2006 Vans Warped Tour - Vinoy Park. St. Petersburg, FL

This year I was fortunate enough to do press for the Warped Tour. This was my fourth year attending, but the first time I had any credentials. All day I used my photo pass to the fullest. Seeing as many bands as possible from as close as possible and capturing some amazing moments.

The day started off with Armor For Sleep on one of the main stages. I stuck around for my three songs for pictures and they were good. They have a good amount of energy and were able to start the day off well. It takes a lot to be the first band of the day at Warped and they pulled it off.

After that I was off to check out Saves the Day’s acoustic set. I am not a big fan of theirs but I am a sucker for acoustic stuff. I was really impressed by them. Chris Conley has a good voice. I wouldn’t mind seeing them play a normal set, as I missed them doing so again later in the day and at Bamboozle Fest.

Oh man. Emery blew me away. I had to miss Escape the Fate to see them but it was well worth it. They have an amazing stage presence and were able to pull it off really well on such a small stage. They had the crowd going nuts. Of course, they had to play “Walls” and it was great. They sound clear as could be live.

I caught the end of Protest the Hero’s set. They were good. Again, a lot of energy for being early in the day. I expect to hear a lot about them in the near future.

The second best performance of the day goes to Scary Kids Scaring Kids. They had one of the largest fanbases there and they were on the Smartpunk Stage. Tons of energy. They sounded good. Left their set early to go see Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

What a waste of my time. Joan Jett sucks. I was doing photos all day for the show and she wouldn’t allow any pictures from directly in front of her. Everything had to be from the side. She sucked in the 80’s and she still sucks now.

Rise Against are becoming one of my favorite bands. They have such a strong message. They also have a strong live performance. They are still the same hardcore band from Chicago that they were when they started. I’m tired of hearing them being called sell outs. They aren’t. They put on a great show. Go see them.

It was cool seeing the Buzzcocks. They’re one of the few real punk bands left out there. Despite them being up there in age they were still very energetic and they seemed to be having a lot of fun playing.

Being only a few days removed from their free secret show in St. Petersburg, Underoath tore up the stage. One of the better bands of the day. They have so much energy and emotion in their performance. They played a few new songs as well as material from “They’re Only Chasing Safety”. You can never go wrong seeing Underoath live.

Best band of the day. Every Time I Die. One of the heaviest bands on the tour. They were absolutely amazing. They can cater to any crowd, as the have now played Warped Tour, Ozzfest, and Sounds of the Underground. I don’t believe anyone has more fun on stage than ETID. They stormed through songs like “Ebolarama”. “I Been Gone a Long Time”, and new hit “The New Black”. They worked the crowd better than any other band. During their last song, guitarist Andy Williams played in the crowd. It was great. See them live.

The last band I checked out was Motion City Soundtrack. They always have a solid performance. From lead singer/guitarist Justin’s crazy hair to Jesse’s handstands, they don’t disappoint. Im not a big fan of the newer material but that’s ok, they played a bunch of material off of “I Am the Movie”. They’re a fun band to watch and I would recommend seeing them live.