Welp, tour is over, everyone is heading home and summer is dying down. Its been a blast being out on the road and meeting so many fans and making new friends. I never thought I’d have an opportunity like this and it has been a one-of-a-kind experience. Big special thanks to everyone at Vans for making me a part of the family; the Dear Jack Foundation for being my home base; bus 3 aka Air Force One for constantly teasing me and making me feel at home; The Wonder Years for being my friends; Chuck, because well, you’re Chuck. Thanks to all the awesome bands that let me creep on them and take paparazzi photos and for being willing to do whatever I asked. Two big thumbs up to you guys! Thanks everyone for checking out the site and for being rad internet friends. If I had to describe my Warped experience in one word, it would be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, because its been so fantastic its unreal.

I joined The Devil Wears Prada while they were warming up for their last set of the 2011 Vans Warped Tour and we discussed pre-show activities. As their intro music started, you could see Daniel's cymbals start to shake and vibrate. The crowd did just about the same, just with a lot of screaming. I'm gonna miss watching these dudes, such a great show. P.S. No animals were harmed in the making of this video.

Heads up: I’m about to be really cheesy. Yesterday we were in Washington, George, Washington, to be exact. Not only were we at George, Washington, but we were at The Gorge. It was incredible, gorge-ous if you will. With a place that incredible, its hard to not just stop and think. I really love taking portrait-y type photos that just let people do and be themselves. I wanted to be able to remember a few of the people who I see on a daily basis who always give me a little smile to make the day awesome. Cheese, I know, but in all fairness, I warned ya. P.S. I just got working internet for the first time in days, so I just uploaded way too many photos on our Flickr…

I got a little case of the blues yesterday in Nampa, ID, which is normal considering tour is over in 2 days. I decided to shoot a few bands that always make me feel better: Lucero, The Devil Wears Prada and Less Than Jake. Lucero has such soulful, beautiful songs that its hard to not fall in love while listening. The Devil Wears Prada on the other hand, I don’t know a word he says, but those dudes put on such a great show with so much energy, its always fun to watch. Its also sometimes hard to shoot them if the stage is really high (like it was yesterday) because I’m really short and they like to hang in the back of the stage; so getting a good shot is like a present from them. Less Than Jake is just crazy and fun and makes me a happy camper. I hope this makes you happy too!

Silly me was nervous for my interview with Sum 41 in Marysville, CA, so I ended up downing two cups of iced coffee right before meeting up with them. They told me about a few wild nights, which I expected because they’ve been known as party boys. What surprised me though was that they were really chill and relaxed, not crazy or hyper as I may have thought. I was all hopped up on the iced coffee though. They did get crazy during their set though, playing to a packed amphitheater with a crap ton of people from the tour watching and rocking out onstage. I’m stoked that I get to watch them for a few days before tour ends. Now I’m gonna go cry because I’m thinking about how there are only 2 days left.

Yesterday at the beautiful campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA, I met up with We Came As Romans to play a little game called “Would You Rather…?”. Of course, the guys made fun of my ridiculous questions, but what started out as three rounds of the game turned into them quoted movie after movie and making up their own scenarios. I literally sat there for 20 minutes just laughing the entire time because everything they said was too ridiculous. I think this may have been my favorite interview. Watch the video below and check out a few pics from the day. Want more (and I know you do)? Check out our Flickr right meow.

Yesterday in San Diego, Paramore joined up for one last day. Of course it was total mayhem because not only is it Paramore, but we’re in California aka tons of people, family and friends. I walked around backstage a bit to say goodbye to some friends and there were probably over 100 people waiting to watch the band play. They played a killer set that the entire crowd was singing along to (myself included). During the last song, “Misery Business” Hayley always brings a fan up to sing and dance with them on stage. There was a young fella who “accidentally” kissed her during the same thing a while back, so she brought him up, flowers, an apology note and all and gave him a second chance to rock. Of course that and the confetti made for a great time. A Day To Remember played right after P-more and drove the crowd mad. The more energetic a crowd, the better the dudes on stage will be, that’s just a given. Lets just say, the set was crazy. It left me singing “Da da da de da da da Da da da de da da da” all night.

Phoenix! Nothing feels more like home than the blistering dry heat of Phoenix. A few buses broke down during the drive and everyone was literally dripping sweat, but you guys made me proud. I talked with Matt Good of D.R.U.G.S., after they played an crazy set to a packed crowd. I asked him a few of your Twitter questions, and we got attacked by flies in the process. Bugs love me for some reason. I’ve interviewed 2 of the D.R.U.G.S. dudes now and they both have been probably the most composed interviewees ever. I would be a nervous nut if someone was talking to me on camera. So thanks, D.R.U.G.S. for being cool. **That will be the only time I use the word "drugs" and "cool" in a sentence together.

The Black Pacific just joined the tour in Denver, and I got to check out their set in Salt Lake City yesterday. The sound was kind of what you would expect from Pennywise’s former singer, Jim Lindberg: classic punk rock, heavy on the rock, which was a nice change from the hardcore and pop bands surrounding them. The audience definitely showed their roots because the majority of fans were older, not the normal tweens that overwhelm the audience. They also had a lot of punk inspired fans with dyed hair, mohawks and Sid Vicious-looking clothing. I also spotted the drummer of The Aggrolites watching from the audience, just bobbing his head along. The guys joked around in between songs about their past bands, Pennywise, Dropkick Murphys and Meg & Dia. Bass player joked about how no one knows that he actually played for the female pop-duo, but that he was the drunkest in the band. Thrown into the middle of the set, they played a Jawbreaker cover, which riled up the crowd and caused a circle pit to start. The Black Pacific is on the rest of the tour, so if you’re coming out to any of the remaining dates, make sure to check ‘em out on the AP/Tilly’s stage.

Yesterday was probably one of my favorite days of the tour. First of all, we were in Denver at Mile High Stadium, which is awesome because you can see the stadium and we showered in the team locker room. Second, I got to “work” with one of my favorite bands on the tour, Set Your Goals. Have you ever wondered what bands would be doing if they weren’t rockstars? Well, I asked the band and I’m gonna just hope that they stay a band forever, otherwise no one is safe. Also while hanging with Jordan, we watched The Dangerous Summer, another one of my favorites on the tour. Just to top off the day, the weather was perfect and there was no humidity. Bring on the dry heat! Don't forget, I add a ridiculous amount of photos to Flickr, so make me happy and check 'em out.

I’ve watched Enter Shikari at least every 3 days and every time I watch them, they do crazy shiz on and off stage. There isn’t a piece of the stage that they don’t touch, including the ground, monitors and ceiling. I would have to say that they have the most energetic live show day after day on this tour. I put together a little montage of them going crazy. We were in Council Bluffs, IA yesterday and that’s when Rory got on a kid’s shoulders in the crowd and I would have to say that may be my favorite thing I’ve seen them do. Funny story about yesterday, it started sprinkling while I was waiting for a set with my cameras, so I got a poncho from the Vans tent and started dancing around in it. It didn’t really rain, so I went back to my bus and put my cameras away, threw out my sticky poncho and started walking over to dinner. All of a sudden it just started pouring. I mean like total downpour. If I would have been smart I would have held on to my poncho, but nope, now my clothes are still soaked from yesterday. Nice job, Allie.

I watch a lot of bands all day, every day. They are a ton of bands that have little gimmicks to keep your attention or so or do funny things to entertain. Then there other bands like Lucero who just captivate an audience with beautiful music and an honest performance. I talked with their drummer, Roy, about what makes a good live show and about their set. He talks very quietly though, so you’ll have to listen closely. Yesterday was Pepper’s last day and I’m going to miss their bright yellow shirts and happy, Hawaiian attitudes. The stage was full with people saying goodbye during their set though. There was an awesome sunset over the amphitheater during D.R.U.G.S.’s set so I went a little picture happy because it was something a little different than every other day while shooting. So enjoy some sun-splashed photos.

In Cincinnati yesterday, I got to be a little matchmaker in a totally non-Fiddler On The Roof marriage type of way. At the beginning of the tour, I found out that AJ from The Dangerous Summer was the biggest Against Me! fan. When it came time to interview Against Me!, I was talking to AJ about it and realized that he would probably do a better job considering he knows so much more about the band than I do. It was fun just to watch the dudes talk about music and ironically, Andrew had watched The Dangerous Summer’s set so they got to bond. Not gonna lie, I felt a little bit like a fairy godmother. Yesterday was also the first of two days that Jack’s Mannequin is playing, so that was my chance to fan-girl a little bit because I got to watch them on stage. Yes, I fan-girled, and no, I have no shame.

