The Warped Tour Band kicked off the new year by taking The Fillmore Silver Spring back in time to the good old days of the emo scene. A unique approach to the tribute band scene, the Warped Tour Band focuses not on covering a specific artist, but more on recreating the experience of the late 90s-mid 2000s alt scene. The Warped Tour Band is like seeing the tee shirt wall in Hot Topic come to life onstage.
Their performances transport crowds to a time when cutting out photos of Gerard Way in J14
magazines was way more important than studying for a geometry final, a time when slamming your pink Motorola Razr was the coolest way to end a conversation, a time when getting a custom mixtape from your crush was basically a marriage proposal. Whether you were in diapers when blink-182 was topping the Alt charts, or you fondly remember setting your favorite My Chemical Romance song as your MySpace anthem, the Warped Tour Band delivers an incredible show for all alt fans.
Running from 1995 to 2019, the Vans Warped Tour stood as a cornerstone of emo culture. This touring music festival traveled the nation each summer, catapulting influential acts like Sum 41, My Chemical Romance, and Fall Out Boy to mainstream success. The tour’s cultural resonance spanned two generations, offering pop punk enthusiasts a unique sense of camaraderie that set it apart from other festivals. The tour served as a resource for young fans to have a space where they could be their truest
selves, and the tour often had community outreach programs on each stop. The Warped Tour Band skillfully encapsulates years of cultural impact in a single performance, reviving that cherished community spirit.
The group kicked off the show with their rendition of Panic at the Disco’s “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies”, before jumping into Fall Out Boy’s “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race”. Performing emo and alternative hits from bands including Mayday Parade, Sum 41, All Time Low, and so many more, the Warped Tour Band expertly curated a setlist any retired alt kid would love.
Established in 2018, the Warped Tour Band hails from Long Island, New York, comprising members Anthony Scarfuto, Gary Cayton, Lou Peragine, Steve Como, and Nick Santini. Their musical journey has seen them take the stage at numerous venues across the greater east coast region. Their current tour will
take them up and down the east coast through early March, with their next DMV show taking place at Rams Head Live in Baltimore on January 19th.
The Warped Tour band reimagines the rules for how a cover band should behave. Taking the Vans Warped Tour, scaling it down and reimagining it into a single show, the band has managed to preserve all the best parts of the tour, while creating a family-friendlier version of the tour so many wish would return. If you didn’t get to see them in Silver Spring, make sure to check out their upcoming Baltimore date on the 19th!
Final Grade: A
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