Warped Tour 2017
- Kyla Hosoda
- Sep 7, 2017
- 2 min read
I’ve been attending Warped Tour on and off since 2009, and had the pleasure of going again this year. I was even more stoked, because I was able to capture some awesome shots of my two favorite bands, Silent Planet and Being As An Ocean. Aside from the obvious great performances that I’ve gotten to see over the years, my favorite thing to experience, is the scene itself. While it has always been such an awesome thing to be a part of, I’ve definitely noticed a change in the overall vibe as time has passed, and the world has grown wiser.
The first couple of times that I went to Warped, I noticed a really strong divide between the sub-scenes of people there. Some people would talk down to others just because they didn't like a certain band that the other supported.. And, there were always genre divides - like - if you were more into pop punk, it was highly unlikely that you would go see a hardcore band, let alone be accepted by the people in that hardcore scene. It was basically the equivalent of awkward middle school kids at a dance. The girls on one side, and guys on the other, never actually interacting with each other.
Now, people are much more open to experiencing many different bands, amongst the different genres. People were so welcoming, and helpful, an awesome thing to see people band together to enjoy the experience to the fullest. My husband goes crowd surfing in his wheelchair, and I highly doubt that back in 2009, anyone would've been willing to help him do it. Now, complete strangers unite to help him, without even a second of doubt. I’m definitely looking forward to experiencing many more years of Warped Tour, and seeing how this generation of kids evolve into more welcoming people than the kids my age.
Photos by Kyla Hosoda An EWL Exclusive