUT.
I am getting AVENGED!
First of all, our lineup is freaking stoked! I’m a bit bummed that Motion City Soundtrack only played D.C., but Cobra Starship and 3OH!3 totally make up for it. I’ve seen both bands play a bunch lately, and they’re just as good as I hoped they were when I was 12. Plus, there are performances by our friends Noelle Sucks, Grave Secrets, Ringpop!, Millionaires, and We The Kings. Graveboy Records brought their whole roster; they did a fantastic job at balancing legacy bands with new sounds, which is exactly what Warped Tour stands for. Kevin Lyman told us all about it earlier this year. The name of his game is music discovery, which he learned after bringing artists like Ice-T onto eclectic Lollapalooza lineups back when it was still a festival. Consequently, Ice-T is also hitting up Warped Tour this weekend.
Graveboy Records is also continuing the Warped Tour tradition of mixtapes at the merch booths. They have a compilation cd full of a variety of flavors, like you’re shopping at Costco. Good luck finding something to play it on, because it’s a CD, but you’ll still be able to expand your music taste with a sweet new selection of rock artists. Smartpunk Records is following suit. If you’re doing the VIP ticket track, they also have a compilation CD that comes free with your ticket. Italian guy voice WHAT A DEAL. Label Assistant Danielle Clark told GSM, “We had to be conscious of the fact that Warped Tour now would be different than how it was in the past, and that means adapting to the bands that new fans would gravitate towards, as well as possibly introducing them to legacy acts they've never looked into and vice versa. We were even able to get a couple Smartpunk bands on the track list as well, which we hope will resonate with the Warped Tour audience.”
Whether you’re in it for the legacies or new kids on the block, it’s going to be a fantastic weekend.
You’re going to want to head right to the giant inflatable sign with the set times. Doors open at 11 AM. The action begins right away, but you don’t have to park at one stage all day. Warped’s magic begins when you explore the grounds. You never know who you’re going to see. Unlike other festivals, artists can often be found wandering like the rest of us. Don’t be shy to ask them for photos. They (usually) love stopping for autographs and selfies. Otherwise, just like the old days, tons of artists will be having free meet & greet signings at their merch tents. There will usually be a sign on their merch table saying what time they’re doing a meet & greet. Many artists even show up on both days of the festival, even if they’re not performing.
There’s so much to check out at Warped Tour! Tons of food vendors, from Prince St. Pizza to local Long Beach spots, all have sweet setups at reasonable prices to keep you energized throughout the long festival day. Gone are the days when our bodies could sustain a festival on half a dry chicken nugget and 2 French fries. Please make sure to drink enough water and eat enough food so you can enjoy the entire Warped experience! Remember, due to inflation, Warped prices are not the same as they used to be. you want to make sure you get the best experience possible.
There are other cool installations to check out, too, like the Borderlands 4 Rage Room. I think due to the state of politics, I might need to hop in there for a few minutes… just saying.
Limp Bizkit said it first.
Break stuff.
One of Warped Tour’s unspoken gems is its community. Be sure to talk to people! Find someone with cool scene hair or Tripp pants and make a friend. Just make sure your Tripp pants don’t have spikes. Those aren’t allowed past security. Still, interact with those around you; a stranger might transform into a lifelong friend. Tons of people have even met spouses at Warped Tour. That’s one of the best parts about the return of the festival—the culture. People need it right now. It’s showing in every video I’ve seen of people’s experience at D.C. Sadly, our location does NOT get the Phineas and Ferb activation, which is a total bummer, because I wanted to meet Perry the Platapus. I’ll get ‘em next time.
Regardless of what you’re here for, it’s looking to be an incredible weekend.
However, we are side-eyeing the one artist that STILL hasn’t been announced.
Who is it!?