If you didn’t know before, 2018 marks the final cross country run of the Vans Warped Tour. And of course the festival is going out with a bang, bringing in vets like Sum 41, The Used, and All Time Low. But guess what? They’re not playing Darien!
Much like every year prior, it seems that we are always handed the short end of the stick, mostly due to the fact that the Darien Lake date always falls in the midpoint of the tour or at the near end. Either all the special acts have already finished their run on the tour or they’re starting the day after. I don’t know if that bugs you guys but it infuriates me, even if it’s not a band I’m interested in.
But this year it seems that Kevin Lyman is smiling upon us, brining the Performing Arts Center some amazing acts. While many of you are stoked to see Knuckle Puck, Motionless In White, Every Time I Die, Simple Plan, or We The Kings, I’m stoked to see these guys. Here’s ten bands to check out on July 25.
We Were Sharks
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Out Now: Lost Touch (Victory)
On Tour: 7/25
For Fans Of: Broadside, New Found Glory, Sugarcult
Holy shit, we hit the jackpot. If you’ve never read my blog before, you know how much I love these Canucks. Formed in 2011, these guys have worked hard, playing shows with Beartooth, A Wilhelm Scream, and Knockout Kid (fun fact: my project Nurse Joyful opened for that show when it came to Buffalo last March), and signed with Victory Records (Awaken I Am, Broadside, Jungle Rot) late last year. With that out the way, let’s talk about Warped. I’m shocked they’re even playing Buffalo since the only Canada date is in Toronto on July 16, which has Sum 41, Underoath, and Chase Atlantic. But I might as well count my blessings. We Were Sharks combine old school pop-punk with modern pop-punk, which makes them stand out from all the other bands on the tour. Please do not skip their only Warped Tour appearance this year.
Home Seeker
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
Out Now: Stitches – Single (Self-Released)
On Tour: 7/25 & 7/27
For Fans Of: Crown The Empire, Light Up The Sky, Thousand Below
Do you like old school post-hardcore, you know, the kind of music that Rise Records went wild about in the early 2010s? Well I found a band that sounds exactly like that. Insert Home Seeker: a post-hardcore quartet from the Empire State that’s heavily overlooked. Their EP “Cemetery Mindset” was produced by former Chiodos vocalist Craig Owens (Hotel Books, These Hearts), giving them some credibility. Alex Lord’s vocals shocked me because he sounds exactly like a mix between Michael Bohn and Doriano Magliano, the former screaming vocalists of Woe, Is Me, and cleans that fit in well with the genre. They’re only playing for two days, that being Buffalo and Mansfield, MA. So if you are going to those dates, you might wanna check them out.
Capstan
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Out Now: In The Wake Of Our Discord (Adventure Cat)
On Tour: 7/10 – 8/5
For Fans Of: Jamie’s Elsewhere, Major League, SECRETS
To quote their page on Adventure Cat, “What happens when you mix a physics major, music producer, guitar virtuoso, profound lyricist and hockey enthusiast, all capable of drinking an absurd amount of beer? Capstan is formed.” Combining elements of prog, pop-punk and post-hardcore (think The Wonder Years meets Between The Buried And Me), this Floridian (two of the members are from out of state) quintet are showing that these genres can fit in together. It might sound weird just by reading this, but once you hear songs like “Elysian Fields” and “Wax Poetic”, you’ll see it oddly works. With Warped Tour being the main pop-punk festival, it should be no surprise to see these boys fitting in on tour. See them from July 10 (Nashville, TN) to August 5 (West Palm Beach, FL) on the owly.fm Stage along with As It Is, Doll Skin, and MAKEOUT.
Sleep On It
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Out Now: Overexposed (Equal Vision)
On Tour: 7/10 – 8/5
For Fans Of: Carousel Kings, Homesafe, State Champs
The Smash Mouth approved pop-punk band are finally on Warped this summer. Formed in 2012 is this pop-punk band that comes from Chicago, the same city that gave us bands such as The Academy Is…, Fall Out Boy, and Rise Against. And now, the Windy City has given us another reason as to why this city creates some pure talent. SIO have toured with many popular bands like Four Year Strong, As It Is, and Waterparks, and have played many festivals like Riot Fest, So What, and Four Chord. Their newest album, “Overexposed”, is a pop-punk classic in the making. They’ll be tearing up the owly.fm Stage from July 10 to August 5. Maybe you’ll see Derek DiScanio of State Champs sing his part on “Fireworks” during the tour. Whatever you do, don’t sleep on Sleep On It during Warped Tour.
