It is a bittersweet feeling watching each Vans Warped Tour date come and go, for the last time. Fans coming together in celebration. Musicians collaborating with other bands to leave lasting impressions in the cities they made countless memories in while on the road.  Tears being shed. Smiles stretching from ear to ear. Clouds of dirt pluming from mosh pits. Water being sprayed into the crowds of sun-kissed fans. Moments that will live on in everyone’s memories until the end.
 
All this being said, the Massachusetts faithful was amped and ready to throw down at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA. The Vans Warped Tour has also been famously known to bring the rain with them while stopping in Massachusetts. To everyone’s surprise, the skies stayed clear for the entire day while the sunburns commenced. Although there were plenty of talented bands to view and review, seven bands made the cut for our review of the last Vans Warped Tour stop in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
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As a means to accurately represent each band, a list of quick hits will be mentioned for each set. Time to get down to business.
 
Saving Vice – If you are looking for a new metalcore band, feast your eyes and ears on Saving Vice. Rocking the Full Sail stage, Saving Vice stirred up the rowdiest crowd you can find at 11:00 AM. With influences ranging from Architects to The Plot in You, Saving Vice provides a head-pounding and emotional journey through their live performances. Recently coming back from their set at iMatter Festival in Albany, NY (playing alongside Underoath and August Burns Red) the Saving Vice train is moving quickly. Be sure to keep a lookout for them in the near future.
 
Ice Nine Kills – Originating from Massachusetts, the Mansfield, MA Warped Tour stop was considered a homecoming performance for Ice Nine Kills. A strong Friday the 13th vibe was felt on and off the stage before “Communion of the Curse” off of Every Trick in the Book (2015) shook the dirt covered ground. Spencer Charnas (vocalist) also ensures that fans feel included in each Ice Nine Kills set. There were multiple occasions where Spencer would join the crowd for each of his sing-along choruses.
 
Wage War – The best advice to be given to anyone who wishes to see Wage War for the first time is to buckle yourself in. Hands down, they had the most vicious and physically exhausting mosh pit of the day. Fans were able to view the cloud of dirt kicked up from inside the pit all the way from the water filling stations. The striking harmonies between Briton Bond (lead vocalist) and Cody Quistad’s (guitarist/vocalist) vocals have always been a distinguishable tone that can only be tied to Wage War’s unique vision. And who can’t forget the barbaric nature of Wage War’s breakdowns?
 
Unearth – When you think of a traditional metal breakdown, Unearth should be the band that pops into your head. With acrobatic jumps and hair whipping verses, Unearth unleashed a can of you-know-what in front of the Massachusetts faithful. Unearth's set did not contain a single back track. This set was very in-your-face and gave the rest of the bands performing that a day a run for their money.
 
Every Time I Die – It is very possible that each member of Every Time I Die spent more time in the air compared to the time spent physically standing on the stage. By far, Every Time I Die exhausted the most energy during their time in front of the Mansfield fans. Before the set started, you could hear whispers throughout the crowd on how “crazy” an Every Time I Die set is. Those fans were 150% correct. Stretching is certainly recommended before placing yourself inside an ETID mosh pit.
 
The Amity Affliction – Trekking all the way from Australia, the Xfinity Center helped The Amity Affliction feel as if they never left home. Raw emotion consumes every track written and played by TAA. Fans could be heard belting out each chorus all the way from the Pavilion. “Pittsburgh” off of Let The Ocean Take Me (2014) completed TAA’s set while leaving half of the crowd in tears of ecstatic-heartbreak.  
Motionless in White – It always seems to be the case when MIW performs, Halloween arrives early. With a stage decorated with black roses and porcelain angle statues, Motionless in White brought the makeup and breakdowns to melt each and every face looking on. And of course, “Immaculate Misconception” off of Creatures (2010) received the loudest participation.
 
Final Thoughts:
 
Vans Warped Tour has always been so much more than music. When Warped Tour visited your city, it was a day filled with a sense of community, acceptance and euphoria. Warped Tour provided the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of fans to meet their favorite artists in a relaxed setting isolated from the production setups usually found at headlining shows. There was always an importance being placed on the emotional health and wellbeing of those who came to watch and listen. Warped Tour provided outlets for those who were struggling psychologically and/or emotionally. Those who walked through the gates to Warped Tour were immediately accepted and welcomed with open arms.
 
Music is the most powerful and universal language on the planet. Music allows people from all over the world to connect in a way that can only be described as intimate. From all of us at Headrush TV, we would like to thank Kevin Lyman and the rest of the Vans Warped Tour staff for providing a one of kind experience to those who love music for the past twenty-five years. We are all truly grateful for the hard work and countless hours that were put towards providing an opportunity for thousands of fans to create memories that will last a lifetime.
 
RIP Vans Warped Tour. Thank you for everything. 

Anthony Cannella

On August 5th, 2018, the Resurrection Tour with Saliva and Puddle Of Mudd arrived in Lisle, Illinois at Base Camp Pub. This show was everything you would think it would be and more! From the beginning of Saliva's set up until Puddle Of Mudd finished, it was one hit after another taking us right back to the mid 90’s and 2000’s.

Base Camp Pub in Lisle being the compact venue that it is, was perfect for a post grunge/ hard rock show such as this one. Base Camp Pub as a venue was extremely condensed, but it allowed the crowd to be right in front of the bands. This allowed everyone to get the full experience with these talented bands, since the sound system was off the charts as well. Based on the venue characteristics, it was just another addition to why this night was incredible!
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Photos | Anthony Cannella

Saliva | The Resurrection Tour  | ