The History of the Warped Tour
Blink-182 sang about it in their song "The Rock Show," and thousands of teens and even adults take part in it every summer. The Warped Tour offers fans of its musical groups a chance to not only see their favorite bands perform, but also to meet them under their tent after their show.
History
Kevin Lyman created the Warped Tour in 1994. He got the idea while working skate shows that combined skateboarding with music. Lyman got the name from a magazine that covered sports like skateboarding and surfing, as well as music. 1998 was the first year that the tour took place in countries other than the U.S.--there were shows in Australia, Japan, Europe and Canada.
Features
The Warped Tour features performances by musicians as well as athletes. The musical groups that perform at the Warped Tour vary in genre. There are performers who are emo, alternative rock, post-hardcore, metalcore, Christian rock and electronica. The athletic performances include skateboarding and BMX cycling. There is also several tents set up at the venue that sell a wide range of goods like t-shirts, shoes, CDs and pins.
Controversy
In the tour's early years, there was much less focus on selling goods and the musical groups that performed were considered to be original punk bands. As the years have gone by, more commercialism has crept into the tour, from the tents selling merchandise to the performers themselves. It is because of this commercialism that many criticize the Warped Tour, claiming that it isn't about good music anymore. Similar claims have been made by bands that have left the tour over the years.
Effects
The perceived changes in The Warped Tour over the years, namely the changes to the types of performers included in the tour, has lead to some bands leaving the tour and others being banned from the tour. Guttermouth was allegedly removed from the tour after insulting another band on the tour and CKY was kicked off of the tour in 2000 after complaining about vendor prices.
Past Bands
Many musical groups have performed at the Warped Tour over the years, including but not limited to My Chemical Romance, Bedouin Soundclash, MxPx, The Starting Line, Matchbook Romance, Gogol Bordello, Motion City Soundtrack, Millencolin, Avenged Sevenfold, The Casualties, Anti-Flag, Rise Against, Less Than Jake, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and Helmet. While the tour started as a showcase for punk rock and ska music, it has grown to include many more genres over the years.
