Warped Tour: See you later, Pomona

Trenton Guinta, left, of San Dimas, and Ian DeLucca of Long Beach work their exit strategy as the opening day of Warped Tour comes to an end.

||| See: After a show Saturday in San Francisco, the Warped Tour returns to the Southland on Sunday for a date at Seaside Park in Ventura. And the tour comes to a close Aug. 17 at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

--Kevin Bronson

There's not much to say about Say Anything's first Warped Tour set except: better luck next time.

Savaged by technical problems, the emo sextet was reduced to playing only a handful of songs -- the final two solo efforts by frontman Max Bemis, who handled the sticky situation with as much aplomb as could be expected. "This didn't happen to Angels & Airwaves," he said, referring to the band that preceded him onstage.

He thanked the audience profusely for its patience. And his solo renditions of "Baby Girl, I'm a Blur" and "Walk Through Hell"? Pretty darned memorable.

--Photo and post by Kevin Bronson

One down, 45 Warped Tour dates to go.

If you were 14, female and near the rail for Katy Perry's set, you probably thought the fresh-faced 23-year-old had a pretty killer debut on the Warped tour. You could see the pink eyeliner ("I'm bringing pink to the Warped Tour," she declared), the "Jesus" tattoo on her wrist (she's the daughter of pastors from Santa Barbara); and you might have caught one of the strawberry balloons her minions threw to the crowd.

The L.A. contingent at this year's Warped Tour isn't quite as deep as in past years, but it's always interesting to see bands outside of the Southland club environment, where they are taking aim at new fans.

Two of those local heroes, the Aggrolites and the Briggs, pushed themselves to the limit.

Warped Tour producer and founder Kevin Lyman put attendance for Friday's opening date at 16,000.

That's fewer than the 20,000 that packed the grounds last year (for a bill a bit heavier on veteran, big-name punk bands) but more than the 14,000 from two years ago. Lyman reasons that having the tour start a week earlier, along with the general economic doldrums, kept attendance down.

If you walked briskly Friday afternoon in the 102-degree heat (and dodged the kids with squirt guns), you departed the northern main stage at the Pomona Fairplex just as Gym Class Heroes were finishing their catchy but kitschy low-brow anthem "Clothes Off!" and arrived at the southern main stage in time to hear Against Me! break into its strident anthem "Stop!"

Nothing against Story of the Year, but the excitement generated by the St. Louis quintet -- and several like it every year on the Warped Tour -- makes me think it doesn't pay for artists to stay true to much of anything in the way of influences or roots. The commercial formula seems to be: Throw all kinds of stylistic variations against the wall; produce it so it sounds really, really big; and perform it as if the world's angst were on your shoulders.

Welcome to the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, where peace (but precious few other things you can't get in a mall) is in fashion.

It's the first of 46 dates on the annual punk rock traveling show, and, about 10 minutes through the gate, you wished maybe you would've waited until Sunday's date at Seaside Park in Ventura, where cooler breezes are likely to prevail.

Warped Tour: Technical problems dog Say Anything

There's not much to say about Say Anything's first Warped Tour set except: better luck next time.

Savaged by technical problems, the emo sextet was reduced to playing only a handful of songs -- the final two solo efforts by frontman Max Bemis, who handled the sticky situation with as much aplomb as could be expected. "This didn't happen to Angels & Airwaves," he said, referring to the band that preceded him onstage.

He thanked the audience profusely for its patience. And his solo renditions of "Baby Girl, I'm a Blur" and "Walk Through Hell"? Pretty darned memorable.

--Photo and post by Kevin Bronson

One down, 45 Warped Tour dates to go.

If you were 14, female and near the rail for Katy Perry's set, you probably thought the fresh-faced 23-year-old had a pretty killer debut on the Warped tour. You could see the pink eyeliner ("I'm bringing pink to the Warped Tour," she declared), the "Jesus" tattoo on her wrist (she's the daughter of pastors from Santa Barbara); and you might have caught one of the strawberry balloons her minions threw to the crowd.

The L.A. contingent at this year's Warped Tour isn't quite as deep as in past years, but it's always interesting to see bands outside of the Southland club environment, where they are taking aim at new fans.

Two of those local heroes, the Aggrolites and the Briggs, pushed themselves to the limit.

