The Alt Black

As I waited for my ride to Warp Tour 15 I sat on the guard rail next to my house with all of the warp tour essentials, a backpack, a water container, and a this week’s paycheck in my pocket eager to buy new band tees. There was a nervousness in the pit of my stomach which is a precursor that today’s events will be nothing short of awesome.  Soon my ride pulled up and I was on the way to the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland for what I had been waiting for all summer.  Along the way to the venue it started to rain slightly along the road, we thought nothing of it then but it would prove to be an important factor in this year’s events. Once we reached the venue we began our walk to wait in the line that wrapped around the block. We noticed that there was a second line that we could get into if we bought wristbands so I shelled out 40 bucks for each wristband and we were soon on our way to into the venue or so we thought. After getting into the shorter line we along with hundreds of other sweating bodies were waiting an hour for the gates to open. After several chants from open that gate, to cannabis, the gates were finally opened. After bags had been checked and lids removed from water bottles We were finally ready to rock out the whole day or so we thought….after entering the venue I began searching for the set list. I checked everywhere and asked multiple people either didn’t know or were searching themselves. About 45 minutes later the set list had been released, not wanting to spend any more money I took a picture of the setlist from a fellow concert goer.
Finally, the day of fist pumping, moaning, and crowd surfing could begin. I soon found out that the two bands that I wanted to see Knuckle Puck and The Wonder Years played within minutes of each other.
The first set that we went to was Pierce the Veil. A set that jammed packed with energy from raging mosh pits, condom balloons, and a crowd that didn’t care to lose their shoes. I left the set feeling exhausted 30 minutes of raging will do that to you.

After bottles of water and resting on the ground while boy meets world was performing we were ready to see more shows. The pavilion was our next move and was without a doubt the most stagnant part of the day. With the exception of Bebe Rexha the other bands that performed weren’t that entertaining. I fell asleep through Beautiful Bodies set twice and counted down the minutes till they would be done. To my despise the artist, up next was Riff Raff a terrible rapper (if you’d even call him that) performed to a packed floor. Instead of counting down the minutes this time I left to be in time for the Knuckle Puck set.

Performing before Knuckle Puck was Palisades, a band whose music I downloaded but couldn’t get into was performing and they were killing the stage. I could tell from the tree that I was sitting under that they brought the energy and were ready to give the crowd all that they had. The front man constantly yelled at the fans to put their F***ing hands up and keep them, calling for pits, and hopping around the stage. As I started walking closer to the stage to get a good spot for to go hard to Knuckle Puck I noticed something different about this band. I noticed that there was a black guy in the band who was on vocals and was killed as he was jumping across the stage, getting the crowd hyped up. After the last song was over it was time for Knuckle Puck, I was in place waiting for the set to begin. After seeing them live once and knowing only a couple of songs I couldn’t wait to see them again, this time knowing more than three songs. As the band got everything set up the lead singer Joe began singing Bedford Falls, a song off of their last EP while you were sleeping. To my dismay, the next two songs that they performed were off of their new full-length album that I had no clue was even in the works. So I hummed along and shouted lyrics when the chorus would come back around. The next song was But why would you care, a song that I had been blasting through my headphones getting ready for the occasion.  “THESE HANDS ARE BROKEN AND CALLOUSED BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO NOTICE!” The first line to a song that I had made one of my personal anthems. I immediately threw my hands up in the air (I do it all shows when the hype gets to be too much).  To my surprise, Joe returned the movement to me, overjoyed I started shaking the guy behind me. The last song of the set is the band’s most popular song No Good from their album The Weight That You Buried. Whenever this song is played I always remember the first time that I heard and how the opening lyric humbled me so much. “Where’s your respect, and didn’t your father teach you anything before he left?” I always lose it to this song and this time was no different as Joe shouted out the first few lyrics I had already begun jumping up and down, causing a couple of people to give up their spots. As the song progressed I jumped on the fences railing shouting the lyrics with everything that I had. After a couple of screams from the security, I got off of the fence and got back on one more time before the set was over.

 

After the Knuckle Puck set I went back to the meetup spot to meet everyone then I heard in Don’t Let Me Cave In by The Wonder Years in the distance. “THAT’S SOUPY!” hearing the excitement in my voice Cyrus one of the people I had come with said he’d go with me to the set.  I took off towards the direction of the stage yelling each lyric as I raced to see one of my favorite bands ever perform.  As we got there Soupy was just finishing up and scolding an audience member who had thrown mud onto the stage. Afterward Soupy began a heartfelt speech on his purpose in the world, how he loses his will to live some days, and how he knows that he is here for us the fans to help us through our hard times. Soupy concluded his speech declaring that he’d give his all if we promised to give him the same. Completely understanding everything Soupy said I vowed to the last set of the night everything that I had. The next song that was performed was Passing Through a Screen Door a song about falling behind the curb, running away from responsibility, and the uneasiness that we all feel when things are going to well.  Keeping his word Soupy started rapidly scanking across the stage, fell the ground, and laid there. Watching all of this leaned back and cried out to the stage. The band performed their new single Cardinals (again I had no idea that they had made any new music.) from their upcoming full-length album No Closer to Heaven. The energy of the crowd was incredible, everyone had clearly agreed to give everything that they had. Soon the last song of the night had everyone going even harder. As the intro to Came Out Swinging a single from the album Suburbia I’ve Given You all and Now I’m Nothing an anthem that talks of spending the year as a ghost and not having a home anymore, that ends with Soupy breaking his depression as he comes out swinging from his South Philly basement lit by fluorescent light bulbs, that wreaks of cold beer and sweat. The energy of the pit was awesome, what was even more awesome was Soupy jumping off the stage and singing from a tree all without missing a beat. Fans soon crowded the tree to keep Soupy up and hold him as he started to crowd surf. It was an awesome set one that I will never forget.

Warped Tour 2015 had its highs and lows but ultimately it was an awesome day.