The Vans Warped Tour is Back, Here Are Some Artist Highlights

The first city to get brought back into the fold is the capital, Washington, D.C,. and Kevin and his new friends at Insomniac did not hold back. Let's take a look at the big, the bad (bad still means cool, right?), and the Warped, bringing the heat to D.C. 

Warped Tour has never shied away from breaking in some new talent, from the “Kevin Says” stage to the Full Sail stage, and even Ernie Ball’s Battle of the Bands, all welcoming new, unsigned artists. This year, while most are signed, that didn’t stop Kevin and his team from bringing some of the hottest new artists to the party. 

One such newcomer is Jakobs Castle, a band formed just two years ago by Jakob Nowell. The son of the late Bradley Nowell of Sublime fame, Jakob’s band takes inspiration from that same California vibe that brought his dad’s group to fame and blends it with a modern indie zest that, quite honestly, only a Nowell could make sound this good. 

Another up-and-coming artist being brought out is Big Ass Truck I.E. This hardcore group from the San Bernadino area, or as they refer to it the Inland Empire, has only been around just over a year but has become a massive pillar in the hardcore scene as a band to watch. With every song already passing 100,000 streams on Spotify alone, Big Ass Truck I.E. was a given to appear at least once during this 30^th anniversary run. 

It wouldn’t be a Warped Tour if some of the heaviest hitters from this side of the industry didn’t make an appearance. Of course, for the 30^th anniversary, Kevin and company called up every single friend he’s made over the years and brought back countless fan favorites. 

British rockers and WDHA parking lot party alumni Asking Alexandria are making their 4^th appearance at Warped Tour this year. The band has grown a dedicated following in the US and will be leaving on their headlining tour shortly after Warped Tour in Long Beach, but first, they are going to bring their signature metalcore sound to D.C.

There are very few bands that have exploded the way Ice Nine Kills has, from being decently popular pre-Silver Scream to now opening for Metallica all around the world while selling out their headlining shows left and right. The horror-infused icons are slashing their way into appearance number 5 this year, and with new music on the horizon, there’s no telling what tricks Spencer and the band have up their sleeves.

And then, of course, there are the OG bands that helped keep the band afloat early on, that are the reason Warped Tour even has a 30^th anniversary party of this magnitude. From bands that played back in 1995 for that very first run, to those that picked up the torch a few years later, even founding bands are making a return this year. 

There are only two artists that are making a comeback from the original Warped Tour in 1995, one of which is Good Riddance, appearing at another date later this year, and the other is the legendary Sublime. Fittingly, the band was only on the 1995 lineup before now, making Sublime with Bradley partially responsible for the birth of Warped Tour and, hopefully, Sublime with Jakob partially responsible for the rebirth of Warped Tour. 

Another band from the beginning, and fittingly the ones who ended the final full tour in 2018, is Pennywise. The punk legends have played 10 total Warped Tours, and with “Bro Hymn” being the unofficial anthem of the tour, it was a no-brainer to bring them back for number 11. 

While 1997 was two years into the start of the historic tour, there is only one band that has the title of most time on Warped Tour, and that is the only Less Than Jake. The ska punks have played 15 of the first 25 Warped Tours, becoming the first band to spend a full 365+ days on a Warped Tour stage, and with their welcome return, that number is only going to keep going up.  

Of course, while D.C. may be upon us in only a few days, the Vans Warped Tour has another two cities to take over in Long Beach and Orlando. While some of these bands are hitting all three, there are a handful of bands that are passing over the capital in favor of a sunnier locale. Some of these bands include 311, A Day To Remember, Amigo the Devil, Black Veil Brides, CKY, Dropkick Murphys, Jager Henry, Sunami, and Thursday.

More information about the Vans Warped Tour can be found at vanswarpedtour.com.

Want to stay up to date on the Vans Warped Tour in D.C. this year? Click HERE to see more of Team DHA's Nick Polis' coverage of the festival!