VANS WARPED TOUR at Veterans Home Loans Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA on 12/7/18

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July 12, 2018 marked the 15th day of the final Vans Warped Tour in Virginia Beach, Virginia. As the cloudy summer day kicked off fans from all over flooded through the entrance to celebrate the final Warped Tour for Virginia. 3OH!3 took the slot as the opening act of the day. Drawing a rather large crowd to the Journey’s Left Foot Stage, the duo was able to get the crowd up and going almost immediately. Their set was high energy and exciting which was the perfect way to start the day of music off. Midway through the set the crowd threw up their hands making the 3OH!3 symbol. Seeing hundreds of sets of hands up in the sky in support of the band was something that was incredible to see and truly showed how connected a crowd can become with the bands at Warped.

Moments later following up the 3OH!3 performance on the Left Foot Stage, Waterparks took over.

Their energy was strong and exciting and their stage presence undeniably nostalgic. The fans seemed very deeply connected with the songs played and the band on the stage in front of them. Though their set was short, and their time with their fans was limited, they walked away from the stage altering giving their all to their fan base.

As the beautiful day went on next up on my list was Ice Nine Kills over on the Mutant Red Dawn Stage.

Little did I know what this performance would be like! Personally it was one of my favorite sets of the day. With their fast paced music and horror themed stage attire there was no worry of forgetting Ice Nine Kills. Front man, Spencer Charnas, even jumped into the middle of the crowd and stood high above the fans in a long black coat. At this moment time stood still watching him sing from the crowd. It was truly a moment that showcased what it’s like to be at Warped Tour. There’s a certain crowd connection that artists achieve out there that they can’t truly get anywhere else. As their set progressed it seemed as if they connected even stronger with their crowd. This set was truly an impressive one to witness and I’m so happy I got to finally catch Ice Nine Kills live!

Making my way across the venue again next up was Motionless In White on the Mutant White Lightning Stage.

This set was one I had been waiting to see all day since Motionless is one of my personal all time favorite bands. Their stage setup was definitely unique for Warped Tour . There were massive angels standing high above the stage on either side, roses hooked to front man Chris Motionless’s mic stand, and the giant “Motionless In White” logo behind them on what looked like old Victorian wallpaper. The stage stood out all on it’s own, but it was the band and crowd that made things so awesome out there. Their theatrical gothic appearance and heavy music definitely makes a Motionless In White set special, but their connection with their fans put it over the top. There’s a certain vibe that the members all give off during their sets and there is no other way to put it than pure happiness. They are one of those bands that you truly can look at on stage and see they’re so happy to be doing this. Watching the crowds have so much fun is pure joy. The massive crowd of dedicated fans that the band drew to the stage seemed much larger than any crowd I had seen throughout the day at Warped. As their set came to an end several fans walked away from the set crying tears of excitement at the fact that they had just seen Motionless In White. That alone truly showcased how loved the guys are by their fans.

Heading back over to the Left Foot Stage next up for me was none other than Warped Tour veterans Mayday Parade.

Waiting for the band to take the stage however I noticed something. It felt as if the energy had totally changed for their set. The sun felt a little brighter and the all around mood of their crowd felt happy to be right where they were in that moment. As the set started there was something special about it that just screamed summer and Warped Tour to me. Their stage presence and music style has fit the tour perfectly for years and seeing them live on the tour just proved it. There was something about this set that just in a way truly felt like it was perfect. The feel of happiness radiating from both the band and the crowd was such a different mood for the day. It felt so separate from the other sets I had seen that day. It was all on its own and had such A unique energy to it that I just quite describe.

Back over to the Right Foot Stage and I was down to my final three bands of the day. Kicking off that list was Simple Plan

which is another band that fit the final Warped Tour perfectly. There was large crowd turnout for the pop punk band as they took the stage at the final Warped VA Beach. With their true to the genre pop punk sound and awesome fan interaction you could tell that the band was excited to be out there on stage finally. Everyone was smiling both on the stage and in the crowd. Then front man Pierre Bouvier (and his wife and two daughters) took out giant water guns and sprayed the crowd with them during the set. Fans had so much fun during that moment and you could hear the crowd laughing and giggling over the music as laughed, giggled, and sang along with the band.

Moving back to the Left Foot Stage for the last time, Bowling For Soup was fixing to go on.

As I made my way into the photo pit I noticed several black and white beach balls had been thrown out into the crowd. Not only were the fans having fun with the beach balls, but security was too. They bounced them up into the air in the photo pit having just as much fun as the crowd was. Moments later the band started playing and more beach balls were thrown into the crowd along with guitar picks. The band had such a good time with the crowd joking around with them in between songs. I really loved seeing this interaction and the fun the fans were having. Beach balls were flying all around the crowd and people were singing along to the songs. As I was walking out of the photo pit a young mother with a small child was standing off away from the crowd. They were dancing and she pointing out the members on the stage to her child. It was then that made me realize the final Warped Tour truly was a festival meant for everyone.

As the sun was setting and the day was finally coming to a close there was one band left. Closing out the last Warped Tour in Virginia Beach was none other than The Maine.

This was the perfect band to close out the emotional last day for Warped Tour in Virginia. As hundreds of fans made their way back to the Right Foot Stage I overheard different conversations between fans about how sad they were the tour was coming to an end and how much it had meant to them. As I made my way into the photo pit I noticed how emotional some people were getting over the final set. As the crowd waited anxiously for The Maine to take the stage you could feel the emotions building in the venue. When the band finally took the stage it felt as if time stood still for their set. The connection to the crowd was so much different and so emotional it was haunting in a way. It felt like things were a blur in a good way. Fans sang along, some with tears in their eyes and some filled with excitement and joy. As the set started to come to a close, lead singer John O’Callaghan jumped off the stage and into the crowd.

He sang up close to the fans shaking hands and high fiving others. This made me realize that The Maine truly was what Warped Tour was all about. Connecting to their fans. As the set ended you could hear faint cries from different people. Excitement and sad were a mix among everyone and it showed how much the tour was going to be missed.

All in all the final Warped Tour Virginia Beach was rather incredible and emotional. The day seemed to blur by, yet time stood still. One thing for certain is that the Vans Warped Tour will truly be missed by all of its supporters and will always be a highlight in everyone’s summer memories.

In all of the concerts and music festivals I have attended there has never been another to really compare to the feeling of Warped Tour. The way bands were able to get so close to their fans and the connection the crowds had to their favorite artists really made Warped Tour so special. Just know as the tour makes its final run across the country its fans and supporters are in for one final and emotional summer.