Warped Tour ’96

They finally announced it just as the last SLUG went to press. There are 14 fucking bands! Cry all you want about Lollapalooza skipping Salt Lake City again. Buy a ticket for Ted Nugent or go to one of the hippie gatherings. I’ve watched the scrambling for free tickets to H.O.R.D.E.

at work and I laughed. Isn’t the Dave Matthews Band simply Blues Traveler without Popper? This year’s Warped Tour includes an area for the hippies. It’s called the Surf Compound. Actual hippies might miss it because of the camo netting — too reminiscent of Vietnam. The area will feature drum circles and the PA will broadcast Native American chants, sounds of the sea and other natural world vibrations. Oh yeah, there is a history of surfing tent and a Surfrider tent. The Surfrider Foundation is fighting environmental crime and their benefit album has famous names like Pearl Jam and the Beastie Boys doing surf covers.

What else is there? Just a half pipe with BMX, skateboard and roller blade pros showing off a bit, a climbing wall and a street course. Amateur skateboard competitions will be held in 20 cities. Salt Lake City is one of them! Now that is a change. Sign up for the preliminary round at Salty Peaks. There’s an interactive multimedia tent, a snowboard booth, Epitaph Records booth and other tents and booths.

Who’s riding on the ramp and street course? Steve Caballero is the senior member. He began skateboarding in 1978. He was named World Champion in 1985 and in 1987 he set the world record for “highest air on a vertical ramp.” He is still at it today as one of the most recognized skateboarders in the world. Then there’s Steve Alba and Remy Stratton. An entire team of in-line skaters are scheduled and most notable on the bike is Ron Wilkerson.

Now for the bands. Fishbone is the headliner. Due to some concerns, they parted ways with Sony. Chim Chim’s Bad Ass Revenge is the result. The boss handed me a fax from Epitaph proclaiming NOFX and Pennywise as the real headliners. I could see either one of them doing it — and based strictly on record sales, one of them deserves it — but I like the diversity of the lineup. Who cares who closes it? While we’re on the subject, anyone who hasn’t seen NOFX’s record cover needs to go to a store immediately. You could buy it for a further optical stimulation environment and actually listen to some California hardcore.

Heavy Petting Zoo indeed. For shame. NOFX has just recorded 14 songs for a Fat Wreck Chords 7″. As the fax says, they all last about a minute. Pennywise is doing “Surfin’ USA” on the Surf Rider comp, they have “Astro Zombie” on an upcoming Misfits tribute album and they cover the Circle Jerks with a medley for a new Epitaph comp. All of this stuff will probably be for sale at the show.

Atlantic Records is just happy that CIV has a second chance. A good way to alienate a record label employee is to invite one to Saltair for a concert. A year later, Atlantic‘s representative still hasn’t forgotten the smell. She compares it to wearing a dirty diaper on your face. You go Angelica! CIV is gaining popularity slowly but surely. A few might remember their date with Quicksand … after the Warped mess — positive, melodic New York City hardcore and one of the best recent albums in that style. Preceding them on the first stage are the Deftones. Why aren’t they headlining? They actually get played on the radio! They are one of the bands responsible for the return of classic rock to Salt Lake City radio. Thanks a lot, fuckers. How about this Goldfinger group? A cool cover with space images and a lot of gold sparkles featuring ska/punk in the pits.

Opening things up on the first stage are The Meices. I’m sure Fulton will get the spelling right, even if his design person couldn’t. I fucking love The Meices. “Wow,” “Uncool,” “Wings” or “Monday Mood” — put the player on random and try to determine why Dirty Bird hasn’t at least gone gold; which brings things to the second stage. Rocket From The Crypt are headlining this stage. Do they deserve it? How much did you love Circa: Now!, the Cargo version? Did they impress at DV8 when they played with Fireworks and the Wesley Willis Fiasco? (Wesley Willis is also returning. See him at the Bar & Grill on July 9.) Does Scream, Dracula, Scream! deserve the critical praise and lackluster sales? Are PD’s (program directors) stupid? The answers are yes, yes, yes/no and yes.

Lagwagon records for one of my favorite labels. All I ever see are little records from the label, but those little records usually make me happy. The band started out playing straight hardcore, now they’ve added some melody and dynamics to the sound. Next thing you know they’ll be snapped up by a major label. While waiting for that, search out their three Fat Wreck Chords albums at stores stocking indie label punk and see them next to last on the second stage. I have some problems with Bryan “Bitchy” Spevak. Bitchy doesn’t begin to describe him. There are better terms. He is the publicist for Fluf‘s label. Fluf has a whole bunch of available records that you can’t find in local stores. The latest collects all of their single and compilation tracks. If you buy the CD, you miss one. A few might remember that Fluf is another of the returning punk bands from last year. Their stature has improved some, but not enough. 

Now, for two more of my favorites. Red Five just released their debut on Interscope. They played Warped last year, but not in Salt Lake. There are two girls and two boys in the band. The girls are dominant. That is not the case with this year’s Warped Tour. How many female musicians are on the tour, about three? If I weren’t so jaded, I’d predict a happy future for Red Five. Flash is their new release. Think thrash with pop. They don’t do it in the same song like some others. The record switches between the two styles. When the CD arrived in the mailbox, the police followed closely with a noise complaint. As usual, I was drunk and disorderly while listening to punk rock. The song bringing the complaint was “Turn It On.” 

Unwritten Law should have some interesting conversations with Fishbone. They are the Sony band. If the Warped Tour is about extreme sports, then Unwritten Law belong. They’ve been featured at who knows how many festivals and in magazine articles devoted to boards and wheels. They also practice what they preach. They were here with Bad Religion a little while ago. Their major label debut was produced by Mr. Graffin himself. Brian Baker contributes a guitar solo. A young band with some mighty powerful friends and a couple of mighty good records.

Playing second on the second stage are 22 Jacks. Opening the whole show at noon are 1000 Mona Lisas. That’s what you get when you cover Alanis, you Monas. These boys come from the same scene as Red Five — the Los Angeles club scene. And I’m outta here. It looks like the best “big” show in July is at the Fairgrounds, right where it belongs. Don’t too many of you go, I’d hate to see United Concerts make any money on this year’s Warped Tour.

Read more archive concert reviews:
Concert Reviews: June 1992
Concert Reviews: October 1994