Summer means live music and perhaps no music festival receives more anticipation than the annual Vans Warped Tour, a concert tradition since the 1990s. Every year the Vans Warped Tour gathers talented musicians from varying genres to provide large crowds across the United States and Canada entertaining musical platters. Beyond the general rock and punk genres found in the event’s origins, the Vans Warped Tour encompasses sounds from bluegrass and reggae to hip hop and rap. The 2011 Vans Warped Tour will offer these enticements to Californians during the traveling show’s six stops in the state.   

The 2011 Vans Warped Tour rolls into California on Friday, July 1st for a three day stay and returns on Tuesday, August 9th to begin a second three day spot. On Friday, July 1st the Warped Tour enters the Pomona Fairplex in Pomona. The tour travels to Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 2nd and Ventura’s Country Fairground on Sunday, July 3rd. Amongst their return to The Golden State the Warped Tour travels to San Diego’s Cricket Amphitheatre on Tuesday, August 9th, Carson’s Cal State Dominguez Hills on Wednesday, August 10th and concludes with a stop at the Sleep Train Amphitheater in Marysville Thursday, August 11th.

With over 100 artists scheduled to take part in the 2011 Vans Warped Tour attraction to the event will range greatly. More well-known names such as Paramore, Hellogoodbye, Simple Plan, Less Than Jake, Attack Attack!, and Gym Class Heroes should however act as common draws. If you want to see Paramore make sure to order your tickets for the San Diego stop at the Cricket Amphitheatre Tuesday, August 9th as the date provides the only California Warped Tour appearance for the band this year. You can bet following the turmoil caused by the Farro brothers leaving the band, Paramore will like to reassure fans the group will continue strong into the future.

Hellogoodbye will have the chance to play for their Golden State fans when the group performs all three shows from Friday, July 1st to Sunday, July 3rd. Hellogoodbye embodies the alternative element found in the Vans Warped Tour’s roots well. Even after achieving impressive success with the single “Here (In Your Arms)” Hellogoodbye remained determined to stay the independent route. Seeing how California is home to Hellogoodbye you get the feeling the band will put extra effort into delivering memorable performances for their fellow statesmen.

The widely liked Simple Plan is also scheduled for the first three California Warped Tour stops. To date Simple Plan peaked in popularity between 2003 and 2005, a timeframe where landing on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart of the Year became an annual occurrence.  The group looks to use 2011 to enjoy new achievements in the limelight. Simple Plan will release a new studio album this year and will likely use the Vans Warped Tour to increase interest in the upcoming album by mixing new songs into their sets with fan favorites such as “Perfect” and “Welcome to My Life.”    

Less Than Jake fans will enjoy ample opportunities to see the band this year at the Warped Tour as Less Than Jake will perform at all the California dates. Currently Less Than Jake finds themselves at an exciting point in their career. A few years back the group started up Sleep It Off Records and has used the opportunity to re-release their music catalog. With a refueled passion for music the band could become show stealers at the 2011 Vans Warped Tour.

Attack Attack! serves as another ambitious act to watch out for at the 2011 Vans Warped Tour. Like Less Than Jake, Attack Attack! will appear at all six California stops. Attack Attack! formed in 2007 and has quickly established a name for themselves in the music industry. The group appeared at last year’s Warped Tour and to no one’s surprise thrived in the environment. Through touring the United States, New Zealand, and Australia Attack Attack! has demonstrated the ability to engage diverse audiences, a helpful skill for entertaining Warped Tour crowds.  

Gym Class Heroes, best known for their 2007 track “Cupid’s Chokehold,” also proves no stranger to the Warped Tour environment and will come to California for the August Warped Tour dates. The group’s band members spent time the past year working on separate projects. Seeing if and how the time apart influences the band’s sound will be interesting. Recently Gym Class Heroes spent time in the studio working on The Papercut Chronicles II, an album set for release later this year. The Vans Warped Tour could give you an opportunity to hear the band’s new music before the masses.

The big names might bring in the crowds but the Warped Tour has blossomed over the years due to the event’s overall atmosphere. With so many musicians playing you are bound to discover a new group or artist during the day. I know last year names like The All American Rejects and Andrew WK drew me to the Warped Tour but when I left I did so with a new found intrigue for the group Hey Monday, a band previously off my personal musical radar.
Cover songs played by the artists adds fun to the event and makes the music festival a show you won’t want to miss. The best covers happen when an artist takes an already known song and composes the track in a way to make the song their own. For instance, last year Hey Monday took Jason Derulo’s “In My Head” and gave the song an alternative rock vibe. As far as the cover songs go the Warped Tour shares a mystic similar to Christmas morning in that you don’t know what to expect.

Tickets to all the Vans Warped Tour’s California rounds can be found at Ticketmaster. Prices vary by date but all range between the mid $30s and mid $40s. For your convenience here’s a final breakdown of the 2011 Vans Warped Tour’s stops in California.

Friday, July 1st- Pomona Fairplex (Pomona)

Saturday, July 2nd- Shoreline Amphitheatre (Mountain View)

Sunday, July 3rd- Ventura Country Fairground at Seaside Park (Ventura)

Tuesday, August 9th- Cricket Amphitheatre (San Diego)

Wednesday, August 10th- Cal State Dominguez Hills (Carson)

Thursday, August 11th- Sleep Train Amphitheater (Marysville)