Vans Warped Tour

we're coming home again.- 8/13/16

we're coming home again.- 8/13/16

(The title of this post is a reference to "Homecoming" by Green Day.) 

The day after Indiana, we were in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio- having spent four years living in Cleveland for school, this was my "second-hometown" show! I had a feeling when I woke up that it was going to be a good day, and it was. I ran in to so many friends, and I hit goal early which meant I had time to go shoot Good Charlotte again.

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it's a long way up.- 7/19/16

it's a long way up.- 7/19/16

(The title of this post is a reference to "Moving On" by Good Charlotte.) 

Virginia Beach to Syracuse, New York was probably the longest overnight drive of the tour. We had an early bus call, but with over 500 miles between stops, we didn't reach Syracuse till after 9am. This meant getting ready while the bus is still moving- putting my contacts in while we were rolling was quite the feat!

Because we got there so late, as soon as we reached the venue it was time to "hit the lines". We walked out to a decent line of kids (Warped Tour had never been to Syracuse, so these kids were probably very excited!) and as we made our way down the line, passing out free wristbands and stickers as they activated with our campaign, the line grew longer and longer.

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learn to be free.- 7/6/16

learn to be free.- 7/6/16

(The title of this post is a reference to "To Be Free" by Tonight Alive.) 

After we finished training, it was time to begin the 1400 mile trek from Los Angeles to Dallas. You might be wondering how we managed to fit a 20-by-30 foot tent, all of our gear, ten activists and all of their luggage in to one 15 passenger van and one smaller car. The answer is a real life game of Tetris, with the longest tent poles slid under the seats of the van, boxes and gear and luggage piled on top of that (a few suitcases stayed under our feet!). We left Los Angeles on June 19, and drove to Flagstaff, Ariz. that day, where we had dinner at Red Curry Vegan Kitchen.

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gotta keep my feet moving.- 6/18/16

(The title of this post is a reference to "Life Changes" by Good Charlotte.)

Once upon a time, I made it a goal to myself to get a job on the Vans Warped Tour. Six years ago I made the promise to myself that when I got a job on Warped, I would dye my hair pink again, at least for the summer.

Last year, I drove around to several dates to photograph the show (more photos and a blog about my experiences here); in 2011, 2012, and 2014, I volunteered at and photographed several different dates. This March, I got the confirmation that I'd be on the first half of Warped Tour (from June 24 to July 16) with peta2; two weeks ago, I dyed my hair pink (using a mix of Virgin Pink and Purple Rain from Arctic Fox).

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vans warped tour 2015 highlights

I spent a lot of this spring networking and talking around, working hard to hopefully get on the entire Vans Warped Tour for this summer, but unfortunately that didn't happen for 2015 (I'm continuing to work hard to make it happen for 2016 though!). However, I did get to shoot five dates of the tour around the Northeast, and I had a blast doing so. I knew I'd be physically exhausted but with so many great bands on the tour, plus so many friends out working on the tour, it was sure to be a great time... and I was right on all accounts!

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portraits: major league at vans warped tour in darien center, n.y.- 7/15/15

I've shot Major League many times over the past few years, but shooting them at four dates of the Vans Warped Tour last month (Camden, N.J.Mansfield, M.A.Darien Center, N.Y., and Holmdel, N.J.) was great- what a pleasant change to shoot them in outdoors (at the Darien Center and Holmdel shows they played at the Golden Hour before sunset, which made for perfect lighting). A few minutes after their set in Darien Center, I grabbed Kyle, Brian, Matt, and Luke for some portraits. While I'd done portraits with Brian for the Inner & Outer Portraits series that I do for Circles & Soundwaves back in February (check that out here), this was the first time I'd taken portraits of the whole band- and we had a lot of fun! With perfect weather, a lovely venue, and quality time with good people throughout the day, Darien Center may have been my favorite date of Warped this year.

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portraits: M4SONIC at vans warped tour in darien center, n.y.- 7/15/15

Warped Tour is obviously mostly known for the various flavors of punk and related genres that tend to fill the stages, but one of the most underrated parts of the tour this year was the EDM and hip-hop acts that performed on the Beatport Stage. One of these is M4SONIC, a.k.a. Australian DJ / producer Nick Boundy. I'd photographed his set in Camden (check that out on Circles & Soundwaves here) and loved the energy he portrayed on stage. Darien Center was my favorite date of Warped- the weather was perfect, no set times overlapped, and the venue (right next to an amusement park!) had plenty of space to explore, making it the perfect setting for portraits. (I also did some portraits of Major League, which will be coming soon.)

For many overseas artists, Warped is their first U.S. tour. Nick is one of them, but the experience was made even more unique for him seeing as he stands out from the rest of the crowd genre-wise. On my last day, in Scranton, we were chatting as The Wonder Years were playing in the distance- he'd never heard them before Warped, but seeing them every day had made him a fan. When doing our portraits, he was eager to find cool spots to shoot and try out some different poses. (Later that day, I shot his set, which you can see on C&S here.)

Check out my other Warped portraits with Bebe Rexha and Trophy Eyes, and see the rest of the portraits of M4SONIC after the break!

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portraits: trophy eyes at vans warped tour in camden, n.j.- 7/10/15

Last month, I shot six dates of Warped Tour, and on my first day (Camden, N.J.), I did portraits with Bebe Rexha and the Australian pop-punk band Trophy Eyes! Midway through the day, I met up with the band at their merch tent, and we headed to a shaded area under a tree to do the individual shots. We went exploring to find somewhere to take group shots, and then realized- what place better than the water and a city skyline behind them? The Susquehanna Bank Center is right on the Delaware River, so I had the band members sit on a railing, with the Philadelphia skyline behind them. What a great view!

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portraits: bebe rexha at vans warped tour in camden, n.j.- 7/10/15

I've always loved going to Warped Tour, and this year I was able to shoot five dates. In addition to live photos and grabbing candids throughout the day, I also set up some portrait shoots. When I arrived to the venue in Camden, New Jersey- my first date- I checked schedules and sent out a few text messages to set up shoots. I knew I was in for a busy day, but I was excited- I thrive off the energy of a packed schedule! My first portrait shoot was with the very lovely Bebe Rexha. I caught the second half of her set (check out photos from that on Circles & Soundwaves here), and then met up with Bebe and her tour manager behind the amphitheater. She was a pleasure to work with and photograph! Check out some of my favorites below.

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