All Photos by Kathleen Gasperini. Kick-off party for the Vans Warped Tour 2011.

The Vans Warped Tour has gone back to its roots bringing back the original logo in its 17th year, and with a line-up that reflects it’s indie originality for this summer’s 44-date tour starting June 24th in Dallas.

Last Friday, March 25, for the first time ever, the Vans Warped Tour kick-off party was hosted on the East coast at the new House of Vans on Franklin Street in Brooklyn, which attracted scores of fans, past Warped musicians, and new bands, skaters who ripped the indoor skate park, street artists, and media. Founder and producer Kevin Lyman, along with Steve Van Doren from Vans announced several new artists and programs that will be happening on tour this summer, in what has become known as a quintessential rite-of-passage for youth culture. Bringing skate, music, art, merch, and lifestyle elements together, the Vans Warped Tour is legendary among youth culture, not only for breaking new bands, but also for pushing the envelope with fresh sponsorship and interactive campaigns, and eco sustainability practices on a massive scale.


Steve Van Doren from Vans and Kevin Lyman, Founder and Producer of the Vans Warped Tour, annouce new line-up, initiatives, and what to expect this summer.

First however, was the announcement of this summer’s headliners on the mainstage including 3OH!3, A Day To Remember, Gym Class Heroes, The Devil Wears Prada and Asking Alexandria.

“I’m excited about this line-up,” explained Kevin Lyman at the press conference. “It’s indie and come full circle, back to what we’re all about and reflective of the spirit of what we started with 17 years ago.”

Just as word was announced about those top headliners, Paramore was another surprise announcement. “So much for surprises,” says Kevin Lyman. “Word got out that Paramore will be coming back and I couldn’t be more stoked.”


Lionize at the Warped Tour kick-off party got things started with their powerful blues-rock sound.

This tour is watched like a hawk as indie bands (and brands) break-out big as the tour rolls across the country, attracting new fans. Among other bands announced include an eclectic mix of hotly-tipped artists in punk, indie, metal and hardcore, to rock, pop, electronic, reggae and hip-hop such as Jack%uFFFDs Mannequin, Less Than Jake, Against Me, Pepper, Madina Lake, D.R.U.G.S., Continental, Street Dogs, Lucero, Yelawolf, We Came As Romans, Foxy Shazam, Woe Is Me, Black Veil Brides, Big Chocolate, Dance Gavin Dance, MC Lars, Every Avenue, The Ready Set, Winds of Plague, Simple Plan, Eyes Set To Kill, The Wonder Years, The Word Alive, Big B., Relient K., Middle Class Rut, Electric Touch, Permanent Bastards, Go Radio, The Steelwells, The Aggrolites and Unwritten Law.

At the Warped kick-off party, fans could watch the Vans skate team perform in the giant House of Vans bowl, which featured Ray Barbee, Christian Hosoi, Jeff Grosso and Steve Alba. There was also a live street art scene going own featuring Kaves, (a veteran of the tour with Lordz of Brooklyn), and performances by Lionize, Moving Mountains, MC Lars, and The Wonder Years.


Kaves from Lordz of Brooklyn, live on-site.

The Vans Warped Tour continues to be the least expensive festival ticket of the summer at $25 (with a 25-cent donation going to the non-profit Unite the United). This year, they are also teaming up with Vans stores in a number of locations with various free in-store events and autograph signings with bands like 3OH!3, The Word Alive, A Day To Remember and The Devil Wears Prada–who debut their new Vans shoe the Devil Wears Prada Old Skools in June.

Here%uFFFDs the schedule:

Vans Warped Tour In-Store Events at Vans shops:
DATE CITY ARTIST
Thu 3/31 New York, NY 3OH!3
Fri 4/15 Portland, OR The Word Alive
Mon 4/18 Tampa, FL A Day To Remember
Thu 6/23 Dallas, TX The Devil Wears Prada


Kevin Lyman on stage announcing new things for the Vans Warped Tour, in it%uFFFDs 17th year.

In other news, the tour has invited fans to be a part of producing the first mosaic art piece in the tour’s history, We Are Warped. For the We Are Warped movement, as fans log in and follow the prompts they’ll upload a photo and then be instructed to it’s location in the mosaic. With over 2,000 photo entries so far, We Are Warped gives concertgoers another chance to connect and interact with each other and be a part of official tour art and VANS WARPED TOUR history.

Warped consistently pushes the envelope on eco-friendly programs. Called the Warped Eco Initiatives (WEI), they range from biodiesel fuel for touring trucks and buses, to environmentally friendly catering for bands and crew. There%uFFFDs a solar-powered sound system on the Kevin Says Stage (and a second being developed) and the Vans Warped Tour site showcases public transportation options for every tour date and carpool message boards as well as exotic eco travel contests.

