Throughout the Warped Tour’s decades-long existence, it has seen its fair share of bands. Assuming that number is in the thousands, there must be an equal number of distinct stories of being on the tour throughout the older traveling circus version of the past and the more uniform music festival version we have now. This year, we decided to speak to some Warped Tour rookies and veterans to hear about their experiences on punk rock’s most enduring festival and how it’s affected them as a fan or a performer.
Rookie: Mike Chaiburi (Whispers) – Octopus Stage
Formed in 2014, Whispers is a hardcore band from Bangkok, Thailand. They’ve been slowly building a fanbase since then. Dubbing their sound as Bangkok Evilcore, they frequently combine music rooted in 1990s metallic hardcore with lyrics influenced by Buddhist proverbs focused on realism, human nature, and self-reliance. Click here for more info and links to tickets for Whispers’ upcoming tour dates
Dying Scene: What’s been the most surprising thing about Warped Tour so far, good or bad?
Mike Chaiburi: As a kid, I watched a lot of this when I was thirteen or fourteen. Now today, it’s just happening. I’m here on the Warped Tour in Long Beach. It’s crazy. It’s very crazy for me.
Dying Scene: What did you think playing Warped Tour would be like before you got here?
Mike Chaiburi: I never thought about it before. I can tell my mom about it. She’s really excited. All my family back home is excited. Before I came here, I stayed in Bangkok for 10 days because we had just done the European tour. We had a gap of twelve days between our day off in Bangkok and Warped Tour. The whole time I was like, “Warped Tour is going to happen in the next two weeks. I’m so excited.”
Dying Scene: Have you played any other shows while you’re in the States?
Mike Chaiburi: Yeah. We just did San Diego yesterday. The first show was in Corona. We’re going to LA. Awesome. Awesome. We have eight shows this time. We’re going to finish in Portland. It’s a hardcore fest, too.
Dying Scene: What do you hope fans remember about your first Warped Tour run?
Mike Chaiburi: Yeah, I just want to see people moshing. I just want to see everyone having a good time and everyone enjoying our set. I hope it’s going well.
Veterans: John Tran and Adam Lorbach (Home Grown) Years Played: 1998, 2002, 2003
While Home Grown did not play a set at the Warped Tour this year, Adam Lohrbach and John Tran are Warped Tour veterans from the late 1990s and early 2000s, stemming from their breakthrough album Act Your Age (1998) and their time on Drive-Thru Records, a label whose acts were very influential on the evolution of the Warped Tour itself. Home Grown is still riding high after reuniting in 2024. Here’s hoping they’ll be on a Warped Tour stage in the future. Keep up with all the excitement here.
Dying Scene: You guys have a lot coming up in the next year with the 25th anniversary of Kings of Pop. Are you guys releasing new music next year, or are you going to wait for the year after?
John Tran: No, I think we’re going to release some new music this year.
Adam Lorbach: We’re going to have to do some drops here and there. A couple of singles, maybe, but there’s plenty of material. We’re just waiting for the right time, but some singles this year, for sure.
Dying Scene: How has Warped Tour shaped you guys musically, professionally, or personally?
John Tran: Well, I mean, Warped Tour 1998 was the first time we did the Warped Tour. So if you can sweat it out in a van in the South and still survive and be a band, that means you’re probably going to make it. We did. It definitely built resilience in us. Oh, 10-hour drive? No problem. Overnight? Yeah, okay. No showers in five days? Okay…
Dying Scene: What do you feel is the biggest difference between Warped Tour then and Warped Tour now?
Adam Lorbach: We just got here, so…
John Tran: It’s still a giant cluster
Adam Lorbach: It’s still hot
John Tran: Port-o-potties are probably really hot and sweaty and stinky.
Adam Lorbach: I’ve heard more tracks from here than the stage, but I mean, it looks cool, man. It’s awesome seeing everyone still on the scene, walking around, dressed like they were in 2002.
Dying Scene: Did any bands become long-term friends with you guys because of Warped Tour?
Adam Lorbach: Oh, yeah. I mean, that’s part of the reason why we’re here. We just want to come back and say hi to some of our old friends: Reel Big Fish, The Starting Line.
