Warped Tour, rain and all, takes wing

Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 9, 2007 at midnight

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The longer the Warped Tour goes on, the more it seems like a brilliant idea. It's a massive sponsor-fueled music marketing program packaged as rebellion, but with enough legitimacy that it can bring in Bad Religion and the like while giving up-and-comers a way to get their music heard.

Sunday's Warped stop at the Invesco Field parking lot was one of the more adventure-packed outings, what with the torrential rain and lightning. But in many ways it was just an even more organized version of its previous incarnations.

For a show in a parking lot it has an intimate feel. It's a citylike setup, with stages dotting the landscape, pedestrian boulevards teeming with fans, food districts and rows of band booths, all set to blasting rock coming from all sides. For aggrieved parents, there's a Reverse Daycare Tent, where they can sit in darkness watching a DVD on a flat-screen TV while their kids mosh outside.

While having big-name headliners is great, it's the random discoveries you can find in the dozens of bands that make it worthwhile for both musicians and fans.

"If you're a good band and you can play, the Warped tour is great. You get to go out there on a daily basis and prove what you can do," said Ronnie Winter, lead vocalist of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, a Florida band that went from doing a handful of Warped dates as an unknown, unsigned band three years ago to being a major draw on every show of the current tour.

One of this year's better surprises was The Spill Canvas, a South Dakota band playing one of the smaller stages with a blend of textured, dynamic rock songs with ripping guitar solos and a strong connection/interaction among the four band members.

The most heartening moment of the afternoon, however, had nothing to do with the music. The skies suddenly opened up with pouring rain and hair-raising lightning. Organizers and the crowd handled it well. When it became apparent there were safety issues with the lightning, the promoter opened the gates to the backstage area, located under the Colfax viaduct, and thousands of fans streamed in for shelter. They also let people flee out the front gates to seek shelter under the eaves of the stadium.

Thirty minutes later the rain had passed and fans dutifully left the backstage area without a fuss. And anyone who wanted back in the front gate was admitted – a welcome display of teamwork to have a good show regardless of a momentarily bad situation.

In additon to the music, the outdoor event features food districts, band booths and even a Reverse Daycare Tent, where parents can sit and watch a DVD while their kids enjoy the entertainment outside. Despite the citylike setup, the show has an intimate feel and is even more organized this year than in previous tours.

An afternoon storm disrupted the event, but organizers and the crowd handled it well. With safety a concern, the gates to the backstage area under the Colfax viaduct were opened, allowing audience members to seek shelter from the lightning and torrential rains. After the storm passed, the crowd dutifully returned without making a fuss.

Mark Brown is the popular music critic. Brownm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2674

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