What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about Warped Tour?
That we can go book bands, like “Why can’t you book these bands?” Those bands have a bigger financial needs than I can pay. The ticket price for the Warped Tour is still very reasonable when you really look at it.
Biggest misconception. That we are a punk tour. I think that might be the biggest misconception. When Warped Tour started in 1995, if you look at it, we had indie bands like Seaweed, No Doubt was a ska band, Sublime was a surf/ska/punk band, L7 was an early screamo band, you know? So we were an eclectic tour from the beginning, we just got known because of bands like NOFX or Bad Religion. Warped Tour is always about music. Just bring it together for music fans.
What made you want to go back to the Warped Tour roots with the logo this year?
I’m trying to redefine what Warped Tour is and that’s where we came up with “We Are Warped.”
Do you think that Warped will ever travel outside North America again?
You know, I’m working on some ideas.
Where would you go, either again, or for the first time?
Oh my god, for me, I wanna go to Madagascar. That’s a place I had never been. I had never been out of America before the Warped Tour there, so taking it around Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand. That’s what I’d like to do.
What do you think when kids come up to you saying that their entire summer is based around that one day at Warped?
I’m glad I could bring it to them. I know there’s other things out there better than the Warped Tour for people, they just have to find them, but if the Warped Tour can inspire them at all with you know, PETA, or get involved with non-profits.
Yeah, I’ve been involved with Music Saves Lives since I started with Warped.
Yeah, the Warped Tour can be the catalyst for that. That’s what we do.
Thank you so much for your time.
Alright, thank you. Pleasure.