Warped Tour Opens 2017 with a Stop At Century Link

Warped Tour (Century Link) 6-16-17 (Photo By: Mocha Charlie)

Warped Tour made a huge change for the opening slot of the 38 day tour, moving their usual Seattle area date from White River Amphitheatre in Auburn to Seattle’s Century Link Field’ s north lot. A few noticeably different aspects, such as easier access to amenities due to its smaller footprint and shorter distances between the seven stages, made it a welcome change. This gave fans have a greater chance of seeing more of the 60+ bands on the festival lineup than in previous years.

If you’ve been to Warped Tour before, you know that the line up changes daily (fans don’t know who will be playing when until they arrive on site), giving bands the opportunity to rotate their schedules, accommodate signings when they meet with fans, and giving some bands more or less down time than others, which helps with the festival’s grueling schedule. There are very few gap days, with most of the tour dates happening back to back. 

With the absence of quite a few bands and familiar faces that have performed over the past few years, the fest made some great moves in the lineup for the 23rd year of the tour. This year’s line-up is highly diverse, adding bands who haven’t been a part of the tour for over ten years, such as CKY and Save Ferris (who you may remember from the iconic movie 10 Things I Hate About You), along with newbies American Authors and GWAR.

You’ll hear radio hits, lost tracks, and perhaps find some new favorites within the lineup. Signing lines remain quite popular, and the water refill stations can be a very important attraction for you to locate right away at most sites. Purchasing a paper schedule ($2 upon gate entry) can be an easy way to keep track of when and where bands are playing so you don’t miss your favorites. While on the grounds, be sure to explore. Visiting merchandise booths on your way to the next stage might yield you some free gifts, a fun way to make new friends, and keep you entertained until the next band takes their place on stage in front of screaming fans. For those of you still waiting for Warped Tour to come to your city, the wait will be worth it. Bands play roughly 30-minute sets, and each band makes every minute count. For those who are eager to crowd around the stage for GWAR’s performance, you will not be disappointed (if you know, you know). 

 

Mocha Charlie is an amazing photographer who has a real passion for music. She covers and shoots several shows per month in and around the region. She a brilliant photo journalist but most importantly, she is also a mother who does her best to balance out her life and live it to the fullest. Mocha Charlie uses her passion and talent to support the community, her friends and family any way that she can.