When I looked at the schedule for Atlanta, GA yesterday, I got a little confused because I noticed that Lionize, a Tilly’s/AP stage band, had been moved to the Nintendo 3DS Stage for no apparent reason. I later found out that their bus that they shared with The Aggrolites had broken down in the night and they were stuck in the middle of nowhere between Florida and Georgia. I was planning on shooting The Aggrolites set, the last set of the day, and as I was walking over to the stage, I see their bus parking and all the guys literally run out and start unloading their gear in a rush. Stuck in a broken down bus for a day, rushing to the venue and literally jumping on stage? Talk about dedication to the show. I watched their whole set and it was still energetic and fun like always despite their problems during the day. Since they played last, the whole Vans crew were able to come watch and support the band. Speaking of Vans crew, make sure to follow my buddy Elie and his mustache on twitter!

For our final day in Florida yesterday, we got to enjoy being directly on the beach in St. Petersburg (Tampa). It was a very appropriate place for the beginning of shark week. The sky kept tempting us with rain, and it drizzled a little bit, but nothing crazy other than the clouds. Last year at this date, I crowd surfed for the first time to You Me At Six while it was pouring rain. I wanted to recreate the moment, but the rain never came. I gave my camera to Tino from Of Mice & Men so he could show us what a day in the life of Of Mice & Men is like through his and the other guys’ eyes, including normal things like press, signing and set as well as a little tour of their bus, haircuts and dancing. Thank you to my new videographer friend for being awesome.

West Palm Beach so far takes the cake for most confusing venue. I got lost walking around so many times because there were too many dead ends. I thought Charlotte was weird with a long path around to the different stages, but this was crazy. I ran around half of the time like a chicken with my head cut off. On a brighter note, I did an interview with Big D & the Kids Table and Less Than Jake, which was awwwweeeesome. I kind of just let them all play off of each other and let them steer it because they are all pretty crazy (in a good way, of course). I’m sorry, but I had to edit out a few of the funny parts because they got a little out of hand. Last night we all celebrated at the Mustacho Basho, which you needed a mustache to enter. Thankfully all the girls found fake mustaches and were rocking those all night. Mine was a pretty good creeper ‘stache that matched my hair perfectly. I think I should rock it today and see if anyone says anything…

Yesterday was a day that just felt like everything worked. We were in Orlando, FL, so it was blistering hot and humid, which was rough, but the day was still awesome. I literally walked off my bus, walked 20 feet to press and found Gym Class Heroes there waiting for an interview. I took up a little bit of their free time playing the Warped Tour Alphabet Game. You may remember this game from when you were bored on long drives, but you pick a category and go through the alphabet saying something for every letter. Naturally, our category was Warped Tour. I also shot a few fun sets, including Of Mice & Men, with Alan constantly sticking his tongue out at me. I love when the dudes ham it up for me, and he definitely took the cake yesterday. We had our own little Warped Tour Prom last night with a DJ, Christmas lights hanging around tents and lots of dancing. They even named prom king & queen (which my friend Selena, the girl in the picture, won). Warped Tour is so much like high school, its incredible.

I sat down with Yesod, the drummer of Pepper, yesterday in Charlotte, NC, to talk about the different inspirations and meanings behind their album artwork for their 5 studio albums. They used the same artist for all 5 albums and you can tell through the cohesiveness of the colors and ideas. Just through our talk, I already had a feel for the albums and their style. Walking around backstage I also saw Against Me! and Pepper filming for a movie that a lot of the bands are taking part in. I saw Tom Gabel sitting on a case of Peace Tea (a Warped Tour catering favorite) and Pepper invading the production offices in nothing but little towels. It was quite a sight to see. Today we entered what will probably be the weekend of humidity hell aka Florida. 3 days of hot hot heat and sticky skin. On that note, I’m gonna go explore.

Virginia Beach, VA was a jolly ‘ole time yesterday. I spent the morning at Starbucks using their free wi-fi (no complaints there) and made it back just in time to shoot Pepper’s whole set. I got to run around on and off the stage and be the only photog in the pit, which was a glorious feeling. A lot of times I only watch a bands first three songs while I’m shooting them, so actually watching a set was awesome. I also got to watch A Day To Remember’s full set, camera-less, just for fun. Don’t worry though, I’ll shoot them today so you all can see their pretty little faces. We had a special guest last night when All Time Low crashed the Tilly’s/AP stage for a little show. I talked to ATL’s Alex Gasgarth before the show and he told me about how sad and regretful he was that they weren’t on Warped this year because it feels like a family that he wanted to be a part of. They put on a crazy set with tons of crowdsurfing (not crowd-flying like during A Day To Remember). Apparently someone got married last night on the tour? Who knows if it was legal or not, but always a celebration over here on the Vans Warped Tour!

We had the pleasure of a full crowd yesterday in Columbia, Maryland, in a huge, spread out venue, but with kids everywhere. I guess the new thing for bands to ask kids to do is to do a circle pit around a grouping of tents. Yesterday I witnessed an incredible one around 6 tents during Miss May I’s set. Things got crazy, but the fans were loving it. I knew that The Wonder Years were big fans of Choonimals, a company on the tour with us, but I didn’t know the love was mutual until yesterday. The awesome dudes at Choonimals were literally done for whatever ridiculous thing I threw at them, but we ended up with something pretty rad. I asked all of TWY guys what animal they would be and why and the creative hands at Choonimals created a great interpretation of the dudes as animals. Do I smell a collab coming on…?

Yesterday morning we got to Baltimore, parked our buses and hopped onto school buses to head over to the official Warped Tour clean up. Every year, the tour partakes in a different community service project on an off day. Yesterday, we helped an organization called Blue Water Baltimore in their Pavement to Prairie campaign that turns parking lots into parks. A ton people working on the tour, some great bands (like Enter Shikari and Big D & the Kids Table) and some local volunteers all came together to dig up the ground, lay soil and paint a mural behind a local school. After just a few hours of work, the difference was incredible. We didn’t have time to finish the project, but I look forward to seeing how it all turns out. Even though it was a tough day of work, helping a school and making a huge impact on the local environment was an awesome feeling. The Mayor of Baltimore even came out to thank all of the volunteers!

Bad Rabbits, Bad Rabbits, Bad Rabbits: the band that every band on the tour talks about and one of the most talented and entertaining bands on the tour. I had the pleasure to spend some time with the guys yesterday and I was either constantly impressed or hysterically laughing. Right in the middle of our interview one of the guys farted and from then on, we acted like 6th graders. On that note, a little warning, the video below does get a little childish with farting noises. You’ve been warned. On the bright side, you will probably get a good chuckle out. Also, a little shout-out to Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister for coming out yesterday and talking to a huge group of kids during the Earn It Yourself meeting. Talk about an all-star day.

Long Island yesterday was a little bit crazy. There were a ton of really enthusiastic fans (like having sing-a-longs while waiting for a band to begin) and as always lots of industry people because we were in NY. I talked to Rory from Enter Shikari about touring in the states and their recent signing with Hopeless, and I'll post that in my video for tomorrow. Yesterday our buddies in 3OH!3 jumped off the tour. I'm gonna miss them and their antics, but now "My First Kiss" won't constantly be stuck in my head. They were also big helpers in the eco campaign that Warped does, so we'll miss them there too. Last night we had a huge BBQ that practically everyone was at. Big D & The Kids Table even filmed part of their music video right in the middle of it all! Things got a little crazy once Travie McCoy started DJing and a massive dance party broke out. Its awesome to get to let loose and hang with everyone at night after working and sweating all day.

Yesterday when I got off my bus in Burgettstown (Pittsburgh), I couldn’t remember the venue until I walked around for about 10 minutes and saw the giant hill that I rolled down last year. So many fond memories there. Warped Tour vets Anti-Flag came out and did a special guest performance for their hometown, so I gave front man Justin Sane my camera for the day to show us around. While he had my video camera, I ran around snapping pictures of random things going on around the venue. I had to hide the cameras for a good part of the night when it started pouring rain. I got a nice little natural shower though and it felt great.

Yesterday in Camden, NJ, I asked Matt from I Set My Friends On Fire and Kenny, the stage manager for the Nintendo 3DS stage (ISMFOF’s summer home), to interview each other. When I asked them, both were really excited about it because they’ve worked together for two summers and have since become BFFs. Both guys have busy schedules, so we had to do it during another band’s set (sorry about the loud music-it’s The Ready Set, by the way), but we had a little ice cream social during it so it was just lovely. Even though Camden is in New Jersey, its considered the Philly show because its just across the bridge from PA. Philly’s own The Wonder Years played to a packed crowd of kids singing every line. I ran down to the pit to feel a piece of what the kids were feeling, but honestly, all I felt was sticky, gross, and sweaty. I love you, TWY, but I’m gonna stay away from all your moshing fans for now.

Yesterday in Cleveland, I woke up, got the wrong donut for breakfast, but it was still good. I then met up with 3OH!3 to go into downtown Cleveland for press at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I’ve met the dudes a few times but I was still a little nervous because it was just them, their tour manager and me for the afternoon. The dudes were super nice and really relaxed. It was interesting to see their different personalities in action. Nat was playing silent backseat driver to the crazy guy taking us there (which the car did “break down” on our way back) while Sean was messing around on his phone. After getting a little tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we went up to a separate room for their interview. When we made it back to the venue, their band was practicing a few covers in the front lounge, which Sean & Nat quickly joined in on. They ended up doing a slower, rock version of Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” during their set, which Sean danced all around the stage for. Also during their set, the guys sometimes bring someone in the crowd up to do the robot during their new song “Robot”. After mentioning that I know how to use my metal parts, I was dancing on stage. Crazy to be in front of thousands of fans! Thanks 3OH!3 for a rad day, I hope you guys make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame someday.

Over the past few days, I'v asked a bunch of bands including The Devil Wears Prada, Big D & The Kids Table and The Wonder Years about their first pair of Vans. You can see what they all had to say in the video below and see what Vans employees (I’m in there too!) had to say here. In Milwaukee yesterday, I asked Scott from Unwritten Law a few questions about the history of music and where he thinks the future lies. One question that he really dwelled on was focusing on underrated artists that had an influence on music today. The first person who he credited was Buddy Holly saying “he didn’t get the credit due that was owed to him with the success of The Beatles, when in reality, what I would like to believe, he created the sound that The Beatles took and formatted into what would become pop rock history.” He also spoke about the way that Black Sabbath played, saying that had a lot to do with heavy music falling into what it is today, especially with the way music is on the Warped Tour this summer. Scott has so much knowledge about music and had a really interesting perspective on its past and future. Make sure to check out Unwritten Law and watch them in action on the tour.

Spent the day in Hartford, CT yesterday, which was just a dust bowl. I feel like with Warped venues, you can never win. If its gravel or dirt then it gets really dusty and if its concrete then its 20 degrees hotter. I lied, you can win, with grass. We need more grass! I spent some time hanging out inside the amphitheater and by press just talking to people and getting to know some of the bands a little better. I had a lovely talk with Matt of I Set My Friends On Fire about everything from how the tour is going to his Hello Kitty bandaid to Fergie etc. I’m excited to get to know him and do some fun shiz with him. I hung around We Came As Romans for a while too and ran into Austin from Of Mice & Men who was taking pictures with fans. We had a BBQ last night, but the real party was over in a parking lot where a bunch of people, including all the Set Your Goals guys were playing wiffle ball. I gotta get in the game next time and show you guys the fun! I uploaded enough photos on Flickr to make your head explode, so check 'em out.

Bonjour, Je m'appelle Allison. Parlez vous francais. Merci. That’s about the extent of my French. Thankfully, I wasn’t sliggin’ merch this year so I didn’t have to try to translate too much today in Montreal. Today we said goodbye to another incredible band, Foxy Shazam. I would say they won for craziest, most entertaining set, so if you didn’t get to see them while they were out, I feel very sorry for you. On the bright side, ska’s own Planet Smashers closed down the main stage tonight. Something about their set that did confuse me though is that they sing in English, but in between songs they would talk in French. Isn’t it just easier to stick with one language? Maybe I’m just thinking silly because I couldn’t understand a word. Thanks mom for not letting me take French in high school. Remember how I crowd surfed yesterday? Well, beware out there. I saw a girl just topple over the barricade today during The Wonder Years’ set. Soupy jumped off the stage and made sure she was ok, which thankfully, she was. Make sure you’re safe out there, we don’t want you comin’ out and getting hurt. Have a great time out there, but always safety first.

Canada! Canada is always a good time, other than the whole no internet or phone thing. Toronto is awesome because all the fans are incredibly stoked to be there and see bands they never get to see and the bands have a great time because the fans are so positive. Apparently super soaker companies love the Vans Warped Tour because we show up in the morning and there are boxes and boxes and boxes of super soakers. Probably more than 200 squirt guns in total. Its safe to say that everyone was really stoked on them. There were duct tape holsters, extra cartridges hanging from carabineers, and a lot of wet kids. I had a little spontaneous moment when I was walking up to catch the last song of Set Your Goals’ set and I realized that for the first time during their set, I only had my mini video camera on me instead of all my gear and Minnie Mouse fanny pack. My first thoughts were and always are, strap camera to hand, run to the middle of the crowd and get thrown up. You now get to see me crowd surf in the video that I’ll post tomorrow. Have fun, but be safe out there!

Scanton, PA, home of the apparently non-existent rattlesnakes. Everyone tells you about them, but I didn’t see a single one so I’m calling it a lie. Any who, I interviewed Of Mice & Men with a few of your twitter questions, and it was the first time Phil & Alan had done press together, so you’re in for a treat! I’m doing an interview with 3OH!3 when we get back in the states, so send all of your lingering questions for Sean & Nat over to me. Last night, I picked up dinner, put my plate down at a booth, ran over to main stage and shot Paramore, ran back to the booth for a bite, ran to the other side of the venue to shoot Of Mice & Men and got really distracted because I was having too much fun shooting. By the time I made it back to the booth, they were closed down and my food was just sitting on a random table. Needless to say, I’m now starving, so catering here I come! P.S. We are in Canada today and tomorrow so I won’t be tweeting, but send me questions, eh.

Yesterday we stopped in Mansfield, Massachusetts aka the Boston date (total lies, we were an hour away from Boston. Tease). I love the Boston accents though, I felt like I was a character in Good Will Hunting or something. The venue was interesting though because it was half in the woods. You had to walk through a nice little forest in order to get from the main part of the venue to the amphitheater. This did however create a lot of traffic, especially when it started pouring rain and everyone was trying to get to the amphitheater to stay dry. It was awesome though because Street Dogs got to play their hometown show to a jam-packed amphitheater. The bummer of the day (other than everyone getting drenched) was that the rain messed up a few of the stages and put the show on hold for a bit. But rain or shine, Warped Tour goes on! You can’t bring us down! I’m gonna go hang with Pam and Jim now that we are in Scranton. BRB.

I always look forward to the Buffalo, NY date on tour because its my old, old home. Yesterday we played at Darien Lake, which is an amusement park with an amphitheater connected to it. The staff was really awesome and let all us crazy kids in for free all day. Since it was just a random Tuesday and the festival was going on next door, the park was kinda empty aka no lines! I hit up the batting cages with Set Your Goals who could probably school any competition that came their way. AJ from The Dangerous Summer is a little scaredy-cat when it comes to rollercoaster so I promised him an easy ride in exchange for playing games with me. We chose the carousel for nostalgia purposes, and because there were a bunch of tiny children on it, which comforted AJ.

Yesterday was a sad day on Warped Tour because it was a bunch of the bands last day on the tour. During The Bots last performance, they invited all of their friends ranging from Sharks to Lionize to Pepper to Automatic Loveletter to join them on stage for a sing-a-long. Mikaiah, ½ of The Bots, even jumped into the crowd and joined in on the circle pit (you can see he runs right past me to get back on stage). The Bots may only be in their young teens, but are clearly already incredible musicians and wise beyond their years. Plus, their entire crew (mom, dad, friend techs, aunt, etc) are all really awesome. I would spot them all dancing to The Aggrolites and Street Dogs on a daily basis (but who wouldn’t be dancing along?). Another band leaving us are my friends in Hellogoodbye. They closed down the show with all of their friends on stage including having Soupy from The Wonder Years join in on vocals. Dance parties all day and night long. To all the bands that had to part ways from the tour, good luck and we’ll miss ya!

In Tinley Park, IL (the “Chicago date”) was hardly the Windy City, but it was still pretty fun! I was just having a casual conversation with Chris from Big D & The Kids Table, and all of a sudden he starts talking like Mickey Mouse. Me being a big Disney fan, and acting like an 8 year old, made him talk like Mickey for the rest of the conversation. He followed with a few other random impressions he does. I finished my day with a huge dance party at Bad Rabbits’ set. There were members from practically every band on the tour dancing and singing along. I saw The Acacia Strain, Set Your Goals, Of Mice & Men, Foxy Shazam, Big Chocolate, Hellogoodbye, The Wonder Years, The Devil Wears Prada and so many more just busting a move. I think they could definitely win the Warped Tour superlative of “band other bands love to watch”. I’m hoping to win most likely to accessorize or something ridiculous like that. Its like high school all over again, minus the jocks. Minnesota today, so you can expect some really horribly done impersonations and some Bobby’s World accents.

Detroit Rock City. Seriously though, rock frikkin city. Huge, I mean huge, rowdy crowds all day. I wasn’t feeling too great today, but seeing y’all going crazy made me feel better instantly. I was constantly ducking to not get hit by shoes, waterbottles, and those weird dome-shaped hats that you always try on, but never buy. All the photogs in the pit even got kicked out early during We Came As Romans because it was too dangerous for us thanks to all the crowd surfers. It took me like ten minutes just to walk twenty feet because there were so many people squeezing by. You made me happy, Detroit.

