The concerts continued this past weekend with the Warped Tour 25th Anniversary kicking off at Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I will say, back when I heard there were going to be a select few shows this year and Cleveland was one of those locations, I was definitely going no matter what. Truth be told, the lineup was pretty weak in terms of the amount of bands, but what it lacked in numbers it made up with killer performances and access to the museum.
My sister and I showed up at the start, and saw that the section of road right in front of the Hall was blocked off and lined with various vendors, a mini skate ramp (saw a blind man skateboard!), a live art display, and a main stage. There was the typical blow-up display with lineup that changed daily during Warped Tour’s normal runs, so that was a nice bit of nostalgia. This was definitely a smaller outing, but the sound was on point and there was really no bad view of the bands.
In between sets my sister and I decided to explore the museum, having not been for a few years. I give the Rock Hall credit, the displays were different, cool, and relevant, which was unexpected. Being that it’s Warped Tour’s 25th anniversary, there was a special exhibit dedicated to all things Warped, and it was fantastic! I saw Pete Wentz’s bass guitar (I’m not freaking out, you’re freaking out!)! Also, in honor of Warped Tour, there was an hour long film on loop that the band Simple Plan made while participating on the last cross-country tour from last year. It was quite entertaining, and I also happened to be sitting next to all the members of Emery when we decided to watch it!
In that regard, the bands were also top-notch nostalgia and it was an incredible experience! My personal favorites included Emery, Ohio’s own Hawthorne Heights, and Simple Plan. Each band talked about how grateful they were for the opportunities that Warped Tour had provided them and how unique of an experience is was to be involved in the tour for a number of years. That’s how you build your fan base (we’re looking at you Eminem, No Doubt, and Katy Perry)! It was so great seeing a crowd of people all singing along to the same pop-punk songs as me, and it also makes me sad knowing this is it for Warped Tour.
I highly recommend you get out to the New Jersey and California shows if you can! They’ll be memories you’ll cherish forever (and the lineups are legit).
