Many peers and colleagues cited Warped Tour as being responsible for their fondest memories as they grew up. Fans would come in droves to the sweaty, sun-scorched parking lot pavement to see their favorite bands. It wasn’t like any other tour; Warped Tour featured a rotating lineup cross-country, challenging audiences to make tough decisions—sometimes on a whim. They would arrive early that morning, their first Monster Energy drink of the day in hand, rushing to the board of set times. It was as if that board held their fate in its hands, dictating which artists they’d see and who they’d miss out on.

Most importantly, though, the festival’s lineup and schedule were primarily responsible for how audiences discovered new music. Fans would eagerly anticipate their favorite artists’ sets, but they’d have to find someone new before they hit the stage. According to founder Kevin Lyman, this is all by design.

These beginnings showcased moments of decision and strategy, often resulting in heartbreak. The overwhelming adrenaline kicked in as discovery settled, realizing two of your favorites were on simultaneously. Catching a set might mean missing a meet-and-greet with your Alternative Press cover boy crush; one could either go to the mosh pit or get a photo with Cristofer Drew. However, all of these nuances were intentional; they were curated to expand the minds and hearts of attendees. Lyman wasn’t naive to the fact that his audiences began to skew younger, the perfect time to get them introduced to new music—and, at times, new friends. Warped Tour organically shaped music tastes, communities, and lifelong memories.

However, Warped Tour was not the first touring festival or festival to prioritize genre-blending and culture-shaping. Lollapalooza was initially a touring festival, with mega acts like Jane’s Addiction, Siouxsie And The Banshees, and David Bowie headlining. In its heyday, my mother went to see Siouxsie headline and left a lifelong fan of Ice-T. She has always had an eclectic mix of artists in her rotation. Now, I understand that formats like Lollapalooza made this possible before social media exposed audiences en-masse to new artists daily. Kevin Lyman was directly inspired by this format, revolutionizing the touring industry with little nuances.

“I was the first stage manager at Lollapalooza in 1991,” says Lyman. “I’d worked the clubs in Los Angeles for about 12 years before, about 330 shows a year. I started watching the culture, and then being on (Lollapalooza), I saw great things. It was a fabulous experience, but I said to myself that if I ever got to do something on my own, I would use that as an opportunity to do some of the things I got to do on Warped Tour. We didn’t release the schedule all at once or put all the bands on at the same time every day. We did that to challenge them, to put them in different positions. There weren’t dressing rooms where bands could hang out to encourage them to hang out with each other instead. I just picked up on little things and held onto them, in the back of my mind, in case I ever got to do my own project.”

And that he did!

Warped Tour’s spontaneity is what upholds most of its charm. There weren’t any pre-released schedules for fans to calculate their days down to the second. There wasn’t additional comfort that some of these bands were getting too familiar with. Everyone was supposed to mingle with each other, from meet-and-greet lines at the merch tent to guest appearances during hit songs. Fans could huddle together close to the barricade hoping to secure Travie McCoy’s rap feature in “Bring It (Snakes On A Plane)” or, even better yet— watch Gabe Saporta, Travie McCoy, and William Beckett perform the “biblically accurate” version altogether. Consequently, these ideals have allowed many artists and fans alike to continue lifelong connections.

Lyman ingeniously stripped away the industry’s famous red tape. The festival was meant to be scrappy and communal. Regardless of the results, you fight for that barricade spot but become best friends with your competitor. You share water bottles with strangers to avoid fainting in front of your favorite artist. Today’s landscape might suggest these formats are outdated, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, modernity reinvigorated Lyman’s formats, making way for more artist and community development. New artists tend to get discovered online before fans decide to see them live. Lyman is aware of this phenomenon as well, trusting many of the acts on this lineup based on video performances rather than in-person evidence.

“I try to meet (artists) in person and have a talk with them to see where they’re at. Then, hopefully, I’d get to see them live. Lately, I’m unable to see as many live as I’d like. When I was working in the clubs, it was easy. I’d get put on by word of mouth. There’s a lot of bands that we’re announcing that are getting really great feedback as they get announced. Beauty School Dropout’s numbers jumped by about 50% yesterday,” he explains. “It’s always been about artist development. Now, we don’t have a 32-35 city tour to work with the bands. Still, every band has gotten a boost from the announcement rollout we’ve been doing.”

As painstaking as it may feel for veterans eager to get their checkered Vans sneakers into crowds of sunscreen-clad, beer-breathed fanfare, this has always been Warped Tour’s way. Picture a teenager with hair scorched by a flat iron into a perfectly side-swooped bang, hanging on with bated breath as they approach the set-time boards. The same frustration, relief, and joy is felt all at once as social media feeds are refreshed. A quick tap on the Instagram logo holds your fate now, as Honey Revenge or Cobra Starship is announced. There’s a healthy balance of nostalgic heavy-hitters and new artists that equally deserve to be seen by the scene.

“This is how we develop bands. We’re not a normal festival, you know,” affirms Lyman.

Warped Tour has always thrived on unpredictability. One could argue that this is a victory lap for millennials who thrived on running to the set-time boards. However, another generation or two is seeping their way into general interest in festival culture and, most importantly, alternative music. It’s time for them to feel that same thrill; and, the rest of us can reinvigorate that same adrenaline rush. Everyone can forge new memories in the sun-scorched outdoor festival mania.

Of course, the lineup rollout is unconventional, thereby subjected to plenty of criticism. People might not know or might have forgotten that this isn’t a new idea for Warped Tour. Fans have expressed disappointment, hoping for instant gratification from knowing the entire bill all at once. “We’re kind of torturing everyone,” admits Lyman. “There are some big bands that are going to be announced over the next few weeks. It’s not meant to be torture, but it’s a challenge.”

He’s also aware that modern formats call for modern budgets. Today, it would be extremely difficult to set tickets at the same prices that they were when you begged mom for her Amex “just this once!” Festivals and concertgoing are luxurious hobbies. “Many people can’t afford to go to a festival these days, and that’s why we’re trying to do the best we can with ticket prices. 90% of people are telling me that festivals are too expensive, so I thought it would be nice to come back and try this again. When it’s all said and done, we’re going to have some crazy shows.”

This year's lineup is at a perfect equilibrium, with nostalgic acts like Of Mice & Men on the same bill as Royal & The Serpent. Plus, Lyman managed to get Dance Hall Crashers back together after 25 years of attempts. He told frontwoman Elyse Rogers, “This might be the last time I can do it!” She agreed thanks to his innovation and ingenuity, even adding the group to a bill at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. That’s full circle, as the Elise Rogers-fronted ska-punkers got their start in Berkeley, California, playing venues like 924 Gilman St. Other artists on the Warped 2025 lineup, like Destroy Boys, can say the same. History doesn’t always repeat, but it usually rhymes. Lyman is equally enthusiastic about seeing the new generation of artists, like Destroy Boys, Chandler Leighton, Honey Revenge, and Royal & The Serpent, as. he is legacy acts like Dance Hall Crashers. However, being responsible for Dance Hall Crashers’ return is admittedly a little extra thrill.

So, sure, it’s fair to get invested in who gets announced and who doesn’t. Favorite bands become synonymous with personal identity, while scene culture opens doors for families and friends to choose each other. Connections forged in the pit are irreplaceable. So, Lyman says to those eager beavers waiting for the rest of the lineup, “hang in there!”

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