Noblesville, IN was cool yesterday. My bus was very conveniently parked right next to the Nintendo 3DS and Tilly’s/AP stages and a giant amphitheater. I spent a lot of time (and leg muscle) running back and forth from behind the stage to the front of the stage to experience the different aspects of the show. Indiana, my entire family is from your lovely state, I even used to live in it, and let me tell you, you let me down a little bit. I don’t think you gave it your all. Next year, Indy, I’m forcing you to give it everything you’ve got. I’ve got faith in you. What was madness though was the new Vans Girls tent and DIY station. I maaaaaaay be a little bit biased because I work for Girls but, ladies you were the definition of awesome yesterday. One of my favorite things about this tour is that everyone supports each other. I know I’ve brought it up before, but we’re like a big happy family over here. I spotted Jordan from Set Your Goals giving Dave from Big D and The Kids Table their new CD to check out. In bus world after the show was over, I found the Asking Alexandria dudes having fun with Black Veil Brides. Screw the examples, just come to the tour and you’ll be surprised who you see watching other bands. On to Detroit, MI aka the Detroit Tigers stadium so expect some photos next to a giant tiger statue.

Yesterday we revisited Bonner Springs, KS, which was our hottest and most dreaded day from last year. It actually started out a pretty great morning, the sun was hiding and it looked like rain, but then it pulled the ‘ole switcheroo on us and got disgustingly hot and humid. Talk about a total bummer, I wanted rain! If you’re coming in the next few days, you may say a little “huh?” to yourself when you look to your right and see the 3OH!3 merch tent, but then look at the schedule and realize they aren’t on it. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a mistake, the boys are out of town for a few days, but that leaves an open slot on main stage. Yesterday, Larry & His Flask got asked to open up the main stage. That’s a pretty rad wake up call to get. Today D.R.U.G.S. joins up and will be holding that spot. The dudes in D.R.U.G.S. have been around for awhile in other bands, but its crazy to think that they just released their first album as a band and they are already playing main stage alongside bands like Less That Jake, who have been around for nearly 20 years and have put out 8 albums. That’s a sweet gig if you ask me. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Noblesville, IN date last year, and I used to live in Indiana, so that saying a lot. Y’all gotta make up for last year and totally bring it today. Lets see what ya got!

Everyone always looks forward to the Ventura date because it A. has the best weather and B. is about 50 feet from the ocean; talk about best day ever. Not to mention, all my friends came out, so I was a super happy camper. I ran around the venue a lot and hung out with all the pretty people behind the main stage, but I looked like a tourist with my Minnie Mouse fanny pack and cameras. What can I say, I embrace my inner nerd on a daily basis. Speaking of being a nerd, my life got pretty damn surreal right before Less Than Jake took the stage; my friend Roxanne came out to see one of her favorite bands play, but they wouldn’t let any one else on stage because there were already like 50 people up there. Roger, the bass player/singer, looks down and sees us standing backstage and yells to the security guards that we are with him so we have to be on the stage. Talk about day being made. That was my total nerdy rockstar moment. I would like to take this time to say thank you to my Vans crew. I love my life. Its been rad to meet some of you guys. Make sure to tweet at me (@alliemadigan) on the day of your show and we’ll meet up because I have an insane amount of stickers to give out. I’m now sitting in a hotel on our off day, being totally lame on the Fourth of July, but I’m in Vegas, so I’m not complaining. Kansas, I’ll see you on Wednesday and we’ll party.

What a beautiful time yesterday in Mountain View, CA was! The venue we played was a historical place and had incredible memorabilia all around from all different artists that have played there in the past. I finally got to watch Lucero, and they had about 40 people on stage just watching them jam. It was awesome! They played in an amphitheater so a lot of people were sitting down, relaxing and just enjoying a nice break from all the heavy music. Speaking of heavy music, Enter Shikari was insane. I literally almost got jumped on 4 times because Rou, the singer, kept jumping off stage and into the crowd. Kids were going completely nuts! Don’t worry, I have it all on film and will show you all on my next video. The Wonder Years were also in the amphitheater, but instead of sitting down and relaxing, fans were crowd surfing over the seats. Plus, there was a marriage proposal in the middle of their set! So much pop-punk love! Continuing on with the pop-punk love, congratulations to Set Your Goals for playing a killer hometown show!





















P.S. The fun doesn't stop here! Check out our Flickr page for more photos.

Yeah, California! Yesterday in Pomona was INSANE. There were thousands of crazy fans, reporters, photographers, friends and family. There were huge groups of people everywhere you walked. I caught a little bit of Unwritten Law’s set for the first time and it was crazy! Their hometown fans sure are devoted to them; lots of singing along and rocking out. I spent some more time in bus world, just watching all of the bands do press and everyone was skateboarding, riding bikes or scooters everywhere. I think everyone loves California, because even if it seems like any other place, it has a relaxed and fun vibe. I was really happy yesterday because a few of my friends came out to the show, including my girls over at Viva La Rock! If you live in Southern California, make sure to stop by their hot pink tent at the Ventura, San Diego and Carson dates; you can pick up awesome Anarbor boxers, hoodies, crop tops, tote bags and so much more! Excited for Mountain View today, if I remember correctly, the venue is beautiful and shady, just like the weather!

Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Las Vegas! We rocked sin city yesterday for the first time in many years. Fans were stoked to be able to see all their favorite bands again and the bands were excited to be in the notorious city. The day started out wonderfully for me because we were across the street from a Starbucks! I caught up with Vans Warped Tour alumni, Christofer Drew of Never Shout Never, and Alex DeLeon and Joey Thunder of The Cab. Brian, the Monster Energy Pit Reporter, two friends and I explored a near by parking garage trying to get pictures of the festival from above, but we were greeted by an angry security guard instead. Oops. I dropped by Set Your Goals’ set and got some sweaty high fives from the dudes as they finished their set. I also popped by a few signings including Pepper, who tried to eat a girl’s cotton candy blue hair, Simple Plan, and The Bots. When walking around, make sure to keep your eyes open for Larry & His Flask playing all around the venue. They are all in fun vintage inspired suits so they should be hard to miss! Also, make sure to drop by the Boarding For Breast Cancer tent and find out more about their mission. You can tell my girl, Whitney, that I sent you! Back home-ish in Pomona today; oh, California, how I’ve missed you!

Las Cruces yesterday was beautiful and breezy, which is always awesome! A few things to check out are the Nintendo 3DS tent where you can play video games in the shade and attend signings; hit up the Ernie Ball tent and check out the guitars they have there. Also, for select days, the Dear Jack Foundation will be giving out cut the line passes for signings at the Kia tent; all you need to do is give a donation! I caught a ton of bands including Of Mice & Men, Big D and The Kids Table, Hellogoodbye (who danced with their huge bowling trophy), Larry and His Flask, The Dangerous Summer and There For Tomorrow. I also caught Pepper’s set and its so much fun! There were a ton of crowd surfers with the biggest smiles. I have found that I really need to keep myself from totally rocking out in the pit during all these bands. There have been so many kids traveling long (and I mean looooong) distances to attend the shows and let me tell you, everyone here appreciates the dedication to your favorite bands. We’re in Las Vegas today so I’m going to go gamble all my money. Just kidding! I’ll be rocking out all day at the show! Anyways, creep the video and photos below (and on flickr!) for some highlights of my day. Oh, and I get drenched in a water fight.

Last night the Vans Warped Tour invaded Las Cruces, NM, and bowled the night away at the annual TJ Martell Bowling Tournament. The tournament started out with over 30 teams of bands, sponsors and production workers. After three rounds and many hours of strikes, spares, gutter balls and teamwork, Hellogoodbye took home the first place trophy and became the new champs. August Burns Red took second place, behind Hellogoodbye by only 14 pins. The Rocket 99.5, a New Mexico radio station who sponsored and hosted the event, took third place. I bowled one time, and it was pure gutter. I think my bragging about how I would dominate the tournament turned against me and I did horrible. I had a great time though, so, oh well! Today in Las Cruces it’s a high of 101°, so its going to be a warm one!











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We finished our Texas run yesterday in San Antonio and it definitely set the standard for the rest of the tour. I tagged along with my friend Selena who co-runs the Earn It Yourself program that happens everyday on Warped Tour. If you’ve never heard of the EIY program, its all about earning your success without compromising and with dignity. The program at Warped Tour stresses that everyone must come together and help each other. Doing something big isn’t something that happens over night, it takes a lot of work and a lot of people to make it happen. Its especially cool because anyone attending the tour can go to the meeting and Kevin Lyman, the Warped Tour founder speaks and answers questions and bands go and give their input as well. At our meeting yesterday, the singer of Shut Up and Deal, who also co-runs the program, had two of the Hellogoodbye guys and their tour manager/manager answer questions and give advice as well. I watched Bad Rabbits’ set and oh, my goodness, they are awesome. Definitely a fun, chill set to catch! Remember the other day how I mentioned that you never know who might be watching the band with you? I was in the pit shooting I Set My Friends On Fire and I look over the side of the stage and the singer of Foxy Shazam is watching them play. Talk about a difference in genre! Everyone on this tour supports each other and there are no boundaries on who can be friends or fans of each other. We’ve got two days off in Las Cruces, New Mexico and we’re doing the annual TJ Martell Bowling Tournament, so be ready for some strikes in the next update! My team is totally going to beat everyone else's team, they don’t even know what’s coming their way.

