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Publication: Weekly Hornet
Date: April 18, 2007
Title: Warped Tour Kicked Off at Key Club: Annual Vans-sponsored tour starts with a party in West Hollywood to preview bands.
Author: Julia Corral
Original URL: http://media.www.fchornet.com/media/storage/paper921/news/2007/04/18/Entertainment/
Warped.Tour.Kicked.Off.At.Key.Club-2850063.shtml
In a sea of tattoos and nameless faces, the Key Club in West Hollywood packed at least half the room for the 13th annual Vans Warped Tour Kick Off party.
The event lasted five hours and was filled with acts from the tour, comedians to fill space, raffles and reminders of the charities that they participate in.
Jimmy Mar was the M.C. and it was his job to keep the high school-age audience entertained. He did so by hyping up the crowd, giving away shirts and guitars and getting them to chant "Music Saves Lives" between sets. The theme was carried on throughout the show with public service announcements for leukemia and breast cancer prevention.
Matt Himmel was the first comedian, followed by Todd Rivera, Adam Hillberg and Miguel Fierro throughout the night. Each produced minor chuckles in their five-minute sets. But they all sunk to profanity and attacking the audiences pre-pubescent sexuality. Fierro was the most memorable, resorting to insulting the audience as his set failed.
Bleed the Dream was the first band to take the stage. All clad in silk-screened shirts or stripes, they were ready to embrace the Monster-intoxicated crowd. Bleed the Dream played poppy riffs with a light, but hard edge. They captured the adolescent emotions perfectly, which can be seen by their following.
Unfortunately, their fans will grow up and develop new sentiments for music and will leave a group like this. They are passionate but have no longevity. This in general sums up the opening band for the summer line up of a Warped Tour concert. Their long set was a testament to milking everything out of the
cliché cow known as the Sunset Strip.
The Briggs came on next. Their set was entertaining, the crowd was responsive and there's not much else to say on that.
After their set, the crowd seemed lost and restless. Meg & Dia were going to take the stage. It was as though they were the headliners. Technical difficulties delayed their set, but this did not disappoint the crowd. They chanted titles of their favorite songs hoping that the band would play them. Meg & Dia are young, fun girls who are nothing but enjoyable to watch. Dia has an enchantingly pixie voice that matched her keen sense of style. Their style is sweet enough to go silver and grace the nightly rotation of Fuse TV or MTV2.
The band's rendition of Blind Melon's "No Rain" entertained the older members of the audience, singing along and identifying that it was a cover and not their own. They exited the stage while the crowd demanded an encore that was denied for purposes of time.
Canada's Chaos was a surprising treat. A band that looks almost mismatched in their appearance together. The band's mix of hip hop backed by electric guitar, bass and drums made the crowd stand. Audience members bounced up and down as they cheered the performance. It was a delight to see hip hop transfused in the line up.
The Vans Warped Tour, whose roots are planted in skateboarding, is sometimes overwhelmed by rock. But hip hop plays a huge artistic role in the early skate scene. The diversity of the members and the originality of their set was definitely a taste of fresh air to the long night.
Headliners The Almost played songs that came off as radio friendly. The music is ready for the big stage and a summer of wild nights and pumped up audiences. The group was cohesive and played the set like seasoned veterans. But they did not come off with the same crowd appeal as the bands before them.
The night drew to a close with all that was expected. The Vans Warped Tour Kick Off party was equivalent to a high school prom: it was a night of youthful hopefuls, both on stage and off. It will mean something to those who purchased a ticket, but it'll end up on the back burner with other youthful memories that fade away. |
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