Summer and the Vans Warped Tour go hand in hand once again.
Feature and interviews by Christina Avina
Alex Gaskarth and Zack Merrick of All Time Low
Here at Rock On Request, the Vans Warped Tour is by far our favorite festival tour to cover. Celebrating its 15 year
anniversary in 2009, the tour known affectionately as "punk rock summer camp" continued in its tradition of bringing
artists and music fans from various genres together for days and weeks of fun in the sun.
The lineup this year was a perfect blend of the old and the new, hardcore punk and soft pop-punk styles with everything
in between. This eclectic blend of artists is what draws us back to the tour each and every summer. As a fan of music myself,
I appreciate the fact that fans of one band can come to see them and leave with at least a few new bands they will make it
a point to follow from that day on. For the artists, while it is a grueling tour in the heat and long overnight drives from
city to city, they all tell me how much fun they have being on tour with so many great bands....many of whom they call friends
already. For the younger artists, it gives them the opportunity to meet some of their own idols with many Warped Tour veterans
still gracing the stages. All in all, not a bad way to spend your summer vacation.
The only downside to being a member of the press covering this tour is the simple impossibility of being able to talk
with as many artists as you might want to. There just aren't enough hours in one day. This time around we were able to talk
with 12 great bands and photograph some particularly stellar sets. Check out our video player below to watch our video interviews
from the Charlotte, NC show. A few interviews are in two parts, so make sure you are starting with part one. Then click
on the gallery links to check out the many photos we shot from that day. As always, we are glad to cover this tour and share
the results with our readers.