Warped Tour producer and founder Kevin Lyman put attendance for Friday's opening date at 16,000.

That's fewer than the 20,000 that packed the grounds last year (for a bill a bit heavier on veteran, big-name punk bands) but more than the 14,000 from two years ago. Lyman reasons that having the tour start a week earlier, along with the general economic doldrums, kept attendance down.

If you walked briskly Friday afternoon in the 102-degree heat (and dodged the kids with squirt guns), you departed the northern main stage at the Pomona Fairplex just as Gym Class Heroes were finishing their catchy but kitschy low-brow anthem "Clothes Off!" and arrived at the southern main stage in time to hear Against Me! break into its strident anthem "Stop!"

Nothing against Story of the Year, but the excitement generated by the St. Louis quintet -- and several like it every year on the Warped Tour -- makes me think it doesn't pay for artists to stay true to much of anything in the way of influences or roots. The commercial formula seems to be: Throw all kinds of stylistic variations against the wall; produce it so it sounds really, really big; and perform it as if the world's angst were on your shoulders.

Welcome to the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, where peace (but precious few other things you can't get in a mall) is in fashion.

It's the first of 46 dates on the annual punk rock traveling show, and, about 10 minutes through the gate, you wished maybe you would've waited until Sunday's date at Seaside Park in Ventura, where cooler breezes are likely to prevail.

Warped Tour: Katy Perry’s balloon takes off

One down, 45 Warped Tour dates to go.

If you were 14, female and near the rail for Katy Perry's set, you probably thought the fresh-faced 23-year-old had a pretty killer debut on the Warped tour. You could see the pink eyeliner ("I'm bringing pink to the Warped Tour," she declared), the "Jesus" tattoo on her wrist (she's the daughter of pastors from Santa Barbara); and you might have caught one of the strawberry balloons her minions threw to the crowd.

The L.A. contingent at this year's Warped Tour isn't quite as deep as in past years, but it's always interesting to see bands outside of the Southland club environment, where they are taking aim at new fans.

Two of those local heroes, the Aggrolites and the Briggs, pushed themselves to the limit.

Warped Tour producer and founder Kevin Lyman put attendance for Friday's opening date at 16,000.

That's fewer than the 20,000 that packed the grounds last year (for a bill a bit heavier on veteran, big-name punk bands) but more than the 14,000 from two years ago. Lyman reasons that having the tour start a week earlier, along with the general economic doldrums, kept attendance down.

If you walked briskly Friday afternoon in the 102-degree heat (and dodged the kids with squirt guns), you departed the northern main stage at the Pomona Fairplex just as Gym Class Heroes were finishing their catchy but kitschy low-brow anthem "Clothes Off!" and arrived at the southern main stage in time to hear Against Me! break into its strident anthem "Stop!"

Nothing against Story of the Year, but the excitement generated by the St. Louis quintet -- and several like it every year on the Warped Tour -- makes me think it doesn't pay for artists to stay true to much of anything in the way of influences or roots. The commercial formula seems to be: Throw all kinds of stylistic variations against the wall; produce it so it sounds really, really big; and perform it as if the world's angst were on your shoulders.

Welcome to the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, where peace (but precious few other things you can't get in a mall) is in fashion.

It's the first of 46 dates on the annual punk rock traveling show, and, about 10 minutes through the gate, you wished maybe you would've waited until Sunday's date at Seaside Park in Ventura, where cooler breezes are likely to prevail.

Warped Tour: The Aggrolites, the Briggs get warm

The L.A. contingent at this year's Warped Tour isn't quite as deep as in past years, but it's always interesting to see bands outside of the Southland club environment, where they are taking aim at new fans.

Two of those local heroes, the Aggrolites and the Briggs, pushed themselves to the limit.

Warped Tour producer and founder Kevin Lyman put attendance for Friday's opening date at 16,000.

That's fewer than the 20,000 that packed the grounds last year (for a bill a bit heavier on veteran, big-name punk bands) but more than the 14,000 from two years ago. Lyman reasons that having the tour start a week earlier, along with the general economic doldrums, kept attendance down.

If you walked briskly Friday afternoon in the 102-degree heat (and dodged the kids with squirt guns), you departed the northern main stage at the Pomona Fairplex just as Gym Class Heroes were finishing their catchy but kitschy low-brow anthem "Clothes Off!" and arrived at the southern main stage in time to hear Against Me! break into its strident anthem "Stop!"

