Fans seeked higher ground to watch All American Rejects.photos by picksysticks
By JPegg
Vans Warped Tour 2010, sixteen years in the making, kicked off on Friday, June 25, 2010 in the parking lot of The Home Depot Center in Carson , California . Nobody was allowed near the stadium grass where the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA soccer teams compete.
Instead, dirt, pavement, fences, and concrete barricades is exactly where the fun loving ruffians were corralled and left to search for their favorite bands performing on a massive total of eight stages skirting the venue.Stages came alive a bit before noon and died back into silence shortly after sunset. Performances on average were thirty minutes. Near ninety bands of punk, ska, rock, and everything between cramped into one day. Some stages played in tandem. AP/Advent stage butted next to the Glamour Kills stage, as was Punk Rock Legends stage slapped near Skullcandy stage. When one performance ended, the audience just shifted their attention or crowd surfed to the adjacent stage, and moments later the next band starte
d. This juggling went slick.Other interesting stages include: Kia/Kevin Says stage slapped in the middle, swarmed by band merchandise and save humanity based tents. The personal favorite is that awesome bootleg Ernie Ball stage playing out of a fold out simi-truck trailer (they’ll definitely be the first stage to the next venue). Altec Lansing stage was the underdogs of the two big dog stages. While Teggart stage was the place to be if you wanted to listen to headliners all day long, but be aware, your favorite band might be on earlier than you think. But what was the first day of Vans Warped Tour 2010 all about? What can be expected as it tours around this beloved county?
Let’s just say it’s a warped day of calling in sick, ditching class, rolling out of bed before noon for something that actually isn’t mind numbing, slugging down a tall Monster Energy drink for afternoon breakfast, why not w
hile rounding up the usual suspects, the over achieving slackers, then cruise tail pipe sparking to the venue hoping that the cops don’t notice that the five seater Kia doesn’t hold six passengers too comfortably, getting stuck in parking traffic, but having enough time to get the chip-in bucket out to pay for parking that’s almost the cost of the ticket price, get parked, chill a bit with a few plastic cup drinks, pass around the smoke, hoping enforcement doesn’t break-up the pre-party, getting to the venue, realizing nobody remembered where the car was parked, but screw it, that’s something to figure out later, now into the show that has as many eye grabbers in the crowd as those on stage, a festival of the young adult assortment of fascinating women in short shorts, ripped stockings, over sized sunglasses, ornate tattoos, 
non conventional hair colors, and each seeming to become their own unique anti-establishment symbol, while stylish guys match something from The Ramones generation or just look like a lead singer without his guitar, black skinny jeans, both genders with piercings looping every visible orifice, giggly teens spraying suntan lotion that mists over more people than are expecting it, watching not to trip over circles of gathering squatters that Twitter the gossip, noticing an absence of drunks and spilled beer, instead bikini tops selling water and lemonade, dang, sweat, skin, and more sweat, mosh pits and circles pits to let out aggression, weaving through hoards of fans getting crazy 
at a corner stage, socialized chaos and a crowd surfer falling from the sky, hands flailing wild, band merchandise tents posting set-times with helpers as hot as the band itself, autograph sessions and photo opportunities, protect your body and save earth tents, Andrew W.K. Party House, stepping into camera shots and breaking into conversations, a glimpse of a local celebrity in the crowd, herding fans rushing to the next stage across the scene, the caged Budweiser Beer Garden of lack luster alcohol, skin, sweat, and more skank, trendy sponsors, The Expendables WTF, free giveaways, free posters to rip from the porta potties, wandering tip jars to help pay for gas to the next location, skate half-pipe, 2010 Compilation Album, dropping twenty on a new twenty-ten tee, going to Ernie Ball Music Man guitar demo hut to strum a few solos, to biting off an assortment of food that isn’t good for the digestion, but yet filling, and that’s all and more before getting the day filled with non-stop, ear buzzing, festival deafening, rampaging, kick-shit-up music! And of course, the thought of jumping a ride to do it all again on the tour’s next stop on the very next day, while throwing a raised “rock on” sign to an ambulance racing off with an unfortunate crooked neck crowd surfer. And what will you be doing?
THE PRETTY RECKLESS
Taylor Momsen's The Pretty Reckless performs at Vans Warped Tour June 25th at Carson, Ca.
photo by picksysticks
What can I say about The Pretty Reckless? Fronted by Taylor Momsen, this 16-year-old is an old soul with a degree in classic hard rock. Her music is testosterone driven with slashing guitars and ferociously growling vocals. It's not surprising since all her music idols were all men – The Beatles, Led Zepplin, The Who, Pink Floyd, Soundgarden, White Stripes and Nirvana to name a few.
Dual careers in both acting and music are often times challenging but not impossible. Many have tried, few have succeeded. Known for her acting resume in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Spy Kids 2 and most notably CW's Gossip Girl, Momsen makes the smooth transition most actors-turned-singers can't accomplish. After watching her at Vans Warped Tour's opening day, it certainly seems Momsen has found her true calling.
Dual careers in both acting and music are often times challenging but not impossible. Many have tried, few have succeeded. Known for her acting resume in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Spy Kids 2 and most notably CW's Gossip Girl, Momsen makes the smooth transition most actors-turned-singers can't accomplish. After watching her at Vans Warped Tour's opening day, it certainly seems Momsen has found her true calling.
