Article and Photos by: Ian Urquhart
On a humid New England afternoon, The Vans Warped Tour made camp at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA in preparation to provide a wet and wild day filled with mosh pits and hang banging. As torrential downpours soaked all seven stages throughout the afternoon, ponchos, rain jackets, swim suites and rain gear were out and ready to use.
With band tents and booths lined up from one end of the venue to the other, those attending could immediately feel a sense of belonging. Consistent meet and greet sessions provided an opportunity for the fans to chat with the bands who were gracious enough to spend some time introducing themselves. A plethora of selfies and signings occurred to ensure everyone received the full Warped Tour experience even if the rain had other plans.
Speaking with fellow photographers who have covered Warped Tour in the past, I was given some beneficial advice: stay hydrated and don’t worry about not shooting every band. This being said, creating a schedule was first on the to-do list upon entering the venue. With a large blow up billboard, set times were posted for the day – conveniently next to the water station. Found also on the Vans Warped Tour smartphone app, set times were posted and potentially changed due to inclement weather. Although I was unable to catch every band’s set, here are the bands I caught:
A Fathom Farewell: Locally originating from Worcester, MA, A Fathom Farewell was the first to take the Crimson Stage. With a strong post-hardcore influence, Alex Cohen, lead vocalist, greeted the home crowd with stage jumping and hair flipping body language. With a circle pit forming before the first song began, you could hardly tell this was the first performance of the day.
Counterparts: As the clock struck 1:00 PM, the rain began to pour and Counterparts continued to rage on the Mutant North stage. Apart from their musical talents, this Ontario based band showcased their athletic abilities via guitar flips and speaker dives. Blake Hardman, lead guitarist, certainly deserved the, “most expressive” award with his 360 spins and mid-air splits. Brendan Murphy, lead vocalist, performed with a chorded microphone and knew how to use it. Eccentric chord whips and hand wrapping screams fueled the fire the skies attempted to douse.
Dance Gavin Dance: Separating themselves from the predominantly metal atmosphere, Dance Gavin Dance owned the Journey’s Right Foot stage with an experimental/hard-core performance. These Sacramento gentlemen knew who to provide variety. Tilian Perason, lead vocalist, withholds such a wide vocal range only a few can match. Anywhere from deep screams to high pitch harmonies, Dance Gavin Dance’s set list yielded an experience worth witnessing.
Andy Black: Famously known as Black Veil Brides’ lead vocalist, Andy “Biersack” Black joined Warped Tour this year with his second band in order to expose his solo career apart from the BVB boys. Entertainment is all about knowing your target audience. Due to the overwhelming amount of screaming females, I’d say Andy’s fan base loved the black-overalls and slicked back hair he rocked the Journey’s Right Foot stage. Andy’s raspy tone really ads to his appeal while he’s performing as either Andy Black or the Black Veil Brides’ lead man.
New Years Day: Red hair, make-up, eye black and an on-point performance can briefly describe what New Years Day displayed on the Journey’s Left Foot stage. Lead be lead vocalist, Ash Costello, New Years Day left it all on the stage; spit included thanks to lead guitarist, Nikki Misery. Although their outward presence may flaunt a bit of a, “darker” side, New Years Day’s message significantly demonstrated the importance of acceptance. Their set list was a perfect example of what they believe. With such an interactive crowd, New Years Day connected with those who strive to achieve the same level of confidence through their songs.
Our Last Night: By far the most anticipated performance occurred at 3:50 PM on the Journey’s Right Foot stage as Our Last Night took over. The Hollis, New Hampshire boys found the Mansfield, MA date to be their homecoming performance. The hype was building since the night before the show and these fellas did not disappoint. With every seat in the pavilion filled, Our Last Night had the Xfinity Center shaking. Everyone attending left their feet either in the pit or out of their chairs in order to crowd surf closer to the stage. Multiple smoke machines added a dramatic stage effect which resulted in some fairly aesthetic photos.
Hands Like Houses: Similar to Dance Gavin Dance, the Canberra aussies brought an experimental and rock vibe to their performance on the Journey’s Right Foot stage. From all the bands I was fortunate enough to watch, Hands Like Houses were one of a few bands who implanted the distinct sound of a synthesizer/keyboard alongside the low toned guitar and higher pitched vocals from lead vocalist, Trenton Woodley.
American Authors: While the majority of the bands present in Mansfield brought the head bangs and double bass, American Author’s brought the mandolin. Based out of New York City, the American Author boys provided a quick detour from the dominate presence of heavy metal in order to express their love for alternative music. The crowd favorite certainly came towards the end of the set as, “Best Day of my Life” off Oh, What a Life (2014).
Memphis May Fire: Matty Mullins, lead vocalist, and the Nashville, TN group did not miss a single note. With having a reputation for providing thorough and spotless performances, their name was upheld. It’s most likely guaranteed the volume was pumped up one additional notch for their thirty minutes of stage time. Jake Garland’s drum kit was the only double bass set up to outwardly hit you in the face with pumps of air and vibrating greatness. The vocals could not have been more perfect with Matty Mullins at the helm. Screams and all.
I Prevail: With lead man, Brian Burkhesier, battling bronchitis throughout the duration of the Vans Warped Tour, curiosity was peaked as to see how I Prevail would overcame this obstacle. To no surprise, Brian owned the stage with little evidence of his throat experiencing any pain. This band has certainly distanced themselves from the, “Taylor Swift – metal cover” band reputation they started out with. The distinct sound these Detroit natives can pump out hits you like a train. Every voice in pavilion was belting out, “Scars” off of their most recent album Scars (2017) as the set list closer.
Beartooth: Beartooth was the only band performing on the Journey’s Right Foot stage with the crowd chanting their name before stepping on the stage. This had such an effect that even Caleb, lead vocalist, took out his in ear monitors before performing, “Body Bag” off of Disgusting (2015) to hear the fans loud and clear. This performance was filled to rim with screams, breakdowns and catchy as hell choruses. Crowd surfers had the security guards busy and alert as Caleb handpicked a few fans and even a photographer to help sing along to, “Sick of me” off of Aggressive (2016). Beartooth was a co-headliner for this evening to be followed up by the most aggressive act of the night: Attila.
Attila: Goodness gracious. Attila brought the sludge hammer to conclude the Mansfield stop of Vans Warped Tour 2017. With lead man, Chris “Fronz” Fronzak charging the stage in his signature rain jacket, the mosh pit moved like an ocean. Not a single soul was stationary during this set list. Those situated in the pavilion seats moved to the isles to create their own, “mosh” with their surrounding neighbors. Before Attila, never would I imagine a circle pit forming around another circle pit. Attila brutally brought the house down and provided a fitting conclusion to the Mansfield, MA Warped Tour.
Final Thoughts:
Incredible. To see such a large amount of bands performing on the same day with multiple weather obstacles to overcome, the crews and logistics teams of Vans Warped Tour pulled out all the stops. Insuring every fan’s safety and providing the necessary materials to enjoy the day spoke volumes. To provide the opportunities for local or world known bands to perform in the same location allows for an atmosphere like no other. Vans Warped Tour, bravo and I can’t wait to be a part of next year’s events.
Rock on!