John Tran: Simple Plan’s playing, Hoobastank’s here. MXPX is playing. Early November. All the Drive-Thru bands.
Adam Lorbach: We just want to be out here; it’s our hometown.
Dying Scene: Is there a Warped Tour set that you guys still talk about after all these years?
Adam Lorbach: I mean, the one that sticks out for me is the Drive-Thru Records stage one. That was a pretty special moment in time. You know, you didn’t even realize it so much when you’re in it then, but looking back, it’s pretty cool with all of our friends always traveling to the same place, going out to have dinners, just having good quality time together. It’s pretty special.
Dying Scene: Is there a part of Warped Tour’s culture that feels essential to you and something that has defined the tour?
John Tran: Honestly, Warped Tour, to me, back in like 2000, no, maybe like 1990-something, had skateboarding. Skateboarding, you know. If all the skateboarding culture was like pop music, that’s what we grew up on. It definitely defines who we are, and who we are today, for sure. I love skateboarding. To this day, I still love punk rock music.
Adam Lorbach: I think it’s pretty cool having the legacy artists. It’s kind of like how Warped Tour was back in the day, always giving a spotlight to new artists, people to come up. So, all these different side stages give people a chance to see you that they might not have otherwise. I love the ethos of Warped Tour. It has a blend of both, so you can have fun with the old music, you know, and sing along. You might discover something new here.
Veteran: Mike Davenport (The Ataris) – Years Played: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2026
This year sees The Ataris play their ninth official set with the Warped Tour. Last year saw the band release their first bit of new music since 2011, “All Souls Day” and “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” with the promise of an album in the near future. While putting the finishing touches on the new record, the band has been playing the festival circuit, including stops in Mexico City and Montreal for the Warped Tour. Keep up with the Ataris here.
Dying Scene: One of my favorite Warped Tour sets I saw the Ataris play was 2002.
Mike Davenport: It was a killer set. It was a surprise set. We were supposed to be on the Warped Tour, but we were making the So Long, Astoria record, so they called us over to play there just to surprise everybody.
Dying Scene: It was like a small label’s booth, wasn’t it?
Mike Davenport: Yeah.
Dying Scene: Do the Ataris have any type of Warped Tour ritual you do when you guys play?
Mike Davenport: We did our first Warped Tour in 2000, and then we’ve done eight after that. My favorite part is the barbecue. We love the barbecue. We love hanging out with everybody. The coolest thing is my friends. Even today, it brought me back because I’m going in and I’m seeing Basement over here and Bowling For Soup over there and all of my favorite bands.
Dying Scene: What’s the lineup for the band right now? Is it the So Long, Astoria lineup or is it a bit of a hybrid?
Mike Davenport: It’s a hybrid. It’s me and John and Kris and then our drummer’s Dustin. Not Kid (Chris Knapp). We’ve had Dustin (Phillips) jump back in. He’s been with Kris on and off for the last 10 years.
Dying Scene: What’s changed the most about performing pop punk live since your early work tour?
Mike Davenport: I’d say it’s slick, man. All of these digital LED backdrops. A lot of the bands that my kids listen to, pop-punk bands, have a lot of screaming in them. We didn’t do screaming in our day. That’s something that came with that next generation of Hawthorne Heights and Sleeping with Sirens and Pierce the Veil.
Dying Scene: Is there a Warped Tour set you still talk about all these years later?
Mike Davenport: We loved Warped Tour 2003, San Diego. That set was insane. It’s immortalized on the 2003 Warped Tour DVD. If you ever see it, the sun was going down, we were like the last band playing. You just see people until you can’t see people anymore for days and they’re just crowd surfing.
Dying Scene: Is there a part of Warped Tour’s culture that you feel is essential to it, something that’s defined the tour?
Mike Davenport: I just think that, like Kevin Lyman, he was our first manager, and he’s always run Warped Tour like a bro’s thing. These are all his bros. He’s still sitting back there in his tent, hanging out and just enjoying the moment. And it’s about enjoying life and playing music with friends.
Dying Scene: Do you have any advice for first timers that they never listen to?
