Gym Class Heroes drew one of the day’s largest and most fervent crowds with a  mix of emo-rap and power-pop.  They toyed with a range of influences, including 80’s soul and metal, in which they covered a Lamb Of God tune.  They also covered the Zombies’ “Time of the Season,” and frontman Travis McCoy exuberantly riffed on J. Holiday’s “Bed,” one of last year’s top R&B songs. 

In a new twist for this tour, electro reared it’s (ugly) head in the music of Family Force 5 and Disco Ensemble, as well as Cobra Starship, who, along with nearly every other band of the day, assured the audience that they’re “not what a typically Warped Tour band is.”  The problem with a statement (and an attitude) like this is that no one really knows what a Warped Tour-caliber band is anymore, so it’s difficult to discern a trend-setting group on this genre-confusing festival.  Regardless, the audience responded with glee, as they did throughout the entire day.

For the classicists in attendance, Reel Big Fish played ska-punk that hasn’t aged a bit since the band formed in the mid-‘90’s, when it was already an anachronism.  Street Dogs, a Celtic-influenced punk band and one of the most anticipated acts of the day, brought out C.J. Ramone, a late-period member of The Ramones, for a cover of Motorhead’s “R.A.M.O.N.E.S.”  While these two acts played to reasonably-sized crowds, they seemed to be nothing more than punk signifiers, credibility stamps that allowed for experimentation elsewhere. 

Because of this year’s expected headliners like Katy Perry and Gym Class Heroes, the crowd seemed comprised of many more young women as well as more of a mix of races, and the bands certainly reflected this diversity.  On one of seven small stages in the parking lot, all of which were more popular than what was happening on the main stage, the day began with Spanish outfit Delux being followed by the rap and roll of Good Guys in Black.  Just across from these acts, a prink gorilla danced with Audio Spaghetti.  Meanwhile, The Academy Is had fans doing they’re best 80’s dance moves near the end of their set before St. Louis, Missouri natives Story of the Year provided a climatic moment for thousands of young onlookers with their performance of the fan favorite, “Until The Day I Die.” 

Unfortunately, a very small percentage of these bands were actually able to deliver a set that encompassed more than a glimpse of musical creativity.  The majority of the day was filled with 20 minute slots of groups screaming belligerent outcries that echoed anarchy and rebellion.  The problem is those outlandish remarks were directed toward those “punk fans” who were sporting the latest Hollister trends and recording any notable song on their top-of-the-line cell phones.  The majority of the bands’ music and lyrics sharply contradicted their demeanor and on-stage attitudes, which was persistent theme throughout the day, and has become more a more prevalent characteristic of the tour each year.  The crowd of several thousand certainly didn’t seem to mind, however.  For most of the festival’s nine hours, there were as many, if not more, fans doing things other than watching bands, including checking out the interview booths and merchandise tents, taking a stab at the ever-so-popular video game Rock Band, and buying studded belts and pastel-colored sunglasses.

Overall, it was another successful Pittsburgh stop for the Vans Warped Tour.  However, each year it is becoming more confusing to discern how success is measured at this festival.  Is the idea to sell T-shirts and jewelry, or is it to keep a once-respected and proud genre in the forefront of the music industry?  Unfortunately, it seems the latter has become secondary, and Vans Warped Tour, rather than raising recognition to a talent-filled class of music, has, in recent years, put the self-deteriorating nature of punk music on the forefront for the country to see.