Just to prove to myself that I have made progress as a writer I though I’d dig up my very first music article.
Dust, music, community part of Montana’s Warped Tour
While many people tried to find a way to stay out of the sweltering heat, thousands gathered at the Valley Ice Garden in Bozeman for this year’s Vans Warped Tour.
The Warped Tour gives Montana music fans an opportunity to see bands that would normally never come through the area. This year featured one of the most diverse lineups in the tour’s 11-year history. Stages featured hard-core acts, such as Atreyu; punk bands, including MxPx; emo groups, such as UnderOath and My Chemical Romance; and even hip-hip from Gym Class Heroes and The Transplants.
The bigger bands played on one of two main stages while smaller acts played on a number of smaller stages. Each band performed a 30-minute set.
One of the signature characteristics of the Warped Tour’s Montana stop every year is the dust. Almost all the bands commented on how unbelievably dusty the air became when fans in the mosh pits moved around. Some bands even joked that they didn’t need a fog machine because the kids in the pits kicked up enough dust to make the whole place hazy.
The dust, combined with the scorching heat, made for a tough day for most concert-goers.
One of the most unappreciated aspects of the tour is the community of people who attend. People from all walks of life stand side by side to watch a band.
The music unites the people for at least one day. People who would never dream of doing anything together sing along as their favorite bands play. There were pre-teens and parents, dropouts and honor-roll students, kids wearing Senior football shirts and others covered from head-to-toe in black.
Even in the mosh pits, there was an unwritten rule that if someone fell down, four or five people would stop moshing and help that person up.
Many people complain about the commercialism of the Warped Tour, with its corporate sponsors. But, in actuality, a concert-goer can avoid the commercialism and just focus on the music and have a good time, if the person can just stop worrying about being a sell-out and having street credibility.
Over all, the Warped Tour provided a one-day rock summer camp. The music blared, the dust flew and, as the sun set over the horizon, the campers went home happy.
*Originally published in July 30, 2005 issue of The Billings Gazette*
Oh and a pic or two from that day for good measure. Shot with…gasp…film!!!
Fall Out Boy
Atreyu
Gym Class Heros
Leave a Comment
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