Take chances, take risks. You’ve got to take risks. No risk, nothing’s going to happen. I know so many great bands that were too afraid to get in the van, to go on tour, to sleep in the van and rough it. That’s what we did, and that’s how we got bigger. All of my friends’ bands, they did the same thing, and they are here today. The people that don’t take risks, that are afraid, you don’t want to lose your job at Taco Bell or whatever you’re doing, that’s not living. Living is taking risks.
Rookie: Rae and Addison Scott (rosecoloredworld) – Ghost Stage
rosecoloredworld is making their debut this year on the Warped Tour. Long Beach was their second date after playing the tour’s Washington, D.C. stop. Blending raw emotion and pop punk, a lot of their songs focus on topics like mental health and community. A great combination for the Warped Tour and its ever-evolving ethos. Catch up with rosecoloredworld here.
Dying Scene: What did you think playing the Warped Tour would be like before you got here?
Rae: It’s way cooler than whatever I thought, that’s for sure. It’s an amazing community, and the fans have been very awesome to us.
Dying Scene: Did the stage you were assigned to shape your set at all?
Addison Scott: The stage was amazing. It was more than anything we could have hoped for.
Dying Scene: Have you had a “Oh, Shit I’m playing the Warped Tour” moment?
Rae: Yeah, right before we went on. I think it all hit us.
Addison Scott: We played DC a month ago, and it definitely was crazy.
Dying Scene: What do you hope fans remember about your first Warped Tour run?
Rae: I hope they feel hopeful, and I hope that they remember having a ripping time with the people they came with.
Dying Scene: Did Warped Tour shape your trajectory as a fan or a musician?
Addison Scott: Yeah, both. I mean, I grew up on the scene, and it definitely is how we are, and who we are.
Rookie – Seth Girard, Thomas Sullivan, Jack Wensky (Good Sleepy) – Vans Stage
Fresh off the release of their second album, Constant Humming, Good Sleepy made their Warped Tour debut in Long Beach this weekend on the Vans Stage with a late afternoon set. Before they grace the stage at Warped Tour’s Montreal, Quebec dates, you can catch them on the road. For more info, check out their official website.
Dying Scene: What did you think playing Warped Tour would be like before you got here?
Thomas Sullivan: Honestly, I had no expectations. I wasn’t really sure what it was going to be like, but it definitely exceeded all my expectations. I tried to go into it with a clear mind, but yeah, it’s been so sick.
Seth Girard: It’s funny, this morning I was chatting with everybody, and I was like, “Oh yeah, you know, like 12,000 people,” and everyone was like, “No, it’s like 80,000.” So my expectations were blown out of the water.
Jack Wensky: For me, it’s like, I don’t know, I went to high school, so I had an expectation of what it was going to be like. It’s a lot different than I anticipated.
Dying Scene: Did Warped Tour shape your trajectory as a musician or a fan?
Jack Wensky: My entire music taste is definitely based on Warped Tour, especially from 2016 to 2018. That’s when we were in high school, and all the bands playing Warped Tour were our favorites. They helped us get into this type of music and even start our own band.
Dying Scene: Did the stage you were assigned to help shape your set at all?
Thomas Sullivan: Not really, going into this, we only knew the time. We didn’t know our stage until about two weeks ago.
Dying Scene: Have any bands helped you navigate the chaos?
Seth Girard: We have a lot of friends playing today, a lot of people like telling us what to expect and stuff. Shoutouts to bands like Hot Mulligan, Arms Length, those are some of our good friends. They’ve definitely helped us out.
Dying Scene: What do you hope fans will remember about your first Warped Tour run?
Seth Girard: That it was fun, hopefully. Hopefully, they had a lot of fun; they had a good time.
Jack Wensky: That’s really all we care about is everybody having a good time.
Veteran – tiLLie – Years Played: 2017 and 2026
tiLLie has made a name for herself in the intervening years since her 2017 Warped Tour debut, having played other festivals including Slam Dunk and Rock for People. This year finds tiLLie rocking the Rex Stage and bringing her electronic-tinged pop-punk set to fans of the Warped Tour. Fans can catch tiLLie on the Warped Tour’s Orlando, Florida stop in November. For more info, please check out her website.
Dying Scene: Did the stage you were assigned to shape your set at all?
tiLLie: No, I don’t think so. You don’t really find out until pretty late what stage you’re going to be on, so I think you have to go into it with what you’re bringing, and the rest you have to figure out when you get there.
