ATP! Live Review: Vans Warped Tour - Auburn, WA (06/28/2014)
Printed on every ticket for Warped Tour is the phrase “Rain or Shine,” and boy, did that ring true for the downpour Auburn, Washington had in store for us. Clouds loomed overhead as people filed into the venue, and it wasn’t long before the rain started coming down. We weren’t going to let ruin our fun, though.
Towards the beginning of the day, attendees shuffled over to go see a Warped Tour staple - Mayday Parade. The band opened with "When You See My Friends" from their self-titled album, which immediately got everyone off of their feet and dancing. They played some old favorites ("Black Cat" and "Jamie All Over") as well as some songs from their latest release Monsters in the Closet. As usual, Mayday stayed consistent in their high energy, and frontman Derek Sanders' long locks blew in the wind, adding dramatic effect to the already stormy day.
In the middle of the day, Echosmith was getting ready to play the Journey’s stage. I had never seen any live performances by Echosmith, and had no idea what to expect. They sauntered on-stage and opened with "Let’s Love," an upbeat song that got the crowd moving. Frontwoman Sydney Sierota gracefully floated around the stage while singing in her super powerful yet delicate voice.
The music sounded amazing live, possibly even better than their recording, which is a rarity. During the opening notes of "Cool Kids," cheers of delight erupted from the crowd. People gathered as they recognized the song and the set ended on a high note. Echosmith is one of those live bands that you could watch for hours.
We Are The In Crowd’s Warped Tour crowds grow larger every year. This year, fans waited at the stage long before the band went on, and were very enthusiastic when the gang appeared, as they should be. It may have been the exhaustion setting in, but I swear the clouds parted when WATIC took the stage. Tay’s voice hypnotized the entire crowd and had everybody dancing, jumping or some weird combination of both. They had a setlist including old and new songs, and made sure to leave it all out there during the small time-slot bands are allotted. WATIC was definitely a highlight of the day.
We The Kings is a band I always make sure to check out when they are on the Warped lineup. Sometimes I forget how amazing this band is live, and they don’t hesitate to remind me within 30 seconds of watching them. This year was no exception. The clouds actually did part for a few minutes and allowed some sun to shine on the crowd creating the picture perfect show, straight out of a movie.
Frontman Travis Clark and the rest of the band were all smiles as they opened with "Queen of Hearts." Travis wasn’t hesitant to mention the fact that "Secret Valentine" is a song about “sexual intercourse”. “Hey,” he laughed, “I’m just being honest!” He also added some of his usual motivational quips like “I think music is one of the only things in this world that isn’t completely fucked up yet.” Moral of the story being: Travis likes to talk, and the crowd likes when Travis talks. And sings. We The Kings had me jumping up and down and shaking for their entire set. Definitely one show to be checking out this summer.
Words by Madison Killian
Photos by Cara Friedman
