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Writer details her Warped Tour adventure

Date published: 7/24/2008

BY GILLAN LUDLOW

Once summer starts, the countdown is on. Teenagers of all kinds tremble with anticipation as the Vans Warped Tour draws closer.

When the Warped Tour came to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md., last Wednesday, fellow it! staff member Kyle Falkenstern and I were ready, press passes in hand, to get in on the action, once again.

Due to traffic, we ended up getting to the Pavilion almost an hour late. But once we got inside, it was smooth sailing. We signed up to do interviews with Mayday Parade, Forever the Sickest Kids, Jack's Mannequin and A Cursive Memory.

After receiving our interview times, we walked around and took pictures of bands that were already playing. We stumbled upon Every Time I Die. As Kyle took photos of them, I stood and, from my position on the sidelines, watched people mosh and crowd-surf.

I had never seen so many security guards in one spot. There must have been at least 15 guards, catching people who had just finished crowd-surfing.

Since I was standing right next the amps, the loud music created an instant headache for me. Every Time I Die also had one of the most intense mosh pits I have ever seen. The crowd was in a frenzy with fist-jabbing as frontman Keith Buckley screamed his heart out.

Next, we listened to Madina Lake. Although I'd never heard of them before, they seemed to be quite popular. The Chicago-based band had a soft but edgy sound.

We stayed to see Beat Union, a band from the United Kingdom. The band's lyrics and melody were upbeat and catchy--the type of music to make you dance the night away.

This year, the Warped Tour was a packed extravaganza. From scene kids to more casual fans, every inch of Merriweather was infested. Kyle and I couldn't get anywhere without being stepped on or bumping into other people.

My first interview was with Mayday Parade. I talked to guitarist Alex Garcia, who was very informative and relaxed. Garcia sent a shout-out to the "crazy" fans that followed the band from show to show.

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Date published: 7/24/2008