The person behind the name ‘Warped Tour,’ is not only a marketing genius, but a great descriptor. Focus Threads recently attended the San Diego/Chula Vista location of the 2011 tour, and our whole crew was thoroughly impressed. A great setup at a very versatile space made way for well over 30 bands to rock out with some of their most loving, and no doubt some new-found fans.
Our Entrance Paper
We arrived right before the gates opened, around 10:30AM, and partied hard while enjoying some great music performances until around 9:00PM.
What seemed like thousands of tents and booths were strewn along the parking lot interior selling band merch, Vans’ logoed apparel, and even some humanitarian booths popped up. Focus Threads donated some cash to the ‘Hello Somebody’ booth, which is currently sending its Warped Tour profits to feed hunger-stricken people in Somalia. A good cause makes us all feel good inside.
Klean Kanteen© was there with a booth providing free water fill-ups to anyone with a reusable container, (and as the day wore on, pretty much anyone with a water bottle). I found out from a tour manager that this effort significantly cut down on the number of kids passing out from heat exhaustion this year. Hooray for that.
Now, being above a certain age at this event (I won’t mention how old) can spin a bit of bias on the way you view some of the rituals and actions you may bear witness to. However, the Focus crew felt prepared and excited to see and possibly participate in some of the close-quartered, extremely sweaty and smelly pushing and shoving ‘pits.’
But it wasn’t so much the pits that got us worried, it was the creative innovation and subsequent use of everyday items as weapons. Every person has their hands, and when balled into tight fists and swung wildly and without care throughout the space around one’s body, they can be awfully effective at knocking out a fellow concert-goer. Or at least at drawing some blood. Scenes like the one pictured below were commonplace, to say the least.
Anybody have a bandage?
But for the inventive fan, fisticuffs would not be enough. Grenades would be fashioned out of lost sandals, heavyweight shoes, full water bottles, CDs, and even small people, in ascending order of danger. One of our crew members was even able to save a life or two by catching a full water bottle right in front of a young girl’s face, which had appeared almost out of nowhere, as it no doubt came from the high, sunny San Diego skies above.
A Day to Remember
Aside from the apparent anarchy, mega-slum appearances, and flying CDs of death, the bands managed to put on amazing performances, while still successfully (and as if through some sort of legal loophole) inciting mini-riots all over the parking lots where the fans stood. A Day to Remember was one of the headliners on the Teggart Main Stage, and was one of the last few bands to perform. As the remaining bits of sun sunk down and out of view, we watched two awesome sets in a row, from A Day to Remember and The Devil Wears Prada, respectively.
Food was sparse and expensive, but I did manage to stumble upon the Tri-Tip sandwich booth, and that satiated me through the end of the concert.
After about ten straight hours of music and sun soaked adventure, we made our way out, of course finding a few lucky individuals to which I personally handed a ‘Free Shirt of Choice’ card, courtesy of their new favorite brand of stylish clothing, Focus Threads. (Wink, Wink.)
Overall, Warped Tour ’11 was a unique and kick-ass experience and one not to be missed because I can assure you, if you wait any longer you will feel old and out of place at events like these.
Make sure to look for Focus Threads’ reps at your next event, because you can never really know where we’ll be.
Sincerely,
Focus Threads
Focus on your Threads 