The stage lights go up, the music starts, screaming fills the air. Bodies leap and shake, voices scream out lyrics and adoration. When the lights go out, the crowd dissipates only to regroup as the next band comes on stage. There is only one event that contains over 90 bands and entertains thousands of people: Vans Warped Tour.

“Warped Tour is a really fun experience and the whole venue is filled with tents from different bands or companies. Some tents give away free things all day and others, like the Vans tent and Keep A Breast tent, give free things at the beginning of the day for the first, like, 200 people. No matter where you are or what time it is, there will always be a band playing. If you go to the Truth Van, there are games to play and you can win something. Also, various bands have signings around the day,” Morgan Shoemaker (10) said.

Vans Warped tour was held on Saturday, July 20 this year at Tinley Park, Ill. The event lasted from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“The best thing about Warped Tour is everything. The overall experience in just amazing, but definitely wear a ton of sunscreen and use a drawstring bag to hold onto your items,” Jodie Hodges (10) said.

Vans Warped Tour brings in thousands of people to each venue, and ensures that every individual is as safe as possible.

“There are a few thousand people at Warped. It goes from the amphitheatre to covering half the parking lot, and at the beginning of the day you can barely move without almost losing who you are with, so you have to be careful. Most people try and let you through to stay with your group if you ask. Also, the concert has a slip ‘n slide to keep cool. If you get injured or feel faint, you can go to the medic tent to get rested and feel better. Plus, if your parents come, they have ‘reverse daycare’ for the parents so they can stay cool with free water and the tour has a movie playing with headphones to listen to it,” Shoemaker said.

Vans Warped Tour holds events in almost every state each year. Bands that are more punk, alternative, heavy metal or ‘screamo’ are normally involved. During the tour, different bands drop out or join in, depending on their own touring dates and the location.

“The worst part about Warped Tour is waking up the next day and realizing it is over until next year,” Hodges said.