Far more fun than formal, Vans Warped Tour press conference was quite the party. Freebies like t-shirts, hats, tote bags, cds and guitar strings got fans excited. Lots of photo opportunities were available with Kevin Lyman, a number of bands from the tour and a variety of other social celebrities. Perhaps it wasn’t an ideal setting for asking questions, but it was a great situation for getting a peak at the excellent group of musicians to be a part of the tour for 2013.

Kevin Lyman continues to do a great job of selecting a wide range of talents. There are a lot more female artists involved. Charlotte Sometimes is thrilled to be a part of the tour again. She made herself comfortable, kicking off her heels, cracking jokes and inviting guests to socialize with her during the evening. A self-stated “veteran” of the tour, Dia Frampton, wowed the crowd with a cover of “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. in her soft and sweet, yet slightly squirrelly coo.

At the other end of the spectrum; Juliet Simms, seriously belted it out, favoring covers like “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown and the Police’s “Roxanne.” Juliet sincerely thanked Kevin Lyman, acknowledging that many of her career opportunities came from being involved with the Warped Tour in previous years. From New Zealand, Gin Wigmor brought some mega watt energy to the stage, rocking like a mix of Marilyn Manson with less “creepy” and Lady Gaga if she ever wore just jeans and a t-shirt.

Aside from the unique range of female vocalists, most musical genres were tapped into. It’s not just a punk show, there is absolutely something for everyone. Brian Marquis is part of the acoustic basement stage. He delivered a powerful yet heartfelt unplugged cover of Radiohead’s “High and Dry” in memory of Josh Stern.

Brand new to the tour line up, New Beat Fund from Santa Clarita, CA took listeners back a decade and a half; with hints of Sublime and 311, they knew how to put smiles on faces and made the audience laugh out loud with their kitschy lyrics. MC Lars, asked back after participating in 2011, claims to represent the nerds of Warped Tour. Frequently sampling video game music and creating songs about old literature like Poe, make his “post punk laptop rap” fantastic, that guy has some serious skills. Big Chocolate is proof that dubstep can never die. The crowd was still cheering for Craig Owens acoustic set after four and a half hours of music; building up their tolerance for full days of music and dancing this summer during Vans Warped Tour.

Band Line-up for Press Release Promotional Show:
Echosmith
Brian Marquis
New Beat Fund
Charlotte Sometimes
MC Lars (feat. Andrea Blunt)
Juliet Simms
Big Chocolate
Dia Frampton
Gin Wigmor
Craig Owens