Nothing against Story of the Year, but the excitement generated by the St. Louis quintet -- and several like it every year on the Warped Tour -- makes me think it doesn't pay for artists to stay true to much of anything in the way of influences or roots. The commercial formula seems to be: Throw all kinds of stylistic variations against the wall; produce it so it sounds really, really big; and perform it as if the world's angst were on your shoulders.

Welcome to the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, where peace (but precious few other things you can't get in a mall) is in fashion.

It's the first of 46 dates on the annual punk rock traveling show, and, about 10 minutes through the gate, you wished maybe you would've waited until Sunday's date at Seaside Park in Ventura, where cooler breezes are likely to prevail.

Warped Tour: Got shade?

Warped Tour producer and founder Kevin Lyman put attendance for Friday's opening date at 16,000.

That's fewer than the 20,000 that packed the grounds last year (for a bill a bit heavier on veteran, big-name punk bands) but more than the 14,000 from two years ago. Lyman reasons that having the tour start a week earlier, along with the general economic doldrums, kept attendance down.

If you walked briskly Friday afternoon in the 102-degree heat (and dodged the kids with squirt guns), you departed the northern main stage at the Pomona Fairplex just as Gym Class Heroes were finishing their catchy but kitschy low-brow anthem "Clothes Off!" and arrived at the southern main stage in time to hear Against Me! break into its strident anthem "Stop!"

Nothing against Story of the Year, but the excitement generated by the St. Louis quintet -- and several like it every year on the Warped Tour -- makes me think it doesn't pay for artists to stay true to much of anything in the way of influences or roots. The commercial formula seems to be: Throw all kinds of stylistic variations against the wall; produce it so it sounds really, really big; and perform it as if the world's angst were on your shoulders.

Welcome to the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, where peace (but precious few other things you can't get in a mall) is in fashion.

It's the first of 46 dates on the annual punk rock traveling show, and, about 10 minutes through the gate, you wished maybe you would've waited until Sunday's date at Seaside Park in Ventura, where cooler breezes are likely to prevail.

Warped Tour: Gym Class Heroes, Against Me! play opposite ends of the field

If you walked briskly Friday afternoon in the 102-degree heat (and dodged the kids with squirt guns), you departed the northern main stage at the Pomona Fairplex just as Gym Class Heroes were finishing their catchy but kitschy low-brow anthem "Clothes Off!" and arrived at the southern main stage in time to hear Against Me! break into its strident anthem "Stop!"

Nothing against Story of the Year, but the excitement generated by the St. Louis quintet -- and several like it every year on the Warped Tour -- makes me think it doesn't pay for artists to stay true to much of anything in the way of influences or roots. The commercial formula seems to be: Throw all kinds of stylistic variations against the wall; produce it so it sounds really, really big; and perform it as if the world's angst were on your shoulders.

Welcome to the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, where peace (but precious few other things you can't get in a mall) is in fashion.

It's the first of 46 dates on the annual punk rock traveling show, and, about 10 minutes through the gate, you wished maybe you would've waited until Sunday's date at Seaside Park in Ventura, where cooler breezes are likely to prevail.

Warped Tour: Only the volume is the same for Story of the Year, the Bronx

Nothing against Story of the Year, but the excitement generated by the St. Louis quintet -- and several like it every year on the Warped Tour -- makes me think it doesn't pay for artists to stay true to much of anything in the way of influences or roots. The commercial formula seems to be: Throw all kinds of stylistic variations against the wall; produce it so it sounds really, really big; and perform it as if the world's angst were on your shoulders.

Welcome to the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, where peace (but precious few other things you can't get in a mall) is in fashion.

It's the first of 46 dates on the annual punk rock traveling show, and, about 10 minutes through the gate, you wished maybe you would've waited until Sunday's date at Seaside Park in Ventura, where cooler breezes are likely to prevail.

Warped Tour: 50-plus bands, 100-plus degrees

Welcome to the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, where peace (but precious few other things you can't get in a mall) is in fashion.

It's the first of 46 dates on the annual punk rock traveling show, and, about 10 minutes through the gate, you wished maybe you would've waited until Sunday's date at Seaside Park in Ventura, where cooler breezes are likely to prevail.