Jess is gonna kill me
You asked for it.Well, I supplied it, request or no.
Top Ten Bands Worth Seeing at Warped Tour 2004
10. International Noise Conspiracy
Yes, they're communist, yes, they're political, but compared to some of the guys I grew up with, they're hardly preachy. And they're from Sweden, so they don't know a frag about capitalism's juicy goodness, but I won't hate, they love to rock just like I do. Basically their music is what I love about them and nothing else, though those matching t-shirts they had were pretty svelte. I like to think of them as something akin to a Rolling Stones/Who era throwback band, except unlike the Rolling Stones, they do not write crappy songs, and unlike The Who, they have a resident keyboardist.
9. Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls. I still have one of their albums on vinyl, not because I'm oldschool or even own a record player anymore, just because I am that trendy. I think this may have been the second time I saw them, and it was, as predictable, fast, quasi-catchy, incoherent pop punk. But hey. It makes you kinda want to dance.I have to wonder if The Bouncing Soul's name is some kind of deep, argumentative philosophical statement or perhaps a goofy retort at "the pogo". I'll let someone else decide.
8. The Vandals
If I didn't understand John Gregory before, I certainly would now. The Vandals provide valuable insight on our Army brother, they being his favorite band. Though honestly, I am still just as confused as I was before. All I know is John likes tongue-in-cheek, satirical pop punk wit. And that's alright by me.
7. Coheed and Cambria
See here, sometimes I like music that tastefully imitates great elements of other music. And sometimes, what I like could also be considered tastefully imitating sucky, annoying elements of other music. This may or may not be the case with C and C. (Gonna make you sweat.) They combine the fondness of catchy pop and/ormetal influenced guitar riffs with a lead singer's boisteriously obvious Rush-eqsue vocal work. I can't really determine if I love C and C, but it's hard to think about such things when their beats are just SO FRESH, and their sing alongs are so much more addictive than PCP.
6. Yellowcard
I think I saw this band, but I can't remember. What I do remember was a wall of sound, and in that, the beautiful "caw! caw! Scrreee!" of an electric violin. Electric violins tend to remind me of people that play electric violins, just like pennywhistles tend to remind me of people that play pennywhistles. Despite that, this was a thoroughly awesome experience. Yellowcard consists of a bunch of blatant prettyboys, including the mop-topped, the pseudo-hawked, the braided, and the clean cut. Despite that, this was a thoroughly awesome experience. Yellowcard has tons of great songs. They played some of them.They ended with a subpar tune which for some Godforsaken reason happens to have its own music video. Despite that, this was a thoroughly awesome experience.
5. Bad Religion
I didn't actually see this band. I definitely remember. However, I was walking out the gate near the mainstage as they were playing. They happened to be playing "Sorrow", which is, to all my sadly self-admitted Bad Religion knowledge, the only decent song that they have made since releasing "The Gray Race" album back in 1995. Even that CD as a whole wasn't too great. The point is, Bad Religion sucks, and they are more over the hill than the Beastie Boys, but if somehow you gain the opportunity, watch them so that you can, as I did, muster your own loud guffaw.
4. The Erks
I only put these guys on here because I realized I was running out of bands I actually wanted to mention. These guys really aren't worth seeing, unless they are, as they were yesterday, voicing their gimmick of being from Denmark (the retarded, red-headed stepchild, hillbilly phlegm of Scandinavia). What's funny is their blatant Californian accents, indicating they are blatantly not from Denmark. The Erks played on one of the no-name stages in the hell-pit flea-market corner of Warped Tour. I got to watch them at the same time various booths were intraveinously peddling their wares to my soul.
