Warped Tour in Kansas City: I’m Too Old For This Shit

The day was long and the music eclectic (from hardcore to skate to Shad, a mellow, acoustic guitar-strumming rapper from across The Pond), and by late afternoon when a much-heralded group from SoCal took to the main stage, it was time for some punk rock.

Bad Religion
Photo © 2009 Meredith L. Phillips

Bad Religion are the elder statesmen of the festival, and can can be considered one of the fathers of skate punk, by far the most admired of all the bands in attendance. They also were one of the day’s biggest draws and were represented by the most animated fans.

Preparing to celebrate their 30th Anniversary next year, lead vocalist Greg Graffin and company took to the stage with smiles and a joke. “It’s a bit early for us, I think I’m awake though,” Graffin cracked, “So for those of you just joining us. . . We’re Bad Religion.” And with that, the band ripped into an hour-long set beginning with “Recipe For Hate,” taking very few breaks. This was the day’s shining example of real punk; fierce and uncompromising intellectual punk rock for the thinkers in the crowd. Greg Graffin is the professor of punk, a master of the English language and a truly distinctive voice amid a mass of carbon-copied, marginally talented screamers.

As bodies surfed, water was thrown, flip flops flew, and dancers slammed, the band cranked out hit after hit: “Fuck Armageddon,” “New Dark Ages,” “Suffer,” “American Jesus,” “21st Century Boy,” “Hooray for Me,” and “Us and Them” (which Graffin dedicated to all the skateboarders out there and the bank parking lots that they’d been told to leave).

In a day that was filled with unoriginal bands and image-conscious, substance-lacking bands, Bad Religion charged the gates, set the standard, bitchslapped boredom, and said “I Wanna Conquer the World” with a devilish grin, all while looking like they raided your step dad’s polo shirt and Levi’s collection. Now that’s punk rock.

Being a music journalist (I use the term “journalist” loosely. I am mostly a music geek with a good imagination, a moderate command of the English language’ and the borderline ability to write a complete sentence.) can be frustrating at times. You’re looked at like a creature that is only slightly cooler then the guy that hands the band towels after their set, you stand in line to ask bands the same questions as the guy in front of you just asked, and bands sometimes treat you like crap or treat you like gold depending on how badly they need press coverage. Or you don’t get to interview bands at all.

For Warped in KC I was somewhat lucky. Though I didn’t get to interview Bad Religion (my all-time favorite punk band, ranked slightly higher than The Descendents and The Ramones) or attend a meet and greet with interpartysystem (damn the bad luck!), I did manage to acquire two very honest and unique interviews.

The first was with Adam Phillips (no relation), drummer for the Kansas City hometown representatives on the tour The Architects. The other was the most unique addition to the tour in its 15-year history: the boundary busting, Warped Tour oddity Shooter Jennings.

Click here to read. . .

Best/Worst bands of the day
Interview with Adam Phillips of The Architects
Interview with Shooter Jennings
Final thoughts

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