North Texas Daily

Alex Kelly | Contributing Writer

@AlexFKelly

The heat bears down on the back of your neck like an nihilistic overlord, a feeling that should send every person into the welcoming arms of indoor AC. Yet, everyone here has seemed to enjoy the heat and has scampered from one stage to the next only to wait in long lines to meet musicians they look up to. The day most of these people look forward to all year, even if it only lasts half a day.

Vans Warped Tour kicked off its 22nd iteration on June 24 at the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas and brought a collection of different bands including hometown heroes Crown the Empire, pop-punk heavyweights New Found Glory and even international acts like Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! from France. First-timers like In Hearts Wake from Byron Bay, Australia were also performing.

After its set concluded, In Hearts Wake’s vocalist, Jake Taylor, stayed for 15 minutes and chatted with fans by their tent and gave his thoughts on what he’s looking forward to with this year’s Warped Tour.

“It’s our first time doing Warped Tour, so it’s a chance to meet new people,” Taylor said.

With the beginning of Warped Tour came a somber announcement. Yellowcard, known for hits such as “Only One” and “Way Away,” announced that it would break up after its next album release and fall tour.

“When saying farewell, it is hard to know where to start, especially when there are so many reasons not to say it, but the time has come to share this news,” the band said in a press release.

While Warped Tour might be a music festival tour, that didn’t keep some artists from broaching politics, especially with the upcoming presidential election.

Jake Taylor posted a picture on Twitter of himself posing with a fan wearing a homemade “F–k Trump” T-shirt, and The Maine was selling red “Make America Emo Again” hats for $20, a play on the “Make America Great Again” slogan Trump has pushed in his campaign.

The biggest challenge for concertgoers is always the heat with the temperature hovering above 90 degrees all day. There were 70 documented cases of heat exhaustion, but for Warped Tour crew members, that number falls within a mild range.

“I’ve been told that’s low for this type of event,” Shanae Troy said, an EMT who was working her first Warped Tour.

Despite the notorious weather through the sweltering season, Vans Warped Tour will make its way across North America and will surely permeate a sense of community that was already very apparent at the Gexa Energy Pavilion.

Featured Image: Courtesy | Vans Warped Tour