As I made my list of Warped Tour lineups over the years and my interview with Tom Gabel, I thought a lot about why people my age would prefer to not go this year or in previous years. I even thought about why I didn't go after I moved to the DFW area in 1998.
All trails go back to the heat factor. I know it's the summer and I have yet to experience an all-out mild summer as a Texan. Plus I can't shake the experience of my four years rehearsing in the high school marching band.
Still, when Pete has asked me to cover Warped for the past three years, I have zero hesitation in saying yes. There are parts of me that will always love pop-punk, hardcore, emo, and so on. I still have an appetite for it while many other people my age write it off as an angry version of Radio Disney pop.
I'm not pretending to be a teenager here. These days, I'm a 32-year-old who likes to listen to Suede, Dream Theater, Converge, Cheap Trick, and Z.Z. Hill. But I can still distinctly remember what drew me to the Warped Tour and I keep this in my mind when I cover the show. Teenagers around the world live for the day they see the Warped Tour. I respect that.
Of course, I'm not afraid to tackle bands who clearly turn me off. Yup, I'm talking 3OH!3, Simple Plan, and so many others. And I find matters quite disheartening when rock star attitudes overshadow the bands made up of humble people without eyes on a prize. I don't want to be the old guy who says his generation's version of "Rock n' roll's been goin' downhill since Buddy Holly died." I simply try to point out why a band like the Bouncing Souls means way more in the long run compared to say, Attack Attack!
This Friday will be a long day, but I'm game. I'd rather give Warped some good coverage instead of lying around at home eating sour grapes.
All trails go back to the heat factor. I know it's the summer and I have yet to experience an all-out mild summer as a Texan. Plus I can't shake the experience of my four years rehearsing in the high school marching band.
Still, when Pete has asked me to cover Warped for the past three years, I have zero hesitation in saying yes. There are parts of me that will always love pop-punk, hardcore, emo, and so on. I still have an appetite for it while many other people my age write it off as an angry version of Radio Disney pop.
I'm not pretending to be a teenager here. These days, I'm a 32-year-old who likes to listen to Suede, Dream Theater, Converge, Cheap Trick, and Z.Z. Hill. But I can still distinctly remember what drew me to the Warped Tour and I keep this in my mind when I cover the show. Teenagers around the world live for the day they see the Warped Tour. I respect that.
Of course, I'm not afraid to tackle bands who clearly turn me off. Yup, I'm talking 3OH!3, Simple Plan, and so many others. And I find matters quite disheartening when rock star attitudes overshadow the bands made up of humble people without eyes on a prize. I don't want to be the old guy who says his generation's version of "Rock n' roll's been goin' downhill since Buddy Holly died." I simply try to point out why a band like the Bouncing Souls means way more in the long run compared to say, Attack Attack!
This Friday will be a long day, but I'm game. I'd rather give Warped some good coverage instead of lying around at home eating sour grapes.
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