The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Diving into the Warped mind
Founder reflects on two decades of enduring alt-rock tour as final Northeast Ohio stop nears
When Kevin Lyman created the Warped Tour more than 20 years ago, the veteran stage manager was thinking the punk-rock-focused bill would be a oneoff affair before he moved on to his fallback career as a teacher.
Naturally, plan B wasn’t needed because the popular lifestyle tour — featuring mostly underground bands performing for largely marginalized youth — turned into an annual summer tradition, one in which the lowest ticket prices provided the biggest bang for the concert buck.
After decades of success, the Warped Tour visionary announced this would be the last summer of fun. The Warped Tour returns Northeast Ohio, apparently for the final time, July 18 at Blossom Music Center.
The News-Herald talked to Lyman about the origins of the tour, Nine Inch Nails’ 1991 Lollapalooza appearance at Blossom and whether the Warped Tour could reappear in the future.
Q
Looking back to 1995, when did you first realize the Warped Tour was going to be more than just a one-time thing?
A
It took a couple of years. When we completed the first year, I was back working in the clubs, but then I started getting calls from bands like NOFX and Pennywise. They were saying, “Wow, all of the bands on that tour are talking about it.” So having those bands step up kind of legitimized it. And remember, I was the first non-artist that started my own festival at that point. I already worked 13 years in the business. I worked up to 320 shows a year. I was the first stage manager of Lollapalooza in 1991.
QSo that means you remember the crazy Nine Inch Nails Blossom performance when the entire lawn bum rushed the pavilion.
AYeah, I was the guy on stage with the long hair, cutoff overalls, Doc Martens and no shirt with lots of chains trying to get the venue back in order.
QTo be fair, the crowd pretty much peacefully dispersed after the “Pretty Hate Machine” band’s time on stage.
AYes, at that point people would listen to me, but not anymore.
QSpeaking of Northeast Ohio, earlier this year you appeared as a judge for the High School Rock Off at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It seems like a parallel could be drawn between the spirit of that battle of the bands and the Warped Tour: Both events provide an outlet for youth.
AIt was fun doing the High School Rock Off. Maybe I didn’t know all of these people, but it’s still a community, and I think you look for people we have to engage in the community. And yeah, absolutely, Warped Tour was about a community. It was a platform for bands, for brands — clothing companies got their start in that parking lot — as well as all of the nonprofits that have now become nationally known. It was kids in parking lots with an idea and getting enough confidence to come out in the first place. We gave them the platform, and then they ran with it. That’s what makes me really now reflective a little bit that we did make an impact. Live music has always brought people in communities together. And we need to get kids out to see live shows. Warped was always that platform for a certain kid, but it wasn’t for everyone.
QLooking back over the different band lineups, what were a few groups that almost appeared on the Warped Tour?
AWell, I always asked The Ramones to do the Warped Tour. I would do an all-Ramones-allof-the-time stage. I always wanted them to play a 30-minute set. Joe Strummer was supposed to be on the Warped Tour with The Mescaleros the year he passed away. And Twenty One Pilots was supposed to be on the Warped Tour, but their agent talked them out of doing it.
QFinally, Lollapalooza stopped touring in the ’90s before eventually reappearing as an annual Chicago festival. Any chance the Warped Tour follows suit?
AYou know, I don’t believe in closing anything permanently. We’ll see.