Like what you see below? Che-che-check out my Flickr for even more madness coming your way!

No hurricanes in Houston! Like I mentioned yesterday, last year we hit a huge hurricane in Houston and it rained for almost the entire day, making the venue a gross swamp of mud. Despite the dust, yesterday was a beautiful day! In the morning I watched Hellogoodbye, and I forgot how great their live show was. They had a massive crowd signing along and clapping to every song. The band rewarded all of the fans by throwing out multiple water bottles to them. Yesterday was a day for signings. Everywhere I turned, I saw some incredible bands signing for a line of hundreds of fans. From 3OH!3 at the Kia tent to Set Your Goals, A Day To Remember and The Devil Wears Prada at the Vans tent, everyone gives back to their fans. Check the board at the Vans tent across from mainstage where the blowup is, because they will be holding some awesome signings all summer. I hit up We Came As Romans’ set on the Advent stage and holy crap, I now understand the hype. I had never heard them before but it was such a fun set for everyone. Looking forward to meeting those dudes and watching them more. I’m excited for San Antonio today; I’ll be flying solo for now after Miss Amanda Rae left, but she’ll be back soon to run a Vans Girls tent so ladies keep your eyes open for announcements about that!

Day 1 of the Vans Warped Tour was officially a success! From Attack Attack! opening up the main stage with a full on chicken fight, to the human runway at Less Than Jake, to the screaming and devoted fans at every stage baracade, Dallas brought it. I walked around a lot, just people watching and stopping in front of a stage if I liked what I heard, which is how I stumbled upon The Aggrolites. I had never experienced their ska/reggae entertainment before, but it was pretty awesome! There were plenty of people slow jamming it out during their set. I wanted to check out The Devil Wears Prada after meeting them yesterday and not only were they incredibly energetic on stage, I found it difficult to contain myself so that I wouldn't start rocking out in the pit. Definitely a band you HAVE to see. It is awesome to see the comradely amongst all the bands. While watching The Wonder Years jam in the amphitheater, they were suggesting to kids to run over and watch Set Your Goals once they finished their set. Of course then, Set Your Goals returned the love and asked the audience who had just checked out their friends in The Wonder Years. I think Warped Tour is a unique tour in that bands from all different sizes and genres become friends and support each other. You never know what band member you’ll see watching someone else side-stage! Make sure when you come to the tour to also check out the non-profit area of tent world. My friends at the Dear Jack Foundation are going to be filming a documentary about what its like to be a non-profit on tour in which your main goals are educating and raising money.
Last year when we played Houston, we were in a massive hurricane, but today the weather looks beautiful. Here’s hoping it stays that way!

On Wednesday afternoon, Amanda and I flew over to Dallas to prepare for the rehearsal day that all of Warped Tour had yesterday. I mainly spent the day walking around and getting settled into my bus while running into a ton of friends. Rehearsal day is what I would consider the first day of school because everyone is excited and a little nervous, and meeting up with old friends from last year while also meeting all the new people. Something that is huge this year on Warped is the water movement that production has worked so hard on. There is a company out on the entire tour called Klean Kanteen and they will have a tent set up where anyone can get free water all day, all you need is some type of bottle to hold it in. The water at the venue will also be only $3. You now have no excuse for not staying hydrated.
Yesterday, a local Dallas Vans store held a signing with The Devil Wears Prada and 300 kids. I had never met the guys before, but they were really excited and good sports about meeting, signing, and taking pictures for everyone. It was cool to actually meet up with them and see what they are all about. It should be rad to watch them play everyday and to get to know the guys a little bit more. This also means that I’ll be covering them more, so get excited!
I’m stoked on the first day today, so lets see what Dallas has to offer!

Welcome to the Vans Warped Tour Blog! I’m Allie and I’ll be keeping you updated everyday from the road. I’ll be sharing exclusive photos and video footage of different bands, behind the scenes and a lot of fun things about being on tour. Make sure to check back here everyday and to follow me on Twitter @alliemadigan for even more updates.



Bands you can expect to see a lot of:
3OH!3
A Day To Remember
Against Me!
Bad Rabbits
Bid D And The Kids Table
D.R.U.G.S.
Enter Shikari
Gym Class Heroes
I Set My Friends On Fire
Less Than Jake
Lucero
Of Mice & Men
Paramore
Pepper
Planet Smashers
Set Your Goals
Street Dogs
Sum 41
The Aggrolites
The Black Pacific
The BOTS
The Devil Wears Prada
Unwritten Law
We Came As Romans

See you out there!

All good things come to an end whether you want them to or not. The feelings seemed to be pretty mixed on that exact subject as I talked with many of the bands from this years line up. Let's play a game called how many bands can you fit in one video, deal? Check out what Hey Monday, Pierce The Veil, Eyes Set To Kill, Fake Problems, The Cab, We Are The In Crowd, Andrew WK, Confide, Closure In Moscow, You Me At Six, Iwrestledabearonce, Breathe Electric, Anarbor, Mayday Parade, Mike Posner, Versaemerge, and more had to say about the tour coming to a close in the video below. I have had an amazing summer, thank you all so much for following along with me. Thanks especially to those of you who I met at your stops that came and said hello. I hope you all had the time of your lives as well and who knows, maybe I'll catch you again next year. A few photos of me and some of my best friends from this tour goofing off and saying goodbyes are also down there under the video. Until next year, adios.

Second to last day of tour. George, Washington... yes, really. The venue was called The Gorge, and I am not sure I have ever heard a more fitting name for a place. The scenery was absolutely beautiful but the incline was no joke. Everyone had to load in and out on a really steep hill which caused for some really close calls with losing carts and such. The Glamour Kills and AP Advent stages were housed in an ampitheater down at the bottom while other booths and stages remained at the top. I checked out Rev Peyton's Big Damn Band after they told me they would be having an "All Star Jam" during their last song. They weren't kidding. Members from The Pretty Reckless, Reel Big Fish, The Casualties, Haste The Day, Andrew WK, and more flooded the stage for the bands hit "Two Bottles of Wine." The crowd went crazy and everyone was having a blast. After that I caught up with Alesana, and You Me At Six who had Tay Jardine do guest vocals during their set. Check it all out below.

For the 50th day of tour things started to get pretty bittersweet. Homestretch, 3 shows left and then adios. Boise, Idaho is where we stopped for our first show back out of California. I caught sets from typical tour acts like The Word Alive and Mike Posner, but a big surprise was in store when I wondered by the Kevin Says stage during The Bots set. The kids, literally KIDS, were jamming so hard that I spyed a few members of The Dillenger Escape Plan and Every Time I Die lurking in the crowd. Watch the video and decide for yourself, but that's some serious backage. I also hung out with my friends Jersey from Hey Monday and Brian from The Summer Set. After a long discussion about press and interviews Jersey decided he wanted to "interview" Brian about some things... Way to be a good sport B, way to be.

We were in Sacramento... or Marysville, CA which is close enough for day 49. Lots of fun things going on, tons of signings and merch sales. We are getting so close to the end and everyone is having crazy sales to clear out their stock. I checked in on the Canvas Foundation where you can donate to get some paint and use it in whatever eay you deem appropriate. I also watched Every Time I Die's set and Rev Peyton. I love both of those bands, they put on such fun shows. Here are a few photos from the day. On to Idaho tomorrow... I hear there will be horses?

A late night dance party went down in San Diego last night and there is plenty of video from that. I should warn that things got a little bit crazy and may be a little bit PG-13... sorry but I really can't control the masses at a Saved by The Bell themed dance party. After all the madness everyone was pretty tired for a huge show in Pomona. I checked in on a few friends sets and hung out with some people that came out from the Vans office. Only a few days left.

Wow internet has been a nightmare this week. So many fun things have been going on and I haven't even been able to show you guys! Day 46 was an off day in Vegas. My bus and a few others stayed at the Green Valley Resort and it was awesome. My friends Jess Bowen, Joel Piper, and I hung out by the pool for a good half of the day for some much needed R&R. I caught dinner later in the evening and even played a little roulette... well tried too at least. In the end only left Vegas down about $20 and I am pretty sure I spent three quarters of it on frozen yogurt haha. Great day off though, early bus call and on to San Diego. Once we got there, it was immediatley clear that the day was going to be crazy. So many friends and family out because being back in California means being close to home for tons of people on this tour. I caught my friends Pierce The Veil's hometown set and man were you guys stoked! They always have great crowds, but seeing them at home was really crazy. After that I headed over to the Kia tent to check out Derek from Mayday Parade doing some acoustic songs for a big group of fans, and last but not least I met up with Street Sweper Social Club to chat for a few then watched their set. Definitely a tour favorite for me, their set is so much fun... I mean they do an M.I.A. cover, how can you resist? Oh and another big tour moment was on it's way that night. Micah Dean was throwing his annual dance party and it was a Saved By The Bell theme this year... More on that tomorrow.

Denver, CO was apparently a mile high. Just check out the front of the stadium in the photo below. Being at that high of an elevation was kind of weird for me, the air is really thin and it's harder to breathe I guess I am just not used to it. The show was awesome though. I checked in on Fight Fair, Fake Problems, and Haste The Day. It was Breathe Carolina's hometown show so they had an awesome crowd too. My good friend Joel Piper from Confde played some of his solo project songs in the Girlz Garage for a little acoustic set, and the rain hit us once again. The weather on this tour will never cease to amaze me. The stadium itself was really cool and had awesome locker rooms, thanks for the hot shower Denver haha, and last but not least there is an off day in Vegas tomorrow. Dear Las Vegas prepare yourself please.

Day 43 was ANOTHER drive/off day coming out of Canada, we crossed the border around 6:00 AM with a bunch of the other buses, it was cold and everyone was super sleepy and just wanted to crawl back in our bunks. The rest of the day was spent in Montana at a cute little town where we got lunch and coffee and just kind of hung out during a crazy mountain downpour. Day 44 was a show day in Salt Lake City. I checked out sets from Pennywise and Anti-Flag, as well as got caught up in a wind storm and enjoyed the mountain scenery. Check it all out below, and on to Denver, CO tomorrow. I hear the drive is killer.

How do three days get thrown into one post you ask? Well... when the first two days are spent driving to the show haha. It was a crazy trek from Kansas to Edmonton. We drove from 11:00 PM until about 5:00 PM the next day then took a break at a hotel for a while then drove overnight and into the morning of the show. It was a long way to go for one show and a lot of the bands didn't get to make it unfortunately. The show was a smaller one but the fans were stoked and it was a lot of fun. The crews, bands, and production were visibly tired but still pulled everything off. Here are some photos and a few video clips. Another full drive day ahead to get back into the US and to the Salt Lake City show.

Day 39 was in Bonner Springs which is near Kansas City. It was a strange venue, the ampitheater wasn't covered and it was pretty freaking hot. I definitely increased my ridiculous tan lines. i think I will permanately have a Vans Lo Pro line on my feet as well as a tank top line on my shoulders haha. The crazy thing about this day is that for me it really set in how close we are to the end. The time is seriously flying by so fast, only 13 days left and I think four of them are off/driving days... insanity. So before I dwell on that too long and get really bummed, on to Canada! It's going to take us two days to drive there so you better be ready Edmonton.

Shakopee, MN was one of the smallest venues we have been at and was surrounded by hills so as we got off our buses we could look down into the park area. Everyone was pretty crammed together and there were crazy clusters of kids everywhere. It was almost impossible to get across the venue while certain bands were playing and the hot weather had returned so people were a little grumpy. Regardless, I had fun checking out Deas Vail on the Kevin Says stage, watching some of the Hey Monday kids do acoustic in the Kia tent where they covered a Jason Derulo song, and heard from Skullcandy stage manager Brooklyn who claims he hates everything... (except me & Tay.) I also caught We Are The In Crowd's set where the crowd did some choreographed sitting... no really, and hung out at The Summer Set's show where The Angry Penguin made an appearance. I hung out with some of you guys and helped some girls cut there new band tees into cool tanks, then closed out the day by watching Reel Big Fish.

Chicago was a fun one. I helped collect some signed pieces of equiptment for a charity auction, watched a few sets including my buds Of Mice and Men, and hung out in the press room a lot. There was no video allowed in the venue again today so I brought you guys some clips from behind the scenes instead. Watch the video below to hear from Never Shout Never, Closure In Moscow, Set Your Goals, and more. On to Minnesota tomorrow, I hear we will be back in the heat... bummer.

Detroit Rock City! Sorry... I had to say that at least once. We were at Tiger Stadium which had all sorts of crazy Tiger decor and a baseball shaped ferris wheel. There was also a free Starbucks tent for everyone on the tour and that definitely made a lot of people's day. Unfortunately there were a LOT of crazy rules, one of which was that no video was allowed at all. I shot some fun stills for you guys instead. The weather was incredible and the stadium was really cool. It was Mike Posner's hometown show so he had a pretty solid crowd. I caught Breathe Carolina's full set finally and Kyle crowd surfed (literally on a surf board). After the show was done there was a tour party called Mustacho Basho at a nearby club. Everyone had to wear a fake (or in some cases real) mustache. It was so much fun and i think everyone was really glad to have a fun night out. We hit the buses literally right at 12:30... on second thought we might have been a minute or two late hahah but no fear they didn't leave anyone. It was definitely a mad dash from the party to the bus park and I'm sure probably looked hilarious to any onlooker who didn't know what was going on.

Everyone was so stoked on Milwaukee as soon as we stepped off the buses. The weather
was incredible, I got to wear shorts and a big comfy flannel all day! Loved it so much. I started out the day by touring around the venue with my bud Caleb Shomo from Attack Attack. We checked out some crazy buildings and the gorgeous view behind the Skullcandy stage. Then I checked in on the ampitheater and caught lunch with The Cab and Anarbor. Spoiler alert, Greg shaved his head! I swung by the press room where Andrew WK gave me a nice update on how he feels the tour is going, and Pierce The Veil also said hello. I saw Ice Nine Kills on the Kevin Says Stage for the first time and played this awkward iPad game with Dave at the Fearless tent. Check it all out below.

After the Eco clean up day yesterday, those who did it were pretty tired in Cincinnati. The seven day stretch of tour dates and extra hot weather had everyone kind of on edge. The venue was cool because there were two ampitheaters and the Main stage was in one while the AP/Advent and Glamour Kills stages rotated in the other. It was really hot again, so luckily that left lots of room for kids to cool off. I caught sets from Emmure, Four Year Strong, and The Word Alive, as well as some acoustic things happening in the Kia tent and Girlz Garage. Here are a few photos from the day. Back to video tomorrow in Milwaukee!

For Day 33, we had an off day in Nashville, TN and a lot of the tour signed up as volunteers to help out with Hands On Nashville. Because of devastating floods to the Nashville area there is tons of trash that needs to be cleaned up in several natural areas, we took over this one creek area and while it was exhausting it felt great to help out. Check out what happened in this video recap:

Hotlanta! You lived up to your name... for about half of the day anyways, then the crazy storm that seems to be following us found the venue and things got messy. I caught up with Breathe Carolina and Sum 41 in the morning, then saw an acoustic set from Tip The Van in the afternoon before they had to shut the stages down because of lightning and wind. An on the spot decision had to be made to move a few of the days closing bands into the ampitheater. Four Year Strong and Bring Me The Horizon changed stages and played inside to a packed crowd. After the show we packed up and moved out to Nashville, TN for our off day where we had a scheduled Eco clean up project.

Orlando was awesome, I met a lot of you guys too! The day started off with me swinging by the main Vans tent at the perfect time to accidentally meet Team America (or something like that...) My really good friends The Cab kicked off the sets and got moved to the main stage for the day and had a great crowd. Brian from The Summer Set also joined them on stage for one song. I hung out with Sierra from VersaEmerge in her trailer, and then met Tanner from Disco Curtis who closed things out by playing an acoustic song just for you guys.

My good friend Ashley came out for the day and we had tons of fun seeing lots of sets and meeting some of you guys. Ashley had never been to Warped Tour or anything like it really so it was fun showing her around and watching all of my friends sets. Extra hot and sweaty as Florida always is, but surprisingly no rain! After the crazy storm the day before everyone was expecting it to continue I think, but it fooled us. Ash and I took a friend of hers little sister on stage to see her favorite band Bring Me The Horizon and it was really cool, she was stoked and it was fun to watch. That night Britt who does merch for The Cab told us all about some haunted house near the venue and everyone went on a search, when I say everyone I literally mean like 35 people haha the group kept growing the farther we walked but no such house was found of course... I goofed and plugged my camera in wrong in my bunk the night before so it didn't actually charge. So unfortunately it died before the hunt, but here is a short video from the day for you guys:









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I wonder how many giant storms or hurricanes one tour can run into? Well, we are racking them up for sure. The venue in St. Petersburg is beautiful and right on the water. I started the day off by hitting up the beach area with my friend Josh from Confide before the storm broke in. Right as doors were opening it was obvious that we were about to get dumped on. I went to check out You Me At Six's set and then the rain really came in. Thanks to the dude who fixed my flip cam with a bunch of tape, it worked enough to throw in a ziploc bag and film a little bit for you guys. I wasn't able to take out my normal video or still cameras because of the weather, so no photos today, sorry. Check out the storm, and Pierce The Veil's poncho superhero trend below. Oh and by the way, it IS possible to walk a hole through rainboots.