3. Flogging Molly
What's awesome about these guys is their attachment to the deep roots of their Irish heritage, i.e., alcoholism and Catholicism. Nothing says Ireland more than songs about heaven and hell and drinking well. I absolutely loved these guys, and they wereever more incredible than the last time i saw them. If you haven't heard them, think of what Irish folk instrumentation sounds like sped up to about mach 1, and doused with a heavily-distorted guitar. I realize that may be a completely retarded phrasing. I am my father's son. Top it all off with a pennywhistle, cause hey, we all know... Pennywhistles tend to remind me of people that play pennywhistles, just like hearing good guitarwork reminds me that I am employed at a "real job" not for logic, but because I am a terrible musician.
2. Avenged Sevenfold
Well you knew this was coming. Avenged Sevenfold was by far the most awesome experience I had at Warped Tour since seeing Flogging Molly 20 minutes prior. I opted to miss Story of the Year and Bad Religion, in order to see the only band trying to really put the pulverization into punk and the brutality into BWADOW! With band member gimmick names like "The Rev", "M. Shadows",and "Synyster Gates", cleverly black-dyed hair, twin solos, motorcycle rock solos, and Zack Morris solos, you could almost say Avenged Sevenfold is silly, but I'd have to smack you a bit. Any band that can write a song about how Cain was a dummy for killing Abel, and make its rock factor parallel to that of Welcome to the Jungle just gets props. I know I am about the 700th music critic to make some kind of draw between Avenged Sevenfold and Guns N Roses, but then again, I am cliche and prediction myself, all rolled up in a bun.
1. Huey Lewis and the News
Marking the most celebrated star comeback since Gary Coleman on that hit reality show, Huey and the gang have been undoubtedlybeen turning Warped Tour upside down all summer long, as they did in Charlotte last night. I went to sleep last night with full conviction that it is indeed hip to be square, and that I was one step closer to recognizing the awesome power of love. But that wouldn't be enough to write these guys into the history books of rock and roll legend. I think what did it for them was their success in unfolding the space-time continuum when they went back in time. Huey Lewis and the News always remind me of Back to the Future, and Back to the Future always reminds me of my friend Darryl's cleverly titled concept band known as "Marty McFly and the Faces of Death". If only they had made it past one recording, maybe they too could have been playing Warped Tour this year.
Top Ten Bands Worth Seeing at Warped Tour 2004
10. International Noise Conspiracy
Yes, they're communist, yes, they're political, but compared to some of the guys I grew up with, they're hardly preachy. And they're from Sweden, so they don't know a frag about capitalism's juicy goodness, but I won't hate, they love to rock just like I do. Basically their music is what I love about them and nothing else, though those matching t-shirts they had were pretty svelte. I like to think of them as something akin to a Rolling Stones/Who era throwback band, except unlike the Rolling Stones, they do not write crappy songs, and unlike The Who, they have a resident keyboardist.
9. Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls. I still have one of their albums on vinyl, not because I'm oldschool or even own a record player anymore, just because I am that trendy. I think this may have been the second time I saw them, and it was, as predictable, fast, quasi-catchy, incoherent pop punk. But hey. It makes you kinda want to dance.I have to wonder if The Bouncing Soul's name is some kind of deep, argumentative philosophical statement or perhaps a goofy retort at "the pogo". I'll let someone else decide.
8. The Vandals
If I didn't understand John Gregory before, I certainly would now. The Vandals provide valuable insight on our Army brother, they being his favorite band. Though honestly, I am still just as confused as I was before. All I know is John likes tongue-in-cheek, satirical pop punk wit. And that's alright by me.
7. Coheed and Cambria
See here, sometimes I like music that tastefully imitates great elements of other music. And sometimes, what I like could also be considered tastefully imitating sucky, annoying elements of other music. This may or may not be the case with C and C. (Gonna make you sweat.) They combine the fondness of catchy pop and/ormetal influenced guitar riffs with a lead singer's boisteriously obvious Rush-eqsue vocal work. I can't really determine if I love C and C, but it's hard to think about such things when their beats are just SO FRESH, and their sing alongs are so much more addictive than PCP.
