By Cort Olsen, Chief Editor
It is reaching the end of the summer and that means that Warped Tour is coming to an end. Virginia Beach is one of the last stops that Warped Tour makes on its journey around the country, and INK was lucky enough to receive a press pass this year to the VB date. Not only were we able to get right up against the stages to shoot some high quality photos, but we were also given the opportunity to meet with some of the big name bands that have been on the tour all summer long like Captain Capa, Sleeper Agent, Protomen, I the Mighty and Close Your Eyes.
Because there are so many bands that are on Warped Tour, we couldn’t make it to every single performance. However, the ones that we did make it to were absolutely incredible. I am not a huge fan of the bands that play on Warped Tour anymore, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia for the years past when I first attended Warped Tour back in 2009. Seeing bands like Sleeping with Sirens, Stray from the Path, and Attila bring crowds together with such high energy, it was difficult to keep a professional composure. When Parkway Drive took the stage, I could no longer contain myself. After taking shots of the first three songs, I clenched my camera tight to me as I made my way through the sea of people until I was in the absolute thick of the crowd. Very few bands can I say that I know every lyric to almost every song that they have written, and Parkway Drive is one of them. Very seldom do I have the chance to revert back to being a fan again, and those last few minutes of that set reminded me why I got into music journalism in the first place. Warped Tour may be over, but the music lives on.