Alright, now I don't want to keep starting these things off the same, but oh my god was it freaking hot... Now that I have gotten that out of my system, check out the video and photos below. I gave my friend Shaun a haircut, caught Cassadee singing with Travis during We The Kings set, and hung out in press where a very funny and mildly awkward group interview was taking place involving Conditions, We Are The In Crowd, and Artist Vs Poet. I also met Stella from Dirty Little Rabbits, checked in on all of our boys at the main Vans tent, and learned what "tour appreciation day" consists of. At the end of the day I watched my bud Ross from Confide do guest vocals with Bring Me The Horizon... Oh and did I mention the 90's tunes 10 minute dance party? Well... you'll see. On to Florida... and into another hurricane.

I'd venture to say that this was the hottest day of the tour so far, but since I'm delayed in writing this and already experienced yesterday, it's getting worse each day now. In Virginia Beach we had some super soaker fights, tried to hide from the sun in tents, checked in on Dillinger Escape Plan and Cerebral Ballzy's sets, said hello to Attack Attack at their signing, and watched my busmate Matt play drums with Ace Enders. It was awesome because we had talked about that song and our mutual love for Ace's previous band The Early November many, many times. The weather started wearing everyone down and it will only get worse as we venture back down South and into Florida. I also shot a few stills at my good friends The Cab's set. Check it all out below:

Day 25 was an off day in Columbia, MD and my busmate Lauren and I took full advantage. We took long hot showers in our hotel room and then walked across the street to a huge mall where we met some other tour friends and did some serious shopping. After we got back we did some late night laundry and room service grilled cheeses, then got a solid nights sleep in real beds. It was a nice break and I think everyone really needed it. Day 26 We were still in Columbia for the tour stop, and everything was back to normal. Anarbor got bumped to main stage for the day and drew a great crowd. I caught up with Nick and Justin from A Rocket To The Moon to see what they have been up to on the tour, checked out my buds in Confide who had an amazing crowd, and even ended the day with a Starbucks drink from across the street. Check it out:

Took a break from video in Oceanport, NJ and just shot some photos for you guys. It was a lot of the bands last day on the tour. We had to say goodbye to All American Rejects, Motion City Soundtrack, Polar Bear Club, Enter Shikari and more. The day was filled with crazy sets and an even crazier layout in the venue. I did a live chat with Cassadee from Hey Monday that you can check out at vans.com/girlsblog and I learned more about Warped Eco, where they have recycled thousands of pounds of cans and bottles so far. Make sure to check them out on your tour stop and lend a helping hand.

Press, press, press, managers, managers, managers, labels, labels, labels... If I didn't know any better I would have said that we were at some sort of crazy music buisness convention. The Uniondale show was the closest stop we make to New York City where so many of these people live, so the show was bombarded by industry folks. The crowds in general were pretty huge, but that was nothing compared to backstage and sidestage. The venue had some crazy shooting rules and basically I wasn't allowed to video at all, so for today I'll leave you guys with some never before seen footage from Of Mice and Men. Even vocalist Jerry Roush took time out to weigh in on how the tour has been going so far, including what bands you should be watching, besides theirs of course. Check it out:

Day 21... It's my birthdayyyy! Well, it was my birthday. Now it is two days later and I just now got internet again! Our internet on the road is always so sketchy but the last few days it has just been miserable. We were in Camden, NJ (really close to Philly) and it was my birthday so I took the day off... sort of. I hung out with my amazing tour friends and watched all of their sets. It was also my bud Cameron's birthday who techs for The Summer Set and The Cab. The Cab gave both of us a sweet birthday shout out on stage, my busmates surprised me with an adorable cake, I got some birthday cards from you guys (THANKS!), and The Summer Set and We Are The In Crowd surprised Cameron and I with another huge cake on their bus. After all that we got five taxis and piled in to head into Philly to go see a movie. Had a blast with members and crew from The Summer Set, The Cab, and VersaEmerge. Everyone was so awesome and I had a great day. I am going to be super bummed when this tour is over and I won't be seeing each of them every day. Check out some video clips and photos below, no real sets for today just some birthday shenanigans.

I think I lost my mind in Scranton, PA. Well, maybe not entirely but at least halfway. Day 20 consisted of catching sets, catching up, and catching rattlesnakes. No, unfortunately I am not kidding. The venue apparently is home to several of them and had built in cages to collect them in when they are found too close to people or in the attached waterpark. Check out the video below if you don't believe me. You should also check out the video to see VersaEmerge, Set Your Goals, some fun in the Girlz Garage, and a few clips from the late night BBQ. Sorry for being behind, intenret has been scarce the last 2 days. Catching up as quickly as possible.











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Day 19 We were actually at Darien Center, but everyone kept calling it Buffalo. The day was awesome because the venue was attached to a theme park which we got to go to for free. I shot a few early morning things like the front gate line (which was ridiculous), an acoustic set from We Are The In Crowd in the Kia tent, a bit of Confide's set, and then it was time for rollercoasters! I was such a little kid hahah I hit the park with Josh and Trevor from Confide, it was also Trevor's birthday (bonus) as well as Tay from We Are The In Crowd, Jess from The Summer Set, and Marshall, Joey, and Deleon from The Cab. The Cab's tour manager Sonny did an excellent job of managing the situation and keeping us all together hahah BIG job. We had a blast though and we managed to sneak a flip cam on one of the roller coasters to video shhh! take a peek:













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Day 18 was an awesome relaxing off day where I literally did nothing but rest. Then today, day 19, you ruled. Plain and simple. I caught lunch with the Artist Vs Poet boys first, then went to watch All-American Rejects where their singer Tyson Ritter hijacked my camera onstage for a minute. He might not be the best camera man but he sings so well that it makes up for it. That might be one of my favorite clips from the tour so far, that crowd was insane. I also saw Anarbor and caught up with Greg about the venue today and tour so far, and last but not least I caught Sum 41's insane set with insane crowd in tow. Check out my favorite clips and photos from the day below. Early bus call tonight and we are already on our way to upstate New York, see you in the morning Darien Center... and as ALWAYS, I am required to give you a language warning because bands on stage can be extremely unpredictable.

Hartford, you were kind of a weird one. Day 17, first day back in the US. Tons of kids and a pretty packed venue. Lots of the stages were really close together so it made audio a bit difficult. Also, no narration from me, had zero voice yesterday and was told to rest it for the day. Sitting in a hotel near Boston right now and feeling good as new. I'm all yours again tomorrow guys! Checked out three sets from bands I had never seen, After Midnight Project, Mike Posner, and Mayday Parade. Just met Derek from Mayday Parade at lunch the other day so I decided to check out their set, he was such a sweetheart and it happened to be his birthday! So happy birthday to him, check out a few set clips and photos below. Back to full tour diaries tomorrow! See you bright and early Boston!

For our 2nd day in Canada things were incredibly different than the first. I got a history lesson from some kids early in the morning, and everyone spoke French. I learned some key phrases throughout the day, but they did not keep me from getting hassled by security. For some reason I must have looked extra menacing yesterday (not.) Anyways, I checked out Four Year Strong, Motion City Soundtrack, NeverShoutNever, and a lot more. I met up with the boys from We The Kings and we talked about the tour so far and learned that Miley Cyrus is not in fact on Warped Tour. I had a major fail by not taking a camera to catering at dinner time because Four Year Strong was running the dessert table and causing a general ruckus. I also met some of you guys while walking around with Tarcy from Artist Vs Poet, you guys ruled. Overnight border crossing then on to Hartford, CT.... and as always, with the video, I can't control what bands song lyrics are or what they say on stage. SO here is your language warning.

Today was my first experience in Canada and I have to say, you fans are crazzzy. I spent most of the day bouncing around with my buds The Cab, while they played, signed, and watched some of our friends sets. I also caught Andrew WK, Pierce The Veil and the end of NeverShoutNever. Even though the border crossing, rain, and exchange rate seemed to get everyone off to a rough start spirits were really high today and everyone got time away from all the technology and just hung out. No phones and internet can sometimes be a beautiful thing. So glad I have met some of the best people in the world on this tour, it makes days like today so much fun. Check out a few photos below and my video recap, see you in the morning Montreal.

Well I am actually in Canada as I write this because on our way out of Cleveland last night we had to go through border patrol and I didn't have time to upload anything for you guys! But here it is, Day 14: Cleveland, Ohio. The venue was crazy and right in the middle of downtown, there were some pretty cool buildings and bridges all around to check out, but parking was crazy! Also, on a non-tour related note, when we were trying to get out of there last night Lebron made his little announcement and people in the streets went crazy. Wrong place at the right time? Anyways... fun day, I caught Every Time I Die first thing in the morning and the day rolled on from there. Check it out in my recap below:

Congrats to Christian E. for winning our first 'Whose Vans?' contest from the 2010 Warped Tour. He got all 9 of the guesses correct, check out his list below. I'm out on the road all summer so stay tuned for another round and don't forget to check back every day for new photos and video from the tour.