The Pretty Reckless' Taylor Momsen.
photos by picksysticks
In support of their new upcoming debut album, "Light Me Up" from Interscope Records, The Pretty Reckless perform like old pros, pumping out raw power with an arena-rock sound. Even before the release of their 3-track EP, The Pretty Reckless already amassed a huge fan base. From the White Stripes-esque, "My Medicine," to frenetic energy of "Goin' Down" to "Make Me Wanna Die" which was on this summer's hit movie, "Kick Ass," just about everyone in attendance sang along to every song Taylor threw their way – this without a formal release. Expect their new album, "Light Me Up" to drop this August. The Pretty Reckless continues on the Warped Tour through August and you can catch them back in the Los Angeles area when The Vans Warped Tour returns to Pomona on August 11th.photos by picksysticks
The Pretty Reckless performs "Make Me Wanna Die" at Vans Warped Tour at The Home Depot Center June 25th.
HEY MONDAY
On the first day of the Vans Warped Tour, Hey Monday meant business and pulled no punches, kicking off with their hit, "How You Love Me Now." Playing all dates on this gruelling 43-city tour, this five-piece band showed no signs they were going to pace themselves for the long haul. Instead they came in full throttle whipping the crowd into a frenzy in this triple-digit So Cal heat wave. In the short amount of time as a band Hey Monday has sold nearly 500,000 songs, graced the cover of several magazines in the United States
Hailing from West Palm Beach (Florida), Hey Monday puts new meaning to the phrase "You can sleep when you're dead." Less than two years since their release of their debut album, "Hold on Tight," Hey Monday, fronted by Cassadee Pope has been on the road non-stop for over a year with tour of duties on Bamboozle, The AP Tour, Hot Topic Acousitc Tour, Glamour Kills Tour, Let's Make a Mess Tour and their very own UK Headling Tour.
In the midst of all this touring, they've managed to write more songs. Now, news comes that on August 17th , Hey Monday will launch their highly anticipated sophomore effort, "Beneath It All," referencing Pope's brutally honest lyrics. They've already released their first single off that album, 'Wish You Were Here,' and will soon release another as soon as they reach 200,000 Facebook friends (currently, they're at 181,468). So recommend to your friends and friends of friends.
Hey Monday's Cassadee Pope and Mike Gentile
photograph by picksysticks
You can visit their site HERE for Warped Tour video diaries, merchandise, news or stop by just to say hello. Below, Hey Monday sings a new song, "I Don't Wanna Dance," from the first date of Warped Tour in Carson, Californa. Thanks to Noel for the vid below!! Check out more vids from Warped Tour at Noel's site HERE!
Here's vid from the Ventura show a couple days later on June 27th. Hey Monday sings "How You Love Me Now."
VERSAEMERGE
Sierra Kusterbeck of VersaEmerge performs during Warped Tour at Home Depot Centerphotos by picksysticks
VersaEmerge (FL) hits the frantic festival tour this year through North America via Hoodwink Festival 2010, The Bamboozle, and now streaming full wind to the end of Vans Warped Tour Twenty Ten. The band is out to recruit new fans into their vulture core with their full length debut album “Fixed At Zero” released by Fueled By Ramen (the same label as Paramore).
But it is more than just getting the album. Those that pre-order the album at the VersaEmerge merchandise booth will receive a special limited edition laminate, signed by each band member! The collector’s laminate will also have a code for digital album download with bonus tracks (which is much more convenient than holding a CD case all day getting crushed in the crowd). It is also a pass that gives access to merch booth discounts and a cut-in-line at Warped Tour signing sessions. More music, more stuffs, more autographs, and if you are lucky, grab down a promo poster found around the festival and throw it up to show support while crowd surfing, and who knows, you might just get it autographed as well.
VersaEmerge performs during Warped Tour at the Home Depot Center
photos by picksysticks
The new album is only a hint to the fascination one can have with VersaEmerge. Get involved. It's marvelous. Feather hair clip anyone?
EYES SET TO KILL
Eyes Set to Kill performs during the Vans Warped Tour at the Home Depot Center.
photo by picksysticks
picksysticks contributer
Eyes Set to Kill (Phoenix) unloads their angelic burning with havoc sound this year on the Ernie Ball big rig mobile stage truck for Vans Warped Tour 2010. They are in push of their new album “Broken Flames” on BreakSilence Records. Big names in the music print throwing support their way are Al
ter
native Press setting them on the list of “100 Bands You Need To Know” and sisters Alexia (vocals/guitar) and Anissa Rodriguez (bass) front issue #54 of Outburn magazine, while Revolver Magazine does it different by labeling the ladies “Hottest Chicks in Metal.”Their live performance is something to witness to feel the pure passionate raw energy of the music, and to get knocked around a bit in the circle pit. Like the mythic phoenix itself and the city they are from, this band burns with fury and yet has a smooth vocal beauty from Alexia that gives them a remarkable taste like sipping a cold Mexican beer in a squelching heat wave in the Valley of the Sun.
The Rodriguez sisters give this band the charming black cat appeal, but don’t dare forget about Cisko Miranda. It’s his screaming rage that turns the crowd into crazies. His vocals seem indigenous of Dante’s nine circles of hell possessed into one soul. Blistering hell fire of pain. The crowd absorbs it like 2,500 volts of electricity that sparks the mind flaming and limbs convulsing. Those with eyes gazing on the sisters will be surprised when they quickly find themselves getting tossed around in a whirlwind pit of PMS and testosterone.
Grab their new album, catch their live performance, and tear down their dual sided promotional poster for keepsakes at a local Warped Tour Twenty Ten near you.