A huge campaign that Kevin Lyman and his crew fought for this year was bringing down the price of water at the venues. Working with Klean Kanteen and Live Nation, the tour is creating various water fountains to refill water containers, as well as bringing down the price of water for each Warped show from $4.50 to $3.00.

Kevin also announced the launch of Warped Radio. “I’ve been trying to launch an internet radio channel for Warped music, past and present for years,” explained Kevin. First with XM, and then with Sirius (“but they gave all their money to Howard Stern”), it never worked until now. Starting this summer, a new Internet radio channel called The New Normal will air a Warped Channel.


Erica and Casey from Keep-a-Breast and Non-Toxic Revolution (which debuted with a video at the party and various street art wheat pastes around the city) are among the leading non-profits on the Vans Warped Tour. Here they are announcing what to expect for the summer on tour.

Warped Tour is not only known for introducing new artists to new fans, but also for their massive non-profit area that features such organizations like Amnesty International, Music Cares, Keep-a-Breast (KAB), and now also the Non-Toxic Revolution, which debuted in NYC with various street art wheat pastes around the city, and a cool graphically designed video at the Warped party. Fans of KAB will be pleased to see their expanded space and co-branded Girls Garage on tour this summer.

Finally, Stacy Peralta%uFFFDs documentary “No Room for Rockstars” of the legendary Vans Warped Tour unveiled a trailer of the movie at the party, which got everybody pumped. More than 300 hours of footage were shot on tour last year. Stay tuned for more news about the documentary release.

Warped will also host another film crew this summer shooting the 3rd movie in a slasher series which takes place on tour.


Stoked fans at the House of Vans for the Warped Tour bands.


Shiragirl and this summer%uFFFDs Monster pit reporter, a coveted position that kids audition for.


The House of Vans, packed for the Vans Warped Tour kick-off evening.


Going old-school with the original logo.

Stay tuned for more from Warped in the next few months.

Here’s the routing: Vans Warped Tour 2011

DATE CITY VENUE
Fri 6/24 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavillion
Sat 6/25 Houston, TX The Showgrounds at Sam Houston
Sun 6/26 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
Wed 6/29 Las Cruces, NM N.M.S.U. Practice Field
Thu 6/30 Las Vegas, NV Plaza Hotel – Parking Lot
Fri 7/1 Pomona, CA Pomona Fairplex
Sat 7/2 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sun 7/3 Ventura, CA Seaside Park
Wed 7/6 Bonner Springs, KS Sandstone Amphitheatre
Thu 7/7 Noblesville, IN (Indianapolis) Verizon Wireless Music Center
Fri 7/8 Detroit, MI Comerica Park
Sat 7/9 Tinley Park, IL (Chicago) First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre
Sun 7/10 Shakopee, MN (Minneapolis) Canterbury Park
Tue 7/12 Darien Center, NY (Buffalo) Darien Lake Fields
Wed 7/13 Mansfield, MA (Boston) Comcast Center
Thu 7/14 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion
Fri 7/15 Mississauga, ON (Toronto) The Flats at Arrow Hall
Sat 7/16 Montreal, QC Parc Jean-Drapeau
Sun 7/17 Hartford, CT The Comcast Theatre
Tue 7/19 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Ampitheatre
Wed 7/20 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
Thu 7/21 Camden, PA (Philadelphia) Susquehanna Bank Center
Fri 7/22 Burgettstown, PA (Pittsburgh) First Niagara Pavilion
Sat 7/23 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Sun 7/24 Oceanport, NJ Monmouth Park Racetrack
Tue 7/26 Columbia, MD (D.C) Merriweather Post Pavilion
Wed 7/27 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Thu 7/28 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre
Fri 7/29 Orlando, FL Central Florida Fairgrounds
Sat 7/30 West Palm Beach, FL (Miami) Cruzan Ampitheatre
Sun 7/31 St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa) Vinoy Park
Mon 8/1 Atlanta, GA Aaron%uFFFDs Amphietheater at Lakewood
Tue 8/2 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
Wed 8/3 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Thu 8/4 Council Bluffs, IA Westfair Fairgrounds
Fri 8/5 Denver, CO Invesco Field at Mile High
Sat 8/6 Salt Lake City, UT Utah State Fairgrounds
Sun 8/7 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavilion
Tue 8/9 San Diego, CA Cricket Ampitheatre
Wed 8/10 Carson, CA (Los Angeles) Cal State Dominguez Hills
Thu 8/11 Marysville, CA (Sacramento) Sleep Train Ampitheatre
Fri 8/12 Nampa, ID (Boise) Idaho Center Ampitheatre
Sat 8/13 George, WA (Seattle) The Gorge Ampitheatre
Sun 8/14 Hillsboro, OR (Portland) Washington County Fairground