Concert review and photo gallery: Warped Tour 2010 (July 3)

by Alexandra Olivia, Brenna Rushing

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This year brought together power pop and screaming metal under one roof.

DALLAS — Warped Tour in Dallas is depicted as heat, sweat, and sunburns. 2010 proved to be a lighter load when rain was thrown into the mix. With soaked Mohawks and soggy shoes, the teenagers of Warped Tour came out to support their favorite bands such as We the Kings, Attack Attack, Sum 41, and Of Mice and Men. Although many metal bands hardened the lineup, the crowds were still younger than in previous years.

Of Mice and Men jolted everyone awake with an early set. They pronounced their presence with “YDG,” complimented by band members with unanimous head banging. Jerry Roush, front man and newest member of the group, says his favorite part of Warped Tour is seeing all of his friends.

“I like hanging with my bros. You are consistently around all five of your No. 1 homies, so everything is a fun time. Connecting with the fans is also awesome,” Roush said.

Artist Vs. Poet tipped the opposite side of the scale with their sunny, pop rock. Hailing from Plano, they got to come home for the Fourth of July weekend. The band played mainly from their newest album, Favorite Fix, including the self-titled track and a new song, “Unconscious Reality.” Lead singer Tarcy Thomason sells himself onstage, trying to attract new fans and excite interest by crowd surfing and demanding interaction. Guitarist Craig Calloway says the response to their newer songs at shows have surpassed some of their older ones. They are proud of this record, saying that it represents what they do well.

Mike Weibe up a tree at Warped Tour 2010

Riverboat Gamblers is another local band on the tour. Front man Mike Wiebe loses all restraint onstage. From stealing items out of the crowds’ bags, to grabbing fans and climbing up a tree, Wiebe knows how to put on a show. Their classic punk sound completes the Warped Tour mold and justifies the veteran fans. “Robots May Break Your Heart” is their best single because it involves the most voices and has an infectious chorus. The aforementioned tree did its best on Wiebe: He later had to postpone our interview due to injuries -- but the interview is posted now. That’s punk rock.

The candy maker Wonka was one of the multiple sponsors this year. And while purple rappers were stashed in puddles everywhere, the company's representation was best shown with a rain-filled set with orange Oompa Loompas. They did a routine to a mash-up of Michael Jackson hits. It seemed to be loved by everyone because of its all-around goofiness.

Bouncing Souls launched the evening lineup by bringing all of the veteran fans together. They have been a punk rock band for 21 years. Just about every matured man in the crowd sang along to “Private Radio.” The drummer takes all of the glory by pounding as rapidly as a rainstorm. They invited an English group The Exposed to play a song since they’re working the tour instead of playing it. Greg Attonito bellowed into the microphone with a string of lyrics as if he could do it in his sleep. They could teach these young bands a thing or two.

The All-American Rejects helped conclude the Dallas show with their mainstream hits. Their No. 1 hits filled up the entire set: “One More Sad Song," "Dirty Little Secret," and "Move Along” are just a few. Tyson Ritter is a show of his own, bringing dirty humor and sarcasm to his act. He called Dallas out for being too mellow, so the crowd reacted with over-zealousness and hysteria. Although AAR didn’t fit the more hardcore or punk scene that pervaded the lineup, fans seemed to appreciate their presence just the same.

The Warped Tour lineup was a bit all over the place this year, but it only seemed to bring a more diverse crowd in. Although the rain hindered the outdoor shows for a time, it was a refreshing shower from all of heat. The Dallas fans-frenzy proved: They want to be part of the Warped Tour for years to come.