1. Mike Ferri - We Are The In Crowd
2. Joe Westbrook - Artist Vs. Poet
3. Joshua Paul - Confide
4. Cameron Hurley - We Are The In Crowd
5. Joey Thunder - The Cab
6. Rob Chianelli - We Are The In Crowd
7. Joel Piper - Confide
8. Tarcy Thomason - Artist Vs. Poet
9. Tay Jardine - We Are The In Crowd

So today was a technical problem hell really.... My mic went out as well as at least 3 bands had to stop sets for major issues. If I didn't know any better I'd guess we were in the Bermuda Triangle or something. Regardless, everyone made it through and the crowds were pretty amped anyways. I caught an early set from The Rocket Summer, checked out the water slide, watched my girl Sierra sing in VersaEmerge, melted about 10 times in the crazy heat, then gave away two signed tank tops from The Cab and The Summer Set during their sets to people who were paying attention to my tweets! If you are coming out to Warped Tour make sure you are following @vansgirls on twitter for your updates. Here is a quick video and some shots from the day.

Day 12, We were just outside of Indianapolis I believe, although for a good 2 hours in the morning I had no idea what state we were even in. The tour time clock in always kind of wonky, because you go to sleep in one place and wake up in a completely different one every day. We are continuing on East Coast Time for the next few days which I know everyone is happy about, the more time zone changes, the more confusion and losing of sleep. Hmmm... re-reading all of that it sounds kind of negative, and I don't mean it to at all. We are having a great time out here on the road and everyone is getting close. It's like this extended family. Indianapolis, I have to say though, you were some big crowds but man did you look dead! Maybe it was the heat, but noone seemed too terribly stoked, even the kids in the front rows. I checked in with the Canvas Painting tent, as well as finally got to watch Hey Monday. I had been telling Jersey and Cassadee all week that I would. So check out the video below, and just a warning, there were some, umm... really dedicated fans that did some really gross stuff in the Kia tent during the Hey Monday signing.

Some of your favorite bands on Warped Tour have been rockin Vans both on stage and off here are 9 anonymous photos for you guys to play 'Whose Vans?' The person who gets the most correct guesses will win a pair of free shoes. To enter e-mail your guesses to vansgirls66[at]gmail.com with the subject 'WHOSE VANS' number them 1-9 top to bottom, as in the first picture is #1 and your guess is ______ etc... I'll give you a hint; these are all members from 4 different bands. Two of the bands play on the Skullcandy stage, One band plays on The AP/Advent stage, and one band plays on the Glamour Kills stage. You have until Thursday [7/8/10] at 9 PM PST/ Midnight EST. Good Luck! If you miss out on this batch don't worry, we'll do it again soon. CONTEST NOW CLOSED.

Day 10, everyone split and went different places. I went to Springfield, MO with most of the production and we had a day off for the 4th of July. Nothing to exciting to be honest, everyone got laundry done and got some good food. We had day hotel rooms to get legit showers and all. Day 11, We came to St. Louis for the show and the day started off solid. DRY! No rain! It got extra warm extra quick but I think most people were just happy to not be soaked. Today also started a 7 day stretch on the road. No off days this week, should be awesome. I got to watch part of Confide's set, hung out in the line at the Vans tent and met lots of you guys. We had Bring Me The Horizon, Every Time I Die, and Parkway Drive all back to back hanging out and signing. Check out these photos from the day.

Day 9, Dallas. Well... it didn't rain the entire day, and it wasn't a mudpit. That didn't stop it from falling out on us once though... It was a really hot normal warped tour day until about 5 PM, then the rain happen to hit just as our new buds Bring Me The Horizon were about to take the stage. The crowd was crazy! But before we get to that, I stopped by their bus and went to a signing with them so you guys can check out what a day on the tour is like for them. Which other bands on the tour would you like to follow around for a day? Language Warning, tour quotes and onstage sets can be a little unpredictable.

Ok, so basically we just THOUGHT the weather was rough in San Antonio. SA you got nothin on Houston. Thanks to Hurricane Alex out in the gulf we got pretty slammed, but as they say the show goes on... and it did. After about noon there was just no hope in being dry for the rest of the day, and seeing as doors didn't open til 1... well you guys can do that math. It was a hometown show for me and I was stoked to have some of my family and friends out. My mom was such a trooper, she even watched Bring Me The Horizon on stage as the last set at 10:15 last night. I fully embraced the mud pit... err... venue, and just went for having as much fun as possible. That being said, coverage from yesterday is pretty lacking pouring rain and crazy wind don't go so well with cameras. The bands were super amped on how many of you guys were still out there though and I saw so many crazy stage antics. Every Time I Die joined the tour yesterday as well and I think pretty much everyone was stoked on that. Backstage area was a madhouse of sopping wet bands, managers, and press, but nobody seemed to be too down. Here are a few pics from the drive the night before hanging with Confide, Artist Vs Poet, and We Are The In Crowd, a few from the morning before the weather got too crazy, and a few cell phone snaps... also a learned fact from the day, those little half sized ziploc bags make excellent phone rain cases. To bad it doesn't fit my camera hahah.

Rain, Rain, Rain... There was tons of it yesterday in San Antonio. You guys were total troopers though I can't even lie. Early morning sets were just getting dumped on and you fans were still out there supporting your favorite bands. I checked in with The Cab who were signing, as well as Artist Vs Poet. The Summer Set played in their underwear.... yes, seriously. Met some kids who were standing in front of our tent getting the schedule, and this chica who was rocking out even in ankle deep water. Oh, did I mention it rained? Hmmm... well see for yourself.

Day 6, Las Cruces. You all were so beautiful. One of my favorite days of the tour so far. Thanks for the bracelets Keira, Kylee, and Amy (hope I spelled those right). Today I took a break from video and went back to my true blue camera. Here are a few of my favorite shots of the day. I caught NeverShoutNever's set, as well as We Are The In Crowd, and The All American Rejects. Hung out with Joel Piper from Confide and my girl Monkeybird. We blew bubbles off the stage during AAR's set and the crowd also got pretty crazy when Tyson Ritter started in on 'Hope It Gives You Hell' by launching tons of water bottles into the air. Christofer Drew had almost 1,000 people in line for his signing at Kia, and kids got crazy competitive to win a front of the line spot... Amazing day New Mexico. On to San Antonio....

Day 4 was an off day for us in Phoenix, Arizona and 15 bands from this years Warped Tour line up took time out on our day off in Phoenix, AZ to bowl for the TJ Martell Charity. Motion City Soundtrack took first with The Summer Set in second, check out the video below:



Day 5 was also in Phoenix for the tour stop, it was a rough day on everyone because it was 110 and super dry. I saw entirely too many people get sick, and most people spent the day hiding on their buses. Here are a few photos from the day. The Last set of the night was The Pretty Reckless. Charles and Joey from The Cab and I kicked up our feet and checked it out from the ampitheater, such a solid set. I swung by the Vans tent a few times and checked in with our boys. Got sunscreened up with Miss Tay Jardine, and tried to avoid the crazy sun, Phoenix you guys are troopers.







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Day 3 of the tour was in Ventura and crazy doesn't even BEGIN to describe how things went down. First off, it was so packed! Every stage had solid crowds and there were a ridiculous amount of surprises and special guests. The weather also threw everyone a curveball as you'll see in the video below. Tank and shorts in the morning, hoodie, boots, and scarf in the afternoon. Tour alumni 3oh!3 stopped by as well as Demi Lovato and Chelsea Staub... oh and did I mention we were right on the beach? Ventura for the win.

For the second day I checked out a few bands including The Pretty Reckless, Artist Vs Poet, and Bring Me The Horizon... They were so good that I felt the need to dedicate almost this entire video to them haha. Enjoy.

Sorry for the delay, but a ton has been going on and the internet was sketch yesterday, should be handled for the rest of the summer though! Tour is rolling on and things have been a blast so far. Here is a video clip of first day shenanigans... I checked in with The Cab and they had such a fun set, see what it's like from behind the stage. Also checked in with Blake from VersaEmerge... Err... he kind of checked in with me i suppose. Motion City Soundtrack signed in our tent, with an awesome live soundtrack, and I closed out the day by catching Sum 41 with my girl Hanna Beth. I met so many of you guys too, yall rule.



FOR PHOTOS FROM THE DAY, CHECK OUT THE VANS FLICKR!

Yesterday was Tour Rehearsal Day out here in Carson, CA. Everyone got a taste of what the next two months will be like, checked in, got laminates, said hey to old friends, AND got to swipe new Vans gear. Check out my recap video below & catch a peek at the tour bus we're staying on.

Hey, I'm Amanda Rae with Vans and I'll be out on the 2010 Vans Warped Tour bringing you guys all sorts of behind the scenes action in daily posts right here on this blog. Check out my video below and come back every day for all new stuff! I can't wait to meet all of you at your tour stop! -Amanda Rae