The Band Bloggers

The Yahoo Live webcast of VWT's June 19 show
BY LIV SLABY

While thousands of teenagers poured into Pomona's Fairplex under the hot California sun, thousands more watched from behind their computer screens. The Vans Warped Tour Webcast, streamed through Yahoo Live, let fans watch over 30 bands perform on June 19. I was able to see a majority of those bands, but alas, I was not able to spend my entire day in bed with my laptop. However, a few artists really stuck out to me and influenced who I will be seeing at Warped Tour in Chicago.

Despite having one of the earliest times, Beartooth delivered a passionate and fiery performance. They poured every ounce of energy they had into getting the crowd riled up and giving their rage-fueled, intense songs the power they deserved. The crowd responded just as energetically, starting mosh pit after mosh pit and kicking up enough dust to create a permanent haze in the air. Hopefully Beartooth doesn't lose their fire as the tour goes on, but I doubt they will.

What else could be expected from Attila except absolute madness. The partycore band created an atmosphere of absolute craziness and a "party hard, destroy everything" mentality that drove the audience wild. The energy that the band created and shared with the audience made me wish I was there in one of the huge mosh pits or circle pits. Bonus points: they had huge red solo cups the size of trash cans on stage with them.

Even though Beartooth and Attila where amazing, Set It Off were by far the best performers I saw all day. They brought the sound of summer with them in a theatrical performance filled with youthful energy. In addition to sounding incredible live, the band also frequently interacted with the audience. Cody Carson, lead singer, could be seen crowdsurfing and stepping out onto the audience's hands, as well as telling the crowd to follow him back to the band's tent after their set by jumping into the audience and carrying a flag emblazoned with Set It Off's logo. Seeing their performance quickly moved the band to the top of my Warped Tour priority list.

The livestream was a great opportunity for those who can't go to Warped this year to experience it, and a sneak peek for those who are attending at later dates.

You can watch the livestream here, but it will expire in a few days. Hopefully it will be posted on YouTube soon! Also check out Beartooth, Attila and Set It Off if you don't know them already, and check out the VWT site for the full set list and tickets.

LIV SLABY

It's that time of year again: the sun is shining, birds are chirping, and Warped Tour kicks off in a few days. Alternative music's longest, biggest, and hottest music festival is back, and it's guaranteed to be one of the best days of your summer - provided you don't pass out, wear jeans and long sleeves, or forget your ticket. To ensure that Warped Tour rocks your summer, here's a guide to help you make it your best day ever.

BEFORE WARPED TOUR

Warped Tour 2013 by Brittany Lee

• Buy tickets early for the best deal. I got mine in November for $25. However, it's okay to wait till the last minute if you're cool with paying more, because Warped usually never sells out.
• Figure out who's going with you. My advice is to go with one or two people who plan to see the same bands as you, because otherwise it's a lot of compromise and you could waste time arguing over which bands to see. Either plan out the bands you're going to see beforehand or go alone and plan to meet people there to see different bands. 
• Think about signing up for a TEI workshop. If you have a passion for music, why not learn from the people you admire? I signed up for two of these this year and I'm pretty sure I won't regret it!

Pop-punk bassist goes indie rock
BY LIV SLABY

You might not know who Ryan Scott Graham is, but you probably know the band he plays bass in, as it is none other than State Champs. Although State Champs is defined by a clear, upbeat and stereotypically pop punk sound, Graham's solo project Speak Low If You Speak Love is the polar opposite. Self-described as "emotional indie rock", Speak Low If You Speak Love brings a fresh sound to the acoustic scene.