At high-noon fans of metal, rock, punk, rap and more flooded the gates of Henry W. Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee ready for this year’s installation of the Vans Warped Tour. Attendees poured in and browsed a vast variety of vendors until the artists started their performance at one p.m.

The Commencement of Warped Tour

Out of the multiple stages my Warped Tour started off at the Mutant South stage where I would see one of my favorite artists since high school, Emmure. Playing nostalgic tracks such as Sunday Bacon, I Thought You Met Telly and Turned Me into Casper which are off one of my favorite albums, Felony. Each member of Emmure (especially their vocalist, Frankie Palmeri) put on such an aggressive and animated performance it was hard to keep myself out of mosh pit.   What seemed like the shortest thirty minutes of my existence Emmure tore their set down so another one of my favorite bands could begin setting up.

Carnifex was next on the lineup and as soon as the band took the stage their audience erupted in cheers. They kicked off one of the heaviest sets at Warped Tour with Drown Me In Blood, which is a single off their latest album Slow Death. With breakdowns that could shake the earth the forged on playing fan-favorites such as Die Without Hope, Lie to My Face, and ending with a surprise Slipknot cover. Carnifex vocalist, Scott Lewis, stood on his podium of modern metal and screamed to his audience, “IF YOU’RE 555 THEN I’M 666,” to kick off Carnifex’s cover of Heretic Anthem which was off Slipknot’s second album, “Iowa.”

Addictive Performances

After such a nostalgic, high-energy set I made my way over to the Mutant North stage to check out Christian metal band, Fit For A King. A majority of their set consisted of tracks of their newest album Deathgrip. The tracks within Deathgrip are written in regards to the terrorist attacks in Paris, death, and abandonment. This is definitely one of their heavier albums and you can clearly tell by the vocals, screams, and breakdowns. Fit For A King matched their crowds energy for their full thirty minute time slot and it was truly a fun show.

While stopping along the vendor booths I finally made my way to the Mutant South stage once again. The Acacia Strain was up next and I couldn’t be more excited. With so many fantastically heavy artists on the lineup it was extremely hard choosing who I wanted to see- but not this choice. My love for The Acacia Strain stretches way back to my middle school days and as the band took the stage I found myself screaming like a little girl.

Sadly – Everything Ends

I can go on and on about my experience at the Milwaukee installation of the Vans Warped Tour but you get the point. Another year – another experience to not miss and you can find the full photo album here. The Vans Warped Tour has continued to pick a stellar lineup since their start in 2014 and they show no signs of slowing. Top-notch artists from all genres travel across the United States creating memorable experiences for every single one of their fans. If you’ve never experienced Warped Tour – do it. If it’s been years since your last Warped Tour I highly suggest revisiting it. With so much talent playing within the confides of one venue you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to attend one of the most electric tours to date.

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