Vans Warped Tour
Nikon at Jones Beach Theater / Wantagh, NY
July 8th, 2017
Words by Morgan Sheridan
Photos by Jess Williams
For the past 22 years the traveling punk-rock summer camp known as the Vans Warped Tour has seen the ins and outs of America, stopping in more cities than I can count off the top of my head every summer. The hectic lifestyle of Warped Tour makes it unlike any other music festival that we have today, offering fans a wide variety of music for a single day of great summer fun at an amazing price.
This year was my third year attending the Vans Warped Tour. I know, for someone my age, I should be at least on Warped Tour number six at this point. The truth is, I was never able to attend this magical festival until 2015 when I first experienced it. Since then, I’e been showing up to my local date, camera in hand to capture the passion and talent of the bands on the roster. This year was no different. I headed out to Long Island for what has quickly become my favorite Warped Tour venue, up along the water in Jones Beach State Park. For the day that you’re at Warped Tour, you forget completely that you’re melting away in a parking lot and instead you’re letting your troubles go amidst the crowd of people.
My favorite part of Warped Tour is that you go the festival with the intentions of seeing some of your favorite bands, sure, but you always, without a doubt, end up catching the set of a band you’ve never heard of before and instantly fall in love. While traversing the festival grounds I was able to capture photos of some of my favorites including Beartooth, Neck Deep, Trophy Eyes and Boston Manor. However, I also reached out of my usual boundaries and indulged in other genres that Warped had to offer including, Silverstein, The White Noise, Stick To Your Guns and Trophy Eyes.
My head was full of new music and the sun was beginning to set. It was hard to believe that my day at Warped was nearly over. Before departing, I indulged in some Mister Softee Ice Cream (a New York must have) and kissed Warped Tour goodbye…. until next year. Check out some of my photos from the day, below!