Dying Scene: What’s been the most surprising thing about performing at Warped Tour, good or bad?
tiLLie: I don’t know what was surprising. I think for me, the surprising part was being on the same bill as Third Eye Blind because they’re one of my favorite bands, and my older brother got me into them when I was like a baby. He unfortunately passed away, but I think it’s been so amazing to have this opportunity, and I know wherever he is, his mind is blown, and my mind is blown.
Dying Scene: Did Warped Tour shape your trajectory as a fan or a musician?
tiLLie: Absolutely, yeah, I grew up listening to this. I was definitely more of a Fueled By Ramen girlie. I listened to some of the harder stuff, but I saw Paramore when I was really young at Warped Tour, and that was huge for me.
Dying Scene: Is there a part of Warped Tour’s culture that you feel is essential to you?
tiLLie: I think the community around it, the fans. I just think, especially nowadays, this new iteration of it is a really safe space for all types of people. I think we’re all a little bit outcast and maybe the weirdos, so it’s nice to all be here together and share that and not feel so alone.
Dying Scene: Have you made any friends this year?
tiLLie: I don’t know if I’ve made new friends yet. I’ve seen a lot of friends like Honey Revenge and Nova Twins, some people I’ve played with before. No, I need to make some new friends.
Rookie – Brian McShea (Good Terms) Door Dash Stage
Long Beach was Good Terms first of two Warped Tour dates with their next show being Orlando, FL’s stop on the Warped Tour. Their inclusion on this years tour coincided with the release of their record, Burnout Deluxe. Find them on the road before they make their next appearance. More info, here.
Dying Scene: How many times have you been to Warped Tour as a fan?
Brian McShea: I came last year, and then before that, in 2018, was the last one. That was the first one I went to. The guitarist in my band went to like fifteen in a row. I remember watching Warped Tour Wednesdays on Fuse, but I felt too young to go, and I didn’t know anyone doing that kind of thing. I was fourteen or fifteen, and I was into jazz. I was kind of out of it for a little bit, and I missed a lot of music that I now love.
Dying Scene: What’s been the most surprising thing about Warped Tour, good or bad?
Brian McShea: In my band, the other members have a lot more experience performing at festivals for other artists and I’ve never done that. I didn’t know what to expect. Showing up and having your merch going one place and your gear going a different place and you’re going to a different place and you will meet up with it later on. It’s pretty fascinating watching all those systems work.
Dying Scene: To see how the sausage is made?
Brian McShea: Yeah, I was the kind of kid who loved watching gears and conveyor belts and shit. Watching all that shit play out is pretty satisfying. Other than that, how fucking tired I am. I was here last year, and I had a lot more energy and emotional energy. It really took a lot out of me. I’m trying to meet our fans, I’m trying to do all the things for our band. It was like, I didn’t get to be in Warped Tour as much, which is fine. I mean, it’s the most Warped Tour we’ve ever done. That was definitely a new thing.
Dying Scene: Did Warped Tour shape your trajectory as a musician or as a band?
Brian McShea: Warped Tour Wednesdays on Fuse was all the music that got me started on guitar. Green Day and Fall Out Boy were really big bands for me. All the stuff that would have been on Fuse at the time came my way. I came across Taking Back Sunday, Underoath, and all that. That’s where I got started. I stepped away from it as I got into other genres of music, but it was definitely that foundation. I think there’s always been this punk rock ethos I’ve looked for in everything as I’ve gone on. And it’s everywhere. You have to look for it in other genres a little harder, but sometimes you have to look for it here, too.
Is there a part of Warped Tour’s culture that feels essential to you, or something that defines Warped Tour?
Brian McShea: Pick up anybody who falls down. Those are definitely words to live by. I don’t think that’s exclusive to Warped Tour necessarily, but it is a big, important part of how today functions. I think walking around and seeing all the different kinds of people. There are pop-punk kids, there are hardcore kids, there are metalcore kids. There are people with spiked hair, there are people with tucked-in shirts. There are all sorts of people here, and we’re passing through each other. We’re bumping into each other. You’re making friends in lines for things.
Thanks for your time, everyone. If you missed Dying Scene’s review of the Van’s Warped Tour Long Beach, click here
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