6. Yellowcard
I think I saw this band, but I can't remember. What I do remember was a wall of sound, and in that, the beautiful "caw! caw! Scrreee!" of an electric violin. Electric violins tend to remind me of people that play electric violins, just like pennywhistles tend to remind me of people that play pennywhistles. Despite that, this was a thoroughly awesome experience. Yellowcard consists of a bunch of blatant prettyboys, including the mop-topped, the pseudo-hawked, the braided, and the clean cut. Despite that, this was a thoroughly awesome experience. Yellowcard has tons of great songs. They played some of them.They ended with a subpar tune which for some Godforsaken reason happens to have its own music video. Despite that, this was a thoroughly awesome experience.
5. Bad Religion
I didn't actually see this band. I definitely remember. However, I was walking out the gate near the mainstage as they were playing. They happened to be playing "Sorrow", which is, to all my sadly self-admitted Bad Religion knowledge, the only decent song that they have made since releasing "The Gray Race" album back in 1995. Even that CD as a whole wasn't too great. The point is, Bad Religion sucks, and they are more over the hill than the Beastie Boys, but if somehow you gain the opportunity, watch them so that you can, as I did, muster your own loud guffaw.
4. The Erks
I only put these guys on here because I realized I was running out of bands I actually wanted to mention. These guys really aren't worth seeing, unless they are, as they were yesterday, voicing their gimmick of being from Denmark (the retarded, red-headed stepchild, hillbilly phlegm of Scandinavia). What's funny is their blatant Californian accents, indicating they are blatantly not from Denmark. The Erks played on one of the no-name stages in the hell-pit flea-market corner of Warped Tour. I got to watch them at the same time various booths were intraveinously peddling their wares to my soul.
3. Flogging Molly
What's awesome about these guys is their attachment to the deep roots of their Irish heritage, i.e., alcoholism and Catholicism. Nothing says Ireland more than songs about heaven and hell and drinking well. I absolutely loved these guys, and they wereever more incredible than the last time i saw them. If you haven't heard them, think of what Irish folk instrumentation sounds like sped up to about mach 1, and doused with a heavily-distorted guitar. I realize that may be a completely retarded phrasing. I am my father's son. Top it all off with a pennywhistle, cause hey, we all know... Pennywhistles tend to remind me of people that play pennywhistles, just like hearing good guitarwork reminds me that I am employed at a "real job" not for logic, but because I am a terrible musician.
2. Avenged Sevenfold
Well you knew this was coming. Avenged Sevenfold was by far the most awesome experience I had at Warped Tour since seeing Flogging Molly 20 minutes prior. I opted to miss Story of the Year and Bad Religion, in order to see the only band trying to really put the pulverization into punk and the brutality into BWADOW! With band member gimmick names like "The Rev", "M. Shadows",and "Synyster Gates", cleverly black-dyed hair, twin solos, motorcycle rock solos, and Zack Morris solos, you could almost say Avenged Sevenfold is silly, but I'd have to smack you a bit. Any band that can write a song about how Cain was a dummy for killing Abel, and make its rock factor parallel to that of Welcome to the Jungle just gets props. I know I am about the 700th music critic to make some kind of draw between Avenged Sevenfold and Guns N Roses, but then again, I am cliche and prediction myself, all rolled up in a bun.
1. Huey Lewis and the News
Marking the most celebrated star comeback since Gary Coleman on that hit reality show, Huey and the gang have been undoubtedlybeen turning Warped Tour upside down all summer long, as they did in Charlotte last night. I went to sleep last night with full conviction that it is indeed hip to be square, and that I was one step closer to recognizing the awesome power of love. But that wouldn't be enough to write these guys into the history books of rock and roll legend. I think what did it for them was their success in unfolding the space-time continuum when they went back in time. Huey Lewis and the News always remind me of Back to the Future, and Back to the Future always reminds me of my friend Darryl's cleverly titled concept band known as "Marty McFly and the Faces of Death". If only they had made it past one recording, maybe they too could have been playing Warped Tour this year.
Nathan Prime 18:46
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