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Warped Tour
from: hollywoodreporter.com
by Darryl Morden, The Hollywood Reporter
The Vans Warped Tour has become a trustworthy institution -- a touring punk rock carnival filled with ample doses of flailing fun, political ranting and a chance for fans to meet their heroes at the dozens of band booths on the midway. And thanks to savvy corporate sponsorship, the $30 concert ticket is a true value.
But this time out, more than in years past, howling metal seemingly more suited to Ozzfest is encroaching on the annual summer romp.
At Friday's Warped stop in Pomona at the Los Angeles County Fairplex, the vicious pummel of Florida's Underoath and New Jersey's Thursday drew some of the day's biggest crowds. The latter is supposedly literary-minded "screamo," the former Christian noisemakers, but both just came off as dinosaurs with rabies, with their rhythms clumsy and their wounded-beast screams predictable.
Far more appealing was the punk side of the coin. The hook-loaded Motion City Soundtrack also pulled in quite the throng on one of the field's two main stages, while on the opposing side, skillful veterans the Bouncing Souls held court with a brace of equally tuneful yet urgently paced numbers.
The horn-driven ska of Less Than Jake brought a party atmosphere, and the quirky Hello Goodbye split the difference between Violent Femmes and Squeeze for melodically off-center tunes. Another standout was the pop-tinged sounds of Chicago's The Academy Is... .
Still a glam-slam garage-rocker after all these years, JOAN JETT brought parents out of the "Reverse Daycare" tent with her '80s hits and showed the scattered bunch of teens and college-age types that old school can still pack a punch. She was well matched by Australia's Living End, which followed with punkabilly rave-ups.
The fierce, Bush-hating Anti-Flag was somewhat one-dimensional yet nonetheless blistering, while a passionate Rise Against proved why it has become one of this year's breakout bands.
Despite the roaring empty rebellion of such tactless outfits as Canada's Silverstein and the utterly wretched From Autumn to Ashes, there were flashes of ambition and vision, especially from Saves the Day and Senses Fail, which both played electric sets early in the afternoon and more intimate acoustic performances later in the day.
The reconstituted Germs didn't quite fill the festival's legends slot but did manage to summon ghosts of the '70s Los Angeles punk scene and its late singer, Darby Crash (whose role is now filled by actor-vocalist Shane West). And it wouldn't be a Warped Tour without the wry, ever anti-mainstream NOFX, which surely defines the indie spirit of the festival.
With more than 70 bands and numerous stages large and small, there were plenty of discoveries to be made while heading to a name act. Among those finds were Nashville's throwback new wavers the Pink Spiders and the roots-rock banjo hoedown of Idaho's Scotch Greens.
The tour continues its Southern California swing Tuesday in Ventura, Calif., at Seaside Park and Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
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