VENTURA, CA -- JULY 7, 2004

Less than a week later, the Warped Tour made it’s way back to Southern California, this time causing traffic headaches for anyone living near the Seaside Park venue. The day started out cool and overcast, but the blazing sun would eventually burn through the clouds at around 5PM, and many were surprised to find they had sunburns. The entertainment was scalding hot as well…

The first band that I saw was Pipedown from Sacramento, performing on the small Kevin Says stage. A powerful way to kick off the day, Pipedown play passionate hardcore punk with a good deal of spirit and conviction. It’s no surprise that this band is signed to AF Records, as they share a lot of the same ideals that label owners Anti-Flag so valiantly convey. Pipedown perform the type of music that can change the world, and their live presentation is outstanding. Vocalist Ean Elliot is a formidable presence, and was not afraid to get right into your face and sing his crucial lyrics about social reform. Pipedown is a fantastic band that I hope to see again in the future. Their latest release is entitled Mental Weapons.

In spite of the rather unsettling moniker, Los Dryheavers are an entertaining yet thought provoking street punk band who are beginning to get known thanks to their releases on Lorelei Records. Based out of Santa Cruz, the band presents lyrics in both English and Spanish, and are hard hitting in both their music and subject matter. Even on a small side stage, the band attracted a good deal of much deserved attention. Their new Lorelei release is entitled Heartaches, Hangovers & Hangups and is well worth seeking out. Expect Los Dryheavers to continue smashing the boundaries of punk at a respectable venue near you.

All the way over from merry old England, The Hurt Process is playing their debut shows on this side of the Atlantic at the Warped Tour. And in spite of the fact their co-vocalist up and quit the band and flew home over the previous weekend, The Hurt Process has been rolling along entertaining the crowds on the Kevin Says stage. Mixing in emo rock with a decidedly hardcore influence, the band performed songs from their Victory Records debut Drive By Monologue. Even with the internal problems, the band still played an impressive show and they were able to hang out with their label mates Taking Back Sunday while on the road. Here’s hoping things straighten out for The Hurt Process as they are quite a talent!

Another SoCal band (from San Diego) well on their way to the top is Underminded, whose self-released EP The Task Of The Modern Educator has garnered these guys a good deal of respect. Mixing in modern day hardcore with an old school punk rock influence, Underminded go all out to make sure the audience is having a good time while getting their crucial messages across. The band played quite a few songs from their forthcoming Kung Fu release, including It’s Kinda Like A Body Bag and Hail Unamerican! An aggressive show from a band on the verge of breaking it out.

If ever a band was ready to cross over to Top 40 radio on their own terms, it would be Days Like These from New Jersey. Their debut Lobster release Charity Burns Green has pleasantly surprised many, and their live performances are just as impressive. Vocalist Angel has a tremendous voice, and can really belt out the tunes! The band is an extremely tight unit, thrilling the crowd on a side stage with songs such as The Dawning, One In One Thousand, and Preparation Anxiety. The folks at Lobster won big when they discovered Yellowcard, and should be commended once again for unleashing Days Like These onto the world. Mixing in melodic pop influences with a heavier sound, you’ll be humming their songs for days on end. Live or on CD, Day Like These is highly recommended!

After missing a few of the Warped Tour dates due to one of the band members getting sick, Staring Back from Goleta have returned with a vengeance. Performing songs from their Lobster Records release On, the band remains as effective as ever in a live setting. New vocalist Greg Wood is an extremely charismatic performer, giving the band and the songs a good deal of life and energy. It will be great to see what Wood and his band mates will come up with in terms of new material, as their previous singer Matt Evans performed the songs on their prior album. One of the most underrated pop/punk bands out there, expect great things from Staring Back in the near future and be sure to support their live shows now!

An Orange County band on the verge of releasing their debut major label effort, Letter Kills have come a long way in the last 12 months. Last year, they played under a tent at the LA Warped Tour, attracting quite a crowd to one of the tiniest stages at the venue. Now on the Volcom stage, Letter Kills arrived full of confidence and packed with a solid set of tunes. The band is unbelievably tight, and perform as if they were headlining The Forum. Songs such as Whatever It Takes, Don’t Believe, and Brand New Man sound like big radio hits in the making. And their performance did have one distinction in that it presented what probably was, albeit briefly, the first all-girl slam pit the world has ever seen. Their debut album The Bridge should be coming out on Island Records before the end of the summer.

Time to check out the Ernie Ball stage to see what local talent has been hiding out at the other end of Seaside Park. Based out of the San Fernando Valley, the musicians in Hydra are influenced by everything from heavy metal to classic rock – perhaps explaining their highly unique sound. Performing tracks from their forthcoming release Destiny, songs that really stood out included Bad Things, Alone, and Severed. Displaying a good deal of talent and variety, there is no real way to pinpoint what genre Hydra belongs to. They rock hard and have terrific tunes that will blow your cynical music hating self away. Go to their website www.hydramusic.net for more info on this promising new band.

Hailing from the same area of Orange County that spawned Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu, Eighteen Visions made an appearance at the Warped Tour and were greeted to a good amount of enthusiasm – not to mention some of the wildest hardcore dancing to be found at a side stage. Their new album Obsession has been released by Trustkill in conjunction with Sony Records. Those worried about Eighteen Visions being tainted by a major label need not fear, as the band is as brutal as ever. Songs performed in their dynamic set included You Broke Like Glass, Tower Of Snakes, Vanity, and Waiting For The Heavens. By the time you read this, Eighteen Visions will be on tour with Midtown and Lost Prophets.

The last band I would see at this year’s edition of the Warped Tour would be Amber Pacific from Federal Way, WA. Those into pop punk such as New Found Glory and The Starting Line should really enjoy the upbeat yet wistful songs this new band has to offer. Songs performed included Thoughts Before Me, The Last Time, and Promise Me. Even confined to a small stage, the band possessed a great deal of energy – one of the members even did a back flip towards the end of the show. Their debut EP Fading Days has been released on Hopeless Records.

Definitely a terrific ending to two fun packed days of Warped Southern Californian fun! See you all next year for the 11th Annual Warped Tour festival.

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