3dotmag November 2012

WRITER | Chelsea Rutledge WARPED T O U R 2 0 1 2 ... THROUGH THE LENS OF SCOTT SMALLI N A N E W P E R S P E C T I V E

nticipation builds as a motley assortment of fans begin lining up outside Charlotte’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Assembled to celebrate Van’s Warped Tour’s 18th year, hundreds of young people defy the summer heat to welcome a compilation of the decade’s finest alternative music. As bands, designers, security guards, and campaigners of everything from politics to PETA, mingle with the growing crowd, fans count down for their turn to partake in the annual celebration that is Van’s Warped Tour. Since its start in 1994, the travel- ing “punk rock summer camp” has connected fans across the country with a sprawling mecca of alternative subculture. Music, fashion, and tons of free stuff, Warped has it all, including a stellar roster to keep this year’s cross- country adventure going steady. The 2012 lineup boasts several seasoned tour veterans including New Found

Glory, Taking Back Sunday, Yellow Card, The Used, and Four Year Strong. Larger acts are supported by up and coming musicians including North Carolina locals, Jonas Sees In Color, as well as other established performers; Pierce the Veil, Every Time I Die, Memphis May Fire, All Time Low and Mayday Parade. A stylistic buffet, Warped Tour showcases the talent and tenacity of approximately 50 bands per date. Inside the gates, pop up stages, merchandise tents, varying vendor trucks, and sweaty rockers litter the landscape. As Scott Smallin‘s photos reveal, it is a scene of epic chaos. Attendants flock to the Kia Rio, Monster, and Ernie Ball stages as band after band continues to impress those willing to overcome $5 water bottles, potential heat exhaustion, and deafening amplifiers for the sake of a good ol’ time. A forum not only for progressive music but its respective

community as well, Warped Tour has earned its position as the longest running festival concert tour in American history, reaching upwards of 500,000 fans each summer. To further connect with several of this year’s headlining artists check out dotdotdotmag.com for a behind the scenes look at Warped Tour 2012. In 3dot exclusive segments, join Smallin as he catches exciting interviews with the boys in Pierce The Veil, Balyhoo!, Echo Movement, and others while they discuss their music, plans for the future, and personal experiences on the road. Interviews can easily be accessed via the 3dot website, or by subscribing to the YouTube channel, thefutureofart. For additional updates on Warped artists and other music exclusives, visit the official tour website, vanswarped- tour.com and be sure to “like.”

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