Warped Tour 09!
Year 3
It was definitely an adventure. Where to start? Hm let's see. I went with Jess and her two friends. When I got there me and my wheelchair needed help even getting across the parking lot, so this random kid helped us. His name is Kevin and since we were seeing the same bands as him, we all hung out for the rest of the day. He pushed me around in my wheelchair for most of the day. Without him I probably would have hit Jess 30 times because she really sucks at pushing me.
The first set I saw was Big D and the Kids Table. So awesome. I'm so glad they played "LAX" and The Specials cover "Little Bitch." I watched it from the back of the crowd, standing up and using my wheelchair as balance. I went searching for their merch table a little later. They didn't have any shirts that I really liked so I bought a pin (which I later lost and had to go back to re-buy) and knee socks that say "Big D and the Kids Table." I'm definitely wearing them the next time I see them! I also went to Setting's tent. Last year at Warped Tour I bit asses for $1, and bit that entire band's ass. Alex the guitarist (who gave me a shout out last year during their set) remembered me and bit ass in exchange for me buying a CD.
After the set we walked around the tents, me searching for the NOFX tent and then finding it and successfully buying a tank top. We also saw a bit of The Devil Wears Prada set, where I found more people in wheelchairs. I can't really remember what we did next haha it's some what of a blur. But I somehow managed to spend $110 today (none of it on water). I bought more Jac Vanek bracelets, 'Gryffindor' and 'Wallflower' to add to my collection of 'Ruthless' and 'Imagine.' I also bought a Bayside shirt and hoodie (Jess got me a Bayside bracelet), and a Settings CD. Usually I am the epitome of gulable comsumer at Warped Tour always stopping and listening to the bands that are selling CDs and then buying it, but this year I was better, but somehow managed to spend more money than ever.
At 1:55 I watched Less Than Jake for awhile, hanging out with one of my fellow wheelchair-ers, who happened to be drunk too when she sustained her injury. We left before the set ended to see Bayside. We were at the Hurley.com stage like "errr where is Bayside?" when we realised that there was a Hurley stage, which was the one they were playing on. We arrived right at the beginning of their set. A little earlier during the day one of the guys who were holding up signs advertising Bayside's set said that if he saw me right before their set he would get me to the front and have Bayside sign my cast, but we didn't see him. Of course their set was awesome. Although, it wasn't as good as seeing them at the Crazy Donkey, which had a more intimate feel (and of course at the Donkey I was walking, crowd surfing and closer to the stage).
Later at 2:55 me and Jess caught the first 10 minutes or so to 3OH!3. I saw them last year which was the craziest set I've ever seen in my life, but this year was even more packed with "scene" poseurs, so we left after 2 songs. But I hear Lil' Jon made an appearance and sang.
I don't remember what happened after that, but I came back to the main stage a bit later and saw part of Anti-Flag's set. It was pretty good. I loved their cover of The Clash's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go." After their set Chiodos was up.
While the stage was being prepped for Chiodos, I was puushing my way through the crowd trying to get up front. Jess asked a security guard if there was any place for wheelchairs and he told her that around the other side of the stage there was. I made my way out of the crowd and around to the other side where we found out that in fact there was no place for wheelchairs. Ugh. So I made my way through the crowd on that side. I wasn't far in, but was really close to the baracade up front. Some people standing next to me were very nice and told me they would make sure no one would fall on me. When Chiodos started a pit opened up right next to me. Literally there was one guy in between me and it. And of course Craig Owens wanted me to die and have my wheelchair destroyed because he demanded crowd participation (record number of crowd surfers, huge wall of death, etc). But when he asked for a wall of death, I knew if I did not get out of there right away I was going to be crushed and have my wheelchair destroyed. But even before the music started I was getting crushed. Apparently me falling back into my wheelchair with people on top of me made me knock Jess' phone out of her hand. She lost it for a minute and then someone found it and gave it to her. But boy did I flip out on everyone around me, "THERE IS A FUCKING WHEELCHAIR HERE" and "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY" while trying to get out of the crowd. I watched the rest of the set from the side, away from the crowd. I was rocking out, having an awesome time and Jess was like, "You're fucking crazy. You almost got killed and you're still having a great time." That's me.
5:55 watched the NOFX set. It was awesome and hilarious. I'm a bit disappointed I miss Setting's set which was at the same time because I'm told I got another shout out, but of course NOFX was great anyway.
6:55 for Flogging Molly. They were so great, one of my favourites of the day. My mom texted me a bit after their set and I told her I saw them. She replied "no fair." HAHA It's so weird she likes them. She once even bought a CD of theirs from Hot Topic for herself lmao
7:55 was Bad Religion. Oh wow, so amazing. The had one of the biggest pits I've ever seen in my life. It started kind of close to the stage, all the way back through the crowd, around the sound control tent and back to the stage. Greg Graffin is like a hero to me. 44 and still rocking after almost 30 years. That is going to be me. 40 year old going to rock shows and kicking ass in the pits haha
So many people signed my cast. Looking at it now I don't remember who signed what, and most of them are impossible to read, except for Jimmy (whoever that is) who wants me to get better. Jac Vanek and Nick from Bayside signed my cast! There were a hella lot of people in costumes this year. Penguin, Chicken, Banana, Teletubies, Guy in green spandex suit. Last year I only saw Banana and Guy in coconut bra and grass skirt.
Conclusion about the day: Punks are nicer than the poseur crowd that loves music because it's popular. The two crowds give off completely different vibes, punks being the better one.
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recommeded song: sorrow- bad religion (it made my warped day)
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