A Final Farewell to Warped Tour

Time flies when you’re having fun. No matter your age or which generation you hail from, at some point we all begin to realize that our “youth” wasn’t just yesterday anymore. For instance, the 1990s was almost 30 years ago, guys. In the music community, there was a lot happening in the 1990s. Among the rise of many bands of the decade, 1995 was specifically the birth of Warped Tour. (For reference, one year later in 1996, California saw the eventual legalization of medical cannabis.) Originally sponsored by Vans, Warped Tour gathered together many of the era’s most popular and trending bands around, many of which fell under musical genres like ska, punk rock and hip-hop.

It was a time of exploration, both to celebrate new music and embrace the classic musical hits that many grew to love. It was the platform for bands to be noticed and to rise to fame. Many of those bands still remain active to this day. Most importantly, aside from the music, Warped Tour was a place to embrace cannabis. Both attendees as well as performers embraced cannabis because, well, music and cannabis go hand in hand.

Sadly, in November 2017 it was announced that Warped Tour would be ending its 23-year run though. One last hurrah to honor the past 20-plus years of musical evolution and a final end to one of the longest running traveling tours in North American history. Kevin Lyman, the tour’s founder, is ready to say goodbye—but not without a vague hint of the future. “I have been a very lucky person to have traveled across the country and sometimes around the world as one of the founders and producers of the Vans Warped Tour,” he said in the announcement. “Today, with many mixed feelings, I am here to announce that next year will be the final, full cross-country run of the Vans Warped Tour. I sit here reflecting on the tour’s incredible history, what the final run means for our community, and look forward to what’s to come as we commemorate the tour’s historic 25th anniversary in 2019.”

There’s no telling if Warped Tour will ever make a comeback, but if 2018 is the last year it will be around, then it will certainly be a year to remember. Bands participating in “Vans Warped Tour: Last Call” include 3Oh!3, Asking Alexandria, Bowling For Soup, Every Time I Die, Hatebreed, Mayday Parade, Pennywise, Reel Big Fish, Simple Plan, Sum 41, Taking Back Sunday, Twiztid, Waterparks, and so many more. The tour begins in Pomona, California on June 21, travels through over 20 states and ends in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Chances are, if you loved music in the 1990s and beyond, you may have found yourself celebrating at Warped Tour. Do you have any fond memories at the tour?