| Warped Tour: an afternoon of mayhem The three of us, (Shitty, Scrilla and myself) set out for the Kentucky Motor Speedway in Sparta, sometime after 3 PM, on the 17th of July, to attend the open air venue of this year�s �Warped Tour.� The preparation and planning for this expedition was almost as much fun as the actual event. The drive was a fantastic journey into another world, long since abandoned from the responsibilities of adulthood. Rumbling forth in the ghetto-sled, songs of a past remembered fondly were spewing forth from its museum quality hi-fi cassette player. After a nearly a three quarter hour drive, we pulled into our parking space and entered the gates to nowhere. Upon entering into to the collection of performers, booths, and various other eye/ear candy, we began assessing the scene. Scrilla�s first impression was one that would sum up the whole experience--�There was the old school, there was the new school, and then there were the preppy MTV kids, all looking for the good time that came with a price tag of $25.� My take on the whole thing, �It was an open air mall, where soccer moms in their Mini Vans and SUV�s pulled up and let out their freshly hair colored youth, to frolic and flail about in a �controlled� environment.� Shitty was there just for the good time to be had. Feta cheese for ALL!!!! Fourteen headliners were scheduled to perform on two stages with a comparable number of local acts. So the bill was full for the day�s rowdiness. The acts included such legends as �The Misfits,� and great or near greats, the likes of �Me first,� and �The Gimme Gimmes.� For a commercialized, �sold out,� event, it wasn�t a bad time. The true highpoints of the show were the pit at �Alien Ant Farm,� and the crowd at �The Gimmes.� The energy inside that crowd was beyond description, and the steady vibe during the sets were without boundaries. �Alien Ant Farms� cover of an oldie but a goodie, �Faith No More,� track really brought out the flavor of the day. The closing performance was no less than inspiring. The cover of Elton John�s Rocket Man by �The Gimmes,� sealed the deal. Once that was heard, it was time to head on down the road. The official Warped Tour �01 program listed the following headliners on the main stage: Rancid, 311, Vandals, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes, The Ataris, Pennywise, Alien Ant Farm, Less than Jake, Bouncing Souls, Kool Keith, H20, Dropkick Murphys, Fenix*TX and Esham. The other stages included local and regional acts of various talent and listenability. For a low budget knock off of Warped Tour, there is the Krazy Fest 4, set for the 27-29 of July at the Historic Water Tower in Louisville. We should look forward to two whole days of angst and beer bloated debauchery down at the tower. As to the return trip, it was just as enjoyable as the hop there, but there was more to tell. First there was the kid parked in the SUV next to us, who ended up being the final shots on the roll of film. This young lads� forwardness will forever be etched in our minds. �Hey, do you guys smoke marijuana?� Well that was an indicator of what would lie in wait for us. Then, two stranded hotties needed a lift so we piled them in, and dropped them off at their chariot, and we bid them goodnight. We entered the main vein of I-71 headed for home. Not more than 3 miles outside of Sparta did Cap-n Crunch and the Doughnut Patrol have some young punk rock brother pulled over, and were fitting him out in the jewelry. Traffic was crazy, the non driving spices were out in force. About three quarters of the way, racial profiling and a blown car entertained the weary travelers. Roughly an hour after we pulled out of the lot we were on the road to home. No punk rock day is complete with out a space bag and a pizza. Thus we schwilled, and gorged ourselves on a pie. Overall, the $170 which we collectively spent on gas, tickets, cigarettes, beer, oil, bubble gum, Rally�s, wine, and rum was well spent. The show itself was worth the overpriced ticket. The memories of time spent with my brothers and I shall be (clich�)-PRICELESS. The soundtrack and additional photos are available upon request. See ya next time..... return to table of contents |