A Warped Summer: Vans Warped Tour 2013

For everyone who considers attending rock concerts a necessity in their lives, there is the glee of concert season, which comes around every summer. This summer I was able to feast my ears to the fullest and attend my very first music festival, the Vans Warped Tour, at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mtn. View on June 22nd.

It was the place to be.

I had an idea of what made up music fests, but I was yet to experience one in person. Sure, there would be the scorching heat of a late June day, high schoolers with mohawks, expensive food, maybe even a few water bottles being thrown on stage, aimed at the lead singer's head. And there were all these things. But mainly, there was the music.

I was looking forward for Warped Tour 2013 for the same sole reason most people look forward to the festival - to see their favorite bands. Although the artist line up varies slightly from year to year, every year there are a few big acts that concert goers go nuts for. This year, I was looking forward to seeing a few big acts, including the alternative rockers of Motion City Soundtrack, comedic bay area rapper Mc Lars, spunky rapper Wallpaper with his electronic twist, and a few others. And I did. In fact I was blown away by the famous bass beats of Wallpaper's single "#StupidFacedd" - a track I once or twice played during my electronic radio show at 90.5 KSJS - Mc Lars' personal adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem "The Raven" ("Mr. Raven"), and Motion City Soundtrack's alternative edge that created a colorful wave of dyed heads glistening with sweat in the sun.

Even so, my main event was seeing Big D & The Kids Table, a ska-punk rock band known for their playful, fun lyrics, sung over bursts of brass instruments like the saxophone and trumpet - a staple of what makes ska bands, ska bands. Listening to their music since 2010, I waited patiently for the day I would see them face to face.

My dream came true on June 22nd, and it was even better than I ever expected.

I not only was in front row for their act at 7:50 pm right under the tent of the Shoreline, where I stood in my place for almost two hours. A few hours before, I stopped by their artist booth, where I was warmly greeted and embraced by front man David McWayne – known by alias Big D – and the rest of the Boston-based crew that produced my favorite “Shining On”, the song that swept into my heart in the first place. I received autographs from the members and chatted at the booth, and during the concert itself couldn't contain my excitement as I sang at the top of my lungs and bobbed my head to the beat. Big D and the band did, in fact, perform “Shining On”, but also featured a bunch of other tunes, including the hit song “Hell on Earth” I immediately recognized, all while the front man kicked his heels up high in circles around the stage. Overall Big D & The Kids Table had an awesome performance, and at one point I could swear my blood was not only pumping with adrenaline but my heartbeat was synched with the pulse of the music and excitement around me.

By the time ska band Goldfinger, the longest running band out of all those featured at this year's tour and closing band, took up the stage, the crowd was roaring, sweating, thrashing, and moshing against each other in rockage ecstasy. Big D & The Kids Table hopped off their side of the stage and disappeared behind the curtain, and were only vaguely seen with the keen eye nursing beer bottles in their hands and wiping the sweat off their hair...

By that time, I was already standing in the bleachers further away, still, as always, cheering them on.

I say bless you Vans Warped Tour, for the memories, and making my summer truly rock! Now I am truly an undying fan.