Frank Turner
Hometown: Winchester, UK
Out Now: Be More Kind (Xtra Mile)
On Tour: 7/24 – 7/26
For Fans Of: Brian Fallon, Chuck Ragan, Dave Hause
Oh my fucking god. No way that we of all places have Frank Turner playing. Well it’s true. The British folk artist is coming to Darien Lake, along with Noblesville, IN, and Scranton, PA. Mr. Turner has been one of my favorite folk artists ever since I heard his song “Rock And Roll Romance” on the ninth Take Action compilation back in 2010. I saw him in Buffalo in 2016 and it was an incredible show. What I’m saying isn’t an understatement: Frank Turner is the 21st century’s Bruce Springsteen. His live shows are incredible and his music is just beyond words. He’s only playing these three days on the tour, so you better not skip him.
Broadside
Los Angeles, CA
Out Now: Paradise (Victory)
On Tour: 7/10 – 8/5
For Fans Of: Good Charlotte, State Champs, With Confidence
I’ve only seen these guys once when they opened for Real Friends last year (thanks Tom). Now a trio, the former East Coasters moved to Cali in 2017 and released “one of the most unique pop punk albums of the decade“, “Paradise”. They played Warped Tour in 2016 when they were still basically unknown. Since then, they grew in size, even if it meant losing members along the way. They’ve toured with Silverstein, With Confidence, and Trash Boat, three bands who are also playing on Warped this year. They’re only playing a few weeks this year, so please go see them. They’ll take you to “Paradise”.
Silverstein
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Out Now: Dead Reflections (Rise)
On Tour: 7/17-7/20 & 7/25-7/28
For Fans Of: Before Their Eyes, From First To Last, Senses Fail
Wait a second, Chris. People know who Silverstein is. Yeah I know, but look at those dates. That ain’t the whole tour. I don’t even need to introduce these post-hardcore legends. Silverstein have been around since 2000 and started playing the tour back in 2004, the same year that had Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and Atmosphere. This year makes it their ninth year on Warped Tour, tying them with Every Time I Die, Reel Big Fish, and Pennywise. And since they’re legends on the Warped Tour scene, you know damn well they wouldn’t miss this final cross country run. So if Silverstein is playing your city during the tour, do not skip them. You might regret it.
The Interrupters
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Out Now: Say It Out Loud (Hellcat)
On Tour: 7/14, 7/15, 7/17-7/19, 7/21-7/25 & 7/28-8/5
For Fans Of: The Distillers, Left Alone, Operation Ivy
I’m not proud when I say that I skipped on The Interrupters when they played Warped back in 2016. Now they’re playing Warped for a couple of days this year. The ska punk band fits right in with Warped’s rich history. Several legendary ska punk groups like Sublime, No Doubt, and Save Ferris have played in the past, and The Interrupters will fit in like a glove. Aimee Allen’s (aka Aimee Interrupter) vocals are just the right amount of rough and sweet, comparable to The Distillers’ Brody Dalle. You probably heard their song “Take Back The Power” in a T-Mobile commercial from 2015. With Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish being the only other ska bands on the tour, you might wanna get your fill of ska when you see The Interrupters during their runs.
Asking Alexandria
Hometown: York, UK
Out Now: Asking Alexandria (Sumerian)
On Tour: 7/22 – 7/28
For Fans Of: Beartooth, Memphis May Fire, Trivium
While I’m not the biggest fan of Asking Alexandria, I might see them during their only week on the tour. AA have been on the tour three times, starting back in 2011 and reappearing in 2016 with Denis Stoff as their vocalist when Danny Worsnop left for a year. Now back together with their “Stand Up And Scream” lineup, the British metal group are planning on shredding their short amount of time on the Journeys Left Foot Stage with 3OH!3, Frank Turner, and Issues. Prepare to hear some of their greatest hits as well as tracks from their new self-titled album which dropped last year on Sumerian Records (Between The Buried And Me, I See Stars, Palaye Royale).
Senses Fail
Ridgewood, NJ
Out Now: If There Is Light, It Will Find You (Pure Noise)
On Tour: 6/21-7/17, 7/20, 7/21 & 7/24-8/5
For Fans Of: Armor For Sleep, Matchbook Romance, Saosin
This right now is the most current band added to the tour. Senses Fail have been around for years, being the soundtrack to many teens in their emo phases in middle and high school. Don’t lie, you still love “Buried A Lie“. I missed my chance on seeing these guys with Reggie And The Full Effect and Have Mercy last month in Buffalo, so I’m not gonna miss them this time. Their newest album “If There Is Light, It Will Find You” came out in February 2018 on Pure Noise Records (Boston Manor, Less Than Jake, Terror). If you wanna celebrate the end of one of the greatest emo festivals of all time (yeah I know it originally was a punk festival, shut up), go see Senses Fail.
Punk Goes Prenatt 