VANS WARPED TOUR 2018 – POMONA

VANS WARPED TOUR 2018 – POMONA

The final cross country run of the Vans Warped Tour kicked off at The Fairplex in Pomona, California, officially starting the summer of 2018 with a auditory blast to the senses. With the mercury only tipping at 90, which is actually quite mild for the wilds of Pomona, the first show of the legendary Warped festival was filled with a vast and varied selection of bands.

Headliners on the Journey’s main stage included a rock solid performance from Black Veil Brides (pictured) and a one-off appearance from L.A.’s own Echosmith. Included in Black Veil Bride’s closing performance were Faithless, Wake Up, Rebel Love Song and Fallen Angel.  Echosmith unveiled their classic pop song Cool Kids, and an inspired cover of The Killers’ When You Were Young within their very well received set.

Amongst the many stages were the KROQ Locals Only stage, presenting the very best in homegrown talent, as well as the Shiragirl stage, unveiling some pretty kickass female fronted bands. Also making a bit of news was Highwire Daze photographer Jack Lue, who shot 75 out of the 81 bands performing at this year’s edition of Warped – some of the pictures which are included in this article.

So without further adieu, here are some of the amazing bands Highwire Daze Online caught up with at the Vans Warped Tour in Pomona. Read on…

Black Veil Brides on Facebook
Echosmith on Facebook

Blameshift

The Shiragirl stage kicked off with a blast at the 11:30AM breakfast hour, thanks to a very solid performance from the one and only Blameshift. Based out of Long Island, New York, Blameshift traded coasts for the kickoff show of the final cross country edition of the Vans Warped Tour.

Jenny Mann is an absolutely engaging performer, presenting the vocals with a good amount of passion while making sure there was a whole lot of crowd participation. Songs including in their captivating set were Secrets and Monster – both of which should be all over the worldwide radio airwaves and sound tremendous within a live setting.

In addition to the charismatic Jenny Mann, the powerhouse Blameshift lineup consists of Tim Barbour on guitar and vocals, Mike LaRoche on bass, and Jeff Maurer on drums.

Early arrival at the Vans Warped Tour is always encouraged – otherwise you just may miss out on dynamic performances from bands such as Blameshift! A bright and early rock and roll treat from a hard working band that you’ll be hearing a lot more about in future days.

Blameshift on Facebook

Makeout

Makeout showed up as a three piece on this year’s edition of the Vans Warped Tour, but they absolutely tore up the Owly.FM stage with a superbly energetic set of tunes. Formerly known as Trophy Wives, Makeout recently unleashed their debut album The Good Life on Rise Records.

To really know this band is to see them live, and Makeout definitely had the early arrivals singing along rapturously. Wickedly infectious songs as Openminded, Blast Off and Lisa definitely set the tone for wild and wonderful set. And the blast of good time energy known as Where’s My Charger showed Makeout at their most endearing and humorous.

Closing out the set with their pop punk anthem for the ages Crazy (which is also featured on the Warped Tour 2018 Compilation via Sideonedummy), it was pretty obvious that Makeout is destined to be one of the breakout bands at the final year of the long running festival.

The music and mayhem of Makeout was presented by Sam Boxold on vocals and guitar, Tyler Young on guitar, and Scott Eckel on drums.

Makeout on Facebook

Picturesque

Picturesque is an emo rock collective destined to make a lasting impression on the Vans Warped Tour this year. The band recently completed a cross country tour supporting Silverstein and Tonight Alive, and are now on the Owly.FM stage for the first few weeks of Warped.

One notices right away the soaring vocals of Kyle Hollis, sending the well thought out lyrics into the stratosphere. Performing selections from their Back To Beautiful album on Equal Vision Records, Picturesque clearly won over the crowd with their captivating performance. Also included in the set was a brand new single Dead Flowers as well as an inspired rendition of the Blackbear song Do Re Mi.

Closing out their set with the stunning Monstrous Things with it’s crucial “we fight for our lives” refrains, it was very clear that Picturesque’s wondrously reflective songs would leave a lasting impression on all who encountered their performance at Warped.

Picturesque is Kyle Hollis (vocals), Zach Williamson (guitar), Dylan Forrester (guitar) and Jordan Greenway (bass).

Picturesque on Facebook

Your Favorite Color

One of the bands playing at the KROQ Locals Only stage was Your Favorite Color from Huntington Beach, California. Performing their own inspiring brand of indie rock, Your Favorite Color presented an exciting 8-song that garnered the band a good deal of attention.

From the expressive vocals to the exhilarating musicianship of all involved, Your Favorite Color enveloped the Pomona Fairgrounds with soaring tunes such as Ride, Listening, and Satellite. One of the songs Heartache has been made into a video, and was certainly a standout track when unveiled towards the end of their set.

