I had the opportunity to check out this year's 15th annual Warped Tour on July 5th in Dallas and I loved every minute of it.  I've never been to Warped Tour so this was a first for me.  My day started at 11:30am when I picked up my passes from the press tent.  I immediately headed to the Main Stage to catch The Ataris, a band that I've always liked and never had a chance to see.  Kris Roe and the guys didn't disappoint this first timer; they played all the songs I wanted to hear, especially "So Long, Astoria," "In This Diary," and "The Boys Of Summer."

Next, I caught some of After Midnight Project on one of the side stages.  They were recently signed to Universal and I could see why.  They were energetic and sounded solid.  Their crowd seemed to really be into it.  I hope I get a chance to see these guys play a longer set somewhere.

At 1:55pm, 3OH!3 hit the Main Stage and didn't stop moving for their entire 30 minute set.  I'm not a big fan of their music (I don't get the whole emo hip-hop thing), but I was very surprised to find myself really enjoying their show.  They opened with "Punkbitch," which I think is the best song off their debut album Want.  Maybe I should give these guys a second chance now that I know their live show is awesome.

At 2:55pm, Less Than Jake stepped on to the Main Stage and the crowd went nuts.  Besides 3OH!3, I think they had the biggest crowd all day.  Now I'll be honest:  I've never listened to LTJ.  But after meeting trombone player Buddy Schaub, I knew I needed to see the set.  They are like Warped Tour royalty since they've done so many of the tours (6 of the 15).  As a result, they got to play 40 minutes instead of 30 like everyone else.  They opened with "Last One Out Of Liberty City" off 1998's Hello Rockville and continued with tracks like "Automatic," "Sugar in Your Gas Tank," "Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts," and "Help Save the Youth of the World from Exploding."  Really solid set (and Buddy kicked ass on that trombone).

At 3:55pm, Chiodos roared out on to the Main Stage.  I first saw them in February 2007 on the Taste of Chaos tour and wasn't really impressed.  I had the same feelings about this show.  Craig Owens is an entertaining frontman who keeps the crowd moving, but he wasn't able to change my opinion this time.  My brother, on the other hand, really dug it as he loves Chiodos.  They opened with "The Undertaker's Thirst For Revenge Is Unquenchable (The Final Battle)" off 2008's Bone Palace Ballet.  The rest of their set list included "Two Birds Stoned At Once," "Baby, You Wouldn't Last A Minute On The Creek," "A Letter From Janelle," "The Words 'Best Friend' Become Redefined," "Is It Progression If A Cannibal Uses A Fork?," "Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered," and the closer "There's No Penguins In Alaska."

At 4:30pm, I was scheduled to interview Saosin but by 4:45pm they hadn't showed so I bounced.  Fuck em, right?

The latter part of the day was when I got most excited as the bands I really cared about were playing then.  It all started with Thrice on the Main Stage at 4:55pm.  They only had 30 minutes but they really packed that short time with an amazing setlist, including "Of Dust And Nations," "Firebreather," "Hold Fast Hope," "The Earth Will Shake," and my favorite song "The Artist In The Ambulance."  They also managed to debut a new song from their upcoming album Beggars called "All The World Is Mad."  Thrice showed why they continue to be one of the most engaging, fascinating, and innovative rock bands of the decade.  I have never seen them give a bad performance.

While Thrice was playing, Aiden started their set at 5:05pm on the Ernie Ball Stage.  Luckily, the Main Stage and Ernie Ball were right next to each other so I could run back and forth between the bands.  My first Aiden experience was in early 2006 when they opened for 30 Seconds To Mars, and I've been hooked ever since.  They are not your typical emo band; they are rough and unrelenting punk rockers who love a violent crowd.  Their set included 4 new tracks from Knives ("Killing Machine," "Crusifiction," "Let The Right One In," and "The Asylum") as well as old favorites like "Last Sunrise," "Die Romantic," and the closer "I Set My Friends On Fire."  The last song is when all hell breaks loose as lead singer wiL Francis incites the infamous "Wall of Death" (my favorite part of any Aiden show).  They absolutely killed it as always.

Finally, Madina Lake, one of my new favorite bands of the past few years, followed Aiden on the Ernie Ball Stage at 5:50pm.  I really wish they were allowed a longer set time as their 6 songs flew by way too fast.  It's been a long time since they've been in the States, especially anywhere near Dallas.  I haven't seen them since 2007's Projekt Revolution Tour in Phoenix.  Even though the performance was so short, it was one of the best of the day.  They played 2 new songs from Attics To Eden ("Never Take Us Alive" and "Let's Get Out Of Here") and 4 songs from From Them Through Us To You ("One Last Kiss," "House Of Cards," "Here I Stand," and "True Love").  Their famous big white balls filled with confetti were in full effect, making the crowd jump and yell when they finally popped. 

I planned on catching Saosin at 6:30 but by then the heat and hunger had gotten to us.  So, Madina Lake was a great way to end my first Warped Tour.

Head on over to our Photo Gallery to see all of my shots from Warped Tour 2009. 

Also, come back every day this week for a new interview with a different Warped artist!