The Girl at the Rock Show

Or, I Couldn't Wait for the Summer and the WARPED TOUR!
Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love* the West.

Today, I went to my first ever real rock concert. And it was a whole bunch of concerts rolled into one! Yes, Jeff and I went to the Warped Tour in Fresno. I can't even begin to summarize everything that we saw, but I can say that it was quite an experience and I had a blast.

We arrived before 11, which was good, as some bands started playing around 11:15. We wandered around and visited a lot of the smaller stages, as we liked a lot of that music better. We made sure to see Motion City Soundtrack, who were headlining the tour this year, because we think they're okay but mostly because hey! we'd heard of them. We also made a point of checking out Cartel. There were many booths among the stages: record companies and radio stations, bands, clothing brands, political action-type groups (like PETA--very odd), etc. There was even a Trojan booth, handing out condoms; I wasn't entirely sure what the condoms were for, unless Jeff and I were going to get a lot more show for our money than we'd anticipated (actually, no; oh, well). Jeff bought some CDs and signed up on a few mailing lists (he even signed up at the PETA booth, just to get a free DVD). We had to buy some food and drinks, which were reasonably priced for an event like this, except for the water: $3 for a 24-ounce bottle.

The bands kept interspersing their sets with commentary on how hot it was: 104 F. It didn't feel quite that hot to me, but I was warm. I guess even with touring all over the continent in the middle of summer, the Warped Tour bands don't always encounter such intense conditions, even though I had assumed that the east and midwest would be almost as hot and twice as humid. The whole event was on blacktop, in a parking lot, so there was a lot of heat coming up from the ground, as well as beating down from the sky. I got sunburned, despite putting on sunscreen.

We only stayed till c. 4 pm, as poor Jeff was tired and hot and hurting from walking and standing all day. I must say, when it comes to events like concerts and dancing, I'm the one with a lot more stamina. I would have been happy to stay for another 3-4 hours!

Bands we saw, that we at least liked:
Amber Pacific
Cartel
Dork
8 Fingers Down
Hit the Lights
Motion City Soundtrack
Saves the Day
Meg & Dia
Helmet

Bands I wish I'd seen, but we were listening to something else:
Saosin
Rise Against
Everytime I Die
Pretty in Stereo

Bands I wish I'd seen, but we left before they played:
My American Heart
Less Than Jake
The Academy Is...

My friends and family know that I have not always embraced my enforced tenure in the Western world. I still do not feel comfortable in the US. It is my belief (no longer a fear, but a simple acceptance) that I never will. However, my experience with punk and alternative rock music has proven to be of such value in my life, allowing me to see another part of this culture and understand something of what the unsaved are like in this corner of the world. Yes, God uses punk rock to change lives. Who knew?!? Anyway, I'm resigned to my plight, and even learning to embrace it. After all, they don't have the Warped Tour in New Guinea.


*Or at least, Tolerate.