Warped Tour 2004

I'm actually from North Carolina, but while visiting a friend in Tampa, a group of us went to the Warped Tour stop in Saint Pete, Florida at Vinoy Park. It was great. First band I watched was the Planet Smashers on the Volcom stage, which was fucking incredible. They started with the intro to "King of Tuesday Night" but of course smoothly transitioned into "Missionary's Downfall" which is a gnarly party tune. Other songs included (in a somewhat valid order) "Life of the Party", "Fabricated", "J'Aime Ta Femme (I Like Your Girl)", "Too Much Attitude", "Surfing In Tofino", "Super Orgy Porno Party", "Never Gonna Drink Again", and the closer "Skate or Die."

Okay, the closing song is where it gets even better. Now, I like to have fun, a LOT of fun. Sometimes, to have fun (at shows & parties) i like to get a little "bold" or whatever. Basically, before the Smashers went into the last song, I handed my shirt and camera to my friend Justin, went over to behind a piece of equipment where the one bouncer couldn't see me, slipped off my pants and underwear, dashed past the ajar railing onto the stage dancing and singing for a good 30 seconds before the guy jumped up there, grabbed me (not by the dong or anything), and rushed me off to the side (back) of the other (Maurice) stage. Thinking semi-regretfully to myself "this is it, i'm going to jail", I put my pants back on while the head honcho of the whole (mind you) PUBLIC park walked over to talk to me. This guy had me fucking scared. He looked like Fletcher Dragge from Pennywise and was of course really god damn pissed off that someone had shown their dingaling on stage in a public park where there isn't even any CURSING allowed. He says "Hey, what the fuck is the matter with you? You got brain damage or something?" I just kind of responded with mutterings of "I dunno's" and "I guess so's." He also said "There are fucking kids here man! You're going to jail. you know that right???" So I was just like... "I fucked up." However, he told me a few minutes later that my choices were to either go to jail or leave through the back gate, so of course I chose the latter and was escorted by one of the staff members away from Vinoy Park shirtless, hot, and pissed off, yet laughing on the inside. I walked half way to Justin's car contemplating what to do with my time realizing that I still had like 3/4 of a day to piss away and just said "screw it" and bought another ticket and got back in. Great! I was back, and just in time to buy a shirt to clothe myself and catch one of my favorite bands The Vandals.

So, happily at the front of the crowd, I watched as these happy old guys rolled through song after fantastic song and banter after silly banter. The songs included "It's A Fact" in which the band paused before the signature guitar solo from Jesus Fitzgerald to introduce the man himself. They continued with "43210-1", "My Neck, My Back" (to which Dave made the comment that according to his bank account, no one had been buying the new album), "The New You", "And Now We Dance", "My Girlfriend's Dead", "Oi To the World", "I've Got an Ape Drape", and of course the pleasantly extensive ender "Don't Stop Me Now."

Next, I reunited with my buddies and we later watched the Bouncing Souls who, of course, put on an energetic and uplifting show. Their hardly dissapointing set consisted of "That Song", "Say Anything", "Cracked", "Kids And Heroes", "The Something Special", "Sing Along Forever", "Hopeless Romantic" "Argyle", "East Coast Fuck You", "Born Free", and the closer "True Believers." Awesome, never turn down a Bouncing Souls show even if you've never heard of them.

I stayed at the front while Flogging Molly played on the other stage. I'm not a big fan, but honestly, I think they're also a band not to be missed if you've got time to kill and want to see a good show. NOFX came on next and as much as the crowd shouted for it, I'm so glad they didn't play "Linoleum". I love NOFX and I love that song, but honestly, in 30 minutes I would rather hear the songs that one would rarely expect at one of their warped tour shows, which is exactly what I got out of the set. They started the set with a version of "Chopsticks" that only NOFX could do and went into "Perfect Government" followed by (in a close, but not perfect order) "Scavenger Type", "Drugs Are Good", "Franco Un-American", "Murder the Government", some awesome new song about some party shoes, "Hobophopic/Six Pack Girls", "Bottles to the Ground", and "Separation of Church and Skate." And although the fashion of political ideals and its almost cult-like following is wearing thin on my nerves, at least NOFX (in my opinion) knows how to make politics funny which they did with their set closer "Idiot Son of an Asshole." I remember them ending their set in 2002 with that song and it kinda seems like some words have changed or whatever... Still funny.

I left and we went home. It was too crowded and I was too tired to watch Bad Religion... But for the record, I watched them at the stop in Charlotte, NC and they were great.