Warped Tour 2002 - Los Angeles, CA.

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Everyone has a completely different experience at the Warped Tour each year. I gave it some thought and figured hardly anyone would have the same experience as myself. We'll see if you can relate? 1st off I didn't enter the vert ramp contest this year. Secondly, that meant I couldn't hang with my friends as much as I would have liked. This meant I was almost solo for the whole day. I decided to make the most of it and try to meet a few people and see some bands that might be really good even though you might not have ever heard of them, and I did!



This time I decided that I should not skate the vert ramp, since I knew my buddy Rich Sanchez was entering and he was way more equipped than I. Although he entered he didn't fair well since the competition was heavier than normal. It was odd, being left out and unable to even enter the skate area (Like getting kicked to the curb I suppose). This left all my friends over there at the vert ramp, mini-ramp in competition.

While they skated their ass off, I decided to try and enjoy the most I could while I had the chance. First I ran into the Eyeliners who are not only hot chicks, but they also play punk rock! I think I have another crush on several of the girls in that band.
I knew I better not get an autograph, and talk to them in the meet and greet type area (My wife would get pissed). So I slid on back to the vert ramp spectators area. I ran into a few old friends and a couple girls who smuggled some beer out of the Beer Garden. This was fun for a little bit, then
some good music started blasting and it was time to get serious again.


Once Flogging Molly took the stage I knew how irrelevent the other bands had been up to that point. All these shitty bands that sound like Green Day or or somther crap from years past had played and gotten crowed respect, but I'm not into that. A band should be unique DAMN IT! Not some record companies copy of another record companies band. So Off I headed to the little stages where I was enlightened and enjoying the bands that aren't radio play fodder, but real good bands.



The only good thing left was to dig out some small bands trying to break out or wait for NOFX, and Bad Religion. These two bands really went off well in LA. I couldn't have been happier snaking some photos of these guys. But I found the Casualties playing real punk rock and was stoked. The crowed really made the security work on that little stage with all the crowd surfing. I also ran into a band called Gawd Awful who were punk like US Bombs. While I was out seartching for punk rock here's a few things I enjoyed. I liked the beer tent friends I met, I liked the moto-x flyers jumping between stages at over four stories, I like the band of mentally challenged singing karioke, I like the wet t-shirts contest. I was having a pretty good time even though my friends were locked up in the skateboarding area. Too bad they missed out on so much of the stuff. Oh yea, I feel there is a little punk rock left in the Warped Tour, you just have do dig past the headliners with big stages.


- Jeff G.



Here's some bootleg video from the show:


Bad Religion (Recipe for Hate)

56k, 300k<
NOFX (a variety pack)

56k, 300k