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Heavy eyeliner, skinny jeans, a sea of band tees in black — since 1995, Vans Warped Tour has provided a pop-punk paradise for teenagers and the young at heart who just want to rock.
America's largest traveling music festival makes its way back to the Utah State Fairpark, which will host the daylong event on Saturday. And while the festival brings the usual suspects of the teenage angst variety — skate punk rockers Sum 41, emo screamers Taking Back Sunday and violin-featuring alt rockers Yellowcard are featured in the lineup — the all-ages show reaches out to a different crowd by introducing some fresh voices.
New on the circuit, electro-pop up-and-comers The Heirs have been riding the 2016 Warped Tour wave since day one, and earlier this year, the young band from Los Angeles played the giant film and music festival South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. Lead vocalist Savannah Hudson says both tours have been "crazy" but formative experiences for the group.
"You don't get a sound check — you just gotta be ready at any point," Hudson said. "These two tours have shaped us into the band that we are. They've helped us get to know each other and the stage."
That be-prepared-for-anything mentality makes the band sound as if it's been touring for years, but The Heirs, headed by 17-year-old Savannah and her brother Brandon, use their youth to their advantage. Their single "What You Want" has become a staple on the tour, and Hudson hopes the bright synth and piano of the energetic dance jam draws in new and old Warped Tour attendees alike.
"We want to appeal to a broad spectrum of people — whoever vibes with our music is our audience," Hudson said.
The band's name also speaks to the theme of the Warped Tour, even after 20 years, and The Heirs' place on the summerlong circuit.
"We all have this mutual idea that we're so young, we're working so hard and soon the industry will get flushed out of people who've been here for years," Hudson said. "We're next in line and will hopefully make this world of rock and roll a better place." —
Vans Warped Tour '16
The annual daylong traveling extravaganza, featuring dozens of bands — rock, punk, metal and more — also features skateboard demos and other activities. Acts include New Found Glory, Tonight Alive, Sum 41, Falling In Reverse, Less Than Jake, The Story So Far, Yellowcard, Reel Big Fish, We The Kings, Sleeping With Sirens, Four Year Strong, Mayday Parade, Motionless In White, Crown The Empire, State Champs and many more.
When • Saturday, 11 a.m.
Where • Utah State Fairpark, 155 N. 1000 West, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $29-$35, $45 day of show; Smith's Tix and box offices at the Fairpark and The Depot