The massively talented Your Favorite Color lineup consists of Matt Warren on lead vocals, David Silveria on lead guitar, Luke Fuhrman on drums, Ari Miranda on bass, and Nicky Neighbors on keyboards. With the Vans Warped Tour being the best place to discover new bands, count Your Favorite Color as one of the sonic treasures to be found in the heat of Pomona Fairplex.

Your Favorite Color on Facebook

As It Is

With their second tour of duty at Warped, As It Is unleashed an absolutely riveting performance on the Owly.FM stage. Opening with the one/two punch of No Way Out and Hey Rachel from their Okay. effort, As It Is presented these pop punk anthems with imagination and flair.

The band is embarking on a new era of their sound, and presented two songs from their upcoming The Great Depression magnum opus. Focusing on the topic of mental illness, As It Is premiered The Stigma: Boys Don’t Cry – and within a live setting, this very passionate song leaves a definitive impact. The Wounded World was also unveiled – this compelling selection is destined to be the emo rock anthem for a whole new generation of fans.

Charamatic front man Patty Walters arrived onstage with pitch black hair and eyeliner, delivering each and every song with a massive amount of drive and conviction. Guitarist Benjamin Langford-Biss also exuded a dynamic amount of depth and intrigue while bassist Alistair Testo and drummer Patrick Foley unleashed an absolutely explosive rhythm section performance. With songs this gripping along with an exhilarating live set, expect As It Is to tremendously impact their fans with the next great chapter of an already brilliant music career.

As It Is on Facebook

Grayscale

Grayscale from Philadelphia was making their debut appearance on the Vans Warped Tour, and presented the crowd with a rousing set of emotionally tinged pop punk anthems. Playing selections from their current Adornment entreaty on Fearless Records, Grayscale had the audience singing along to fan favorites such as Let It Rain, Atlantic, Fever Dream, and Palette.   And what a juxtaposition it was when Grayscale presented the extremely poignant Beautiful Things and seeing crowd surfers throughout the song flying over the barracades, clearly inspired by the powerful lyrics and sweeping melodies.

While Grayscale remains a best kept secret to some, a summer on the Vans Warped Tour is sure to gain this exciting band a massive amount of new converts – especially if their exhilarating live performance at the opening date was indicative of greater glories ahead.

The resourceful Grayscale lineup consists of Collin Walsh on vocals, Dallas Molster on guitar and vocals, Andrew Kyne on guitar, Nick Ventimiglia on bass, and Nick Veno on drums.

Grayscale on Facebook

Story Untold

From Montreal, Canada, Story Untold is an up-and-coming pop punk band who is now spending their summer on a cross country adventure known as the Vans Warped Tour. Their debut album Waves has been released through Hopeless Records, and Story Untold is sure to create an ocean of interest in their band throughout the next few months and beyond.

Opening with In Or Out, the first track from their Hopeless full length debut, Story Untold instantly gained the attention of the late afternoon Warped Tour attendees. It was very appropriate to hear this band perform a song titled California as the blistering sun was beginning to descend upon the Pomona Fairplex. After a rousing pop punk medley, Story Untold proceeded to unveil History and Delete – two dynamic anthems that will remain spinning in your head long after the live set ends.

The impressive Story Untold lineup consists of Janick Thibault on vocals, Jessy Bergy on lead guitar, Jonthan Landry on drums, Max Cloutier on rhythm guitar, and Aiden Von Rose on bass.

Story Untold on Facebook

With Confidence

There is doubt that With Confidence has experienced a year of incredible highs and lows – but the band has now burst back onto the scene in an epic way. First with a surprise appearance at Chain Reaction a few months ago – then the announcement of a brand new album Love And Loathing – and now commencing a summer jaunt on the final cross country Vans Warped Tour.

Their comeback set at the first date of the Warped Tour was nothing short of a triumph, showing a band regenerated and ready to take on the world. Opening their set with a rousing performance of their just released single That Something, With Confidence proceeded to win over the crowd big time!

Favorites such as Archers, Godzilla, and Voldermort were delivered, and the crowd surfing and singalongs clearly showed With Confidence was being welcomed back with open arms. In addition to the joyous performances of Jayden Seeley on lead vocals and bass, Inigo Del Carmen on guitar and vocals, and Josh Brozzesi on drums, their tour manager Scott was admirably filled in on guitar.

With Confidence on Facebook

In Conclusion

Be sure to catch the final cross country run of the Vans Warped Tour when it hits your town! The lineup this year is absolutely inspiring, and not to be missed!

Vans Warped Tour Official Home Page