Groan
I missed the free Gnarls Barkley show last night, but fate tried to make up for it by giving me a free ticket to the Warped Tour. Sadly, a free show paid for by Southern Comfort just isn't the same as a bunch of free shows by shitty emo bands. There were bright spots such as the Horrorpops and ORESKABAND. The later were easily the cutest thing I've seen on stage since Petra Haden: a six piece ska band made up entirely of japaneses girls in mock school outfits. Dear God, they were so bouncy and adorable. Eventually the sugary sweetness got to me and I had to retreat to the x-box tent (only place where we could find shade).
Did anybody else know that the Warped Tour was still going on? They're actually in their 14th year, although now they're in Van's Warped Tour. Here I would groan about the corporatization of punk, but there's little point. That argument just seems lost at this point. How did pip-squeak boys whining over stale guitars become the acceptable incarnation of punk rock for this or any generation? I drew the line when I saw a kid with makeup made to look as though he'd been crying tears of blood. Seriously, I had to overcome the urge to gauge out his eyes.
Best Tents: Two separate vegetarian information tents, complete with cute vegetarian girls. Also, the Obama Campaign tent where I got to sign up to help out with stuff.
Anyway, my friend David and I stuck around for nearly four hours, until we just couldn't take the massive crowds and all the bands that sounded EXACTLY the same. We missed Reel Big Fish, which I would liked to have seen, but there was no way I was going to sit through the rest of that crap. For our efforts we both got gnarly sunburns.
Also: I got Fleet Foxes' self-titled today. It is very melodic and pleasant, a welcome change from bubble-gum punk.
Did anybody else know that the Warped Tour was still going on? They're actually in their 14th year, although now they're in Van's Warped Tour. Here I would groan about the corporatization of punk, but there's little point. That argument just seems lost at this point. How did pip-squeak boys whining over stale guitars become the acceptable incarnation of punk rock for this or any generation? I drew the line when I saw a kid with makeup made to look as though he'd been crying tears of blood. Seriously, I had to overcome the urge to gauge out his eyes.
Best Tents: Two separate vegetarian information tents, complete with cute vegetarian girls. Also, the Obama Campaign tent where I got to sign up to help out with stuff.
Anyway, my friend David and I stuck around for nearly four hours, until we just couldn't take the massive crowds and all the bands that sounded EXACTLY the same. We missed Reel Big Fish, which I would liked to have seen, but there was no way I was going to sit through the rest of that crap. For our efforts we both got gnarly sunburns.
Also: I got Fleet Foxes' self-titled today. It is very melodic and pleasant, a welcome change from bubble-gum punk.