Vans Warped Tour Has Pop Punk Energy

The Warped Tour, held at Piers 30/32 in San Francisco last Saturday, is not where you'd think it would be.

At the Embarcadero ferry station, the piers seem to be numbered chronologically. So about two miles from where Piers 30/32 are actually located, dozens of confused teenagers in tight jeans and lip rings are staring at the gap between Pier 29 1/2 and Pier 33. The Warped Tour is nowhere to be found-because it is in the opposite direction. Finally, a security guard intervenes. "The Warped Tour's way over that way," he says, pointing.

Once inside the Tour, attendees-many of whom fit the aforementioned lip-ringed, tight-jeaned profile-consult the schedule of acts and plan accordingly. Amanda, Elise and Ana are all 17 and have driven three hours from Fresno.

They are waiting to see Norma Jean, although they don't like the band. They are fans of A Day to Remember, who will be playing later. Amanda likes "everything" about A Day to Remember, because "their lyrics mean something."

Although the Fresno girls weren't looking forward to Norma Jean's set, lots of other people were-when they started to play, the crowd went nuts. Norma Jean are Christians who play punk-informed metal with expletive-free lyrics. After their first song, singer Cory Brandan shouted, "We have a new record coming out called The Anti-Mother. It's freaking pissed off!"

Brandan chugged a Monster energy drink and continued, "We're gonna play a new song off the record. I know you don't know this song. I don't give a crap! I wanna see some energy!" The circle pit towards the front of the stage started churning. Brandan bellowed over the band's muscular riffing, and when the song was over, he paused, surveyed the crowd, then shouted, "Do you guys feel alive out there, or what?"

Several hours later, Amanda and her friends watched A Day to Remember take a different stage. In some ways-or more accurately, at certain moments-the band sounds similar to Norma Jean. But the band periodically interrupts their thrashing to yelp melodic, keening choruses.

Three-dollar water bottles sprayed the air and loud cheers greeted singer Jeremy McKinnon's introduction of each song. The song "Monument" got an especially loud cheer, and the crowd started pogo-ing as McKinnon sang what could be his band's manifesto: "And I'll scream so loud that everyone in this place will hear every word I say, 'cause this is my time to shine."

The Warped Tour is a strange combination of progressive politics and corporate sponsorship. It oftentimes resembles an outdoor mall, but it was founded as an outlet for all kinds of dramatic, soaring pop punk. It is intense and goofy, a musical version of puberty.

This is even true of the more incongruous acts on the bill. Kat Perry was the poppiest, but she prides herself on a Warped attitude, evidenced by songs like "UR So Gay" and "I Kissed a Girl."

The audience was unconcerned with the question of Perry's credibility. Jumping up and down, they did not so much sing as chant along, holding digital cameras above their heads to shakily capture Perry's every move. Onstage, Perry wore sunglasses, but when she took them off, she stared straight ahead. Her expression was oddly fixed, in contrast to the crowd's enthusiasm.

As Perry finished, the next band was playing on an adjacent stage. "What's up guys?" their lead singer shouted. "I wanna see some energy out there!"

He was asking the same question that all of the bands asked: Do you guys feel alive out there, or what?

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