The Vans Warped Tour is Back, Here Are Some Artist Highlights

The first city to get brought back into the fold is the capital, Washington, D.C,. and Kevin and his new friends at Insomniac did not hold back. Let's take a look at the big, the bad (bad still means cool, right?), and the Warped, bringing the heat to D.C. 

Warped Tour has never shied away from breaking in some new talent, from the “Kevin Says” stage to the Full Sail stage, and even Ernie Ball’s Battle of the Bands, all welcoming new, unsigned artists. This year, while most are signed, that didn’t stop Kevin and his team from bringing some of the hottest new artists to the party. 

One such newcomer is Jakobs Castle, a band formed just two years ago by Jakob Nowell. The son of the late Bradley Nowell of Sublime fame, Jakob’s band takes inspiration from that same California vibe that brought his dad’s group to fame and blends it with a modern indie zest that, quite honestly, only a Nowell could make sound this good. 

Another up-and-coming artist being brought out is Honey Revenge, a pop-rock group out of LA that has had their fair share of exposure despite only getting started in 2021. The group takes inspiration from all over the industry, from Warped Tour vets like Paramore, You Me At Six, and Katy Perry to Disney stars like the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato. Honey Revenge has already racked up millions of streams and has already toured the country a handful of times and even crossed over to Europe and the UK.

It wouldn’t be a Warped Tour if some of the heaviest hitters from this side of the industry didn’t make an appearance. Of course, for the 30^th anniversary, Kevin and company called up every single friend he’s made over the years and brought back countless fan favorites. 

There are bands that are just coming back for another Warped Tour, and then there is Simple Plan. This year brings the band to a total of 14 times being a part of Warped Tour’s lineup, making them the band with the second most appearances, and it’s easy to see why. With the band’s popularity always spilling into mainstream media, from touring with Avril Lavigne to writing the theme song for What’s New Scooby-Doo, the band has earned the near-permanent spot on Warped Tour. 

Another repeat offender is the one and only Bowling for Soup making their 10^th appearance on Warped Tour. The iconic band is responsible for hits like "High School Never Ends" and "Punk Rock 101", their cover of "1985" by SR-71, and of course Disney's Phineas and Ferb theme song. With their on-stage antics always bringing a light-hearted atmosphere, they were the easiest guess for anyone following the slow release of bands playing this year.

And then, of course, there are the OG bands that helped keep the band afloat early on, that are the reason Warped Tour even has a 30^th anniversary party of this magnitude. From bands that played back in 1995 for that very first run, to those that picked up the torch a few years later, even founding bands are making a return this year. 

There are only two artists that are making a comeback from the original Warped Tour in 1995, one of which is Good Riddance, appearing at another date later this year, and the other is the legendary Sublime. Fittingly, the band was only on the 1995 lineup before now, making Sublime with Bradley partially responsible for the birth of Warped Tour and, hopefully, Sublime with Jakob partially responsible for the rebirth of Warped Tour. 

Another band from the beginning, and fittingly the ones who ended the final full tour in 2018, is Pennywise. The punk legends have played 10 total Warped Tours, and with “Bro Hymn” being the unofficial anthem of the tour, it was a no-brainer to bring them back for number 11. 

While 1997 was two years into the start of the historic tour, there is only one band that has the title of most time on Warped Tour, and that is the only Less Than Jake. The ska punks have played 15 of the first 25 Warped Tours, becoming the first band to spend a full 365+ days on a Warped Tour stage, and with their welcome return, that number is only going to keep going up.  

Of course, while D.C. may be upon us in only a few days, the Vans Warped Tour has another two cities to take over in Long Beach and Orlando. While some of these bands are hitting all three, there are a handful of bands that are passing over the capital in favor of a sunnier locale. Some of these bands include 311, Charlotte Sands, Dropkick Murphys, Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T’s, and Yellowcard.

More information about the Vans Warped Tour can be found at vanswarpedtour.com.

Want to stay up to date on the Vans Warped Tour in D.C. this year? Click HERE to see more of our staffer Nick Polis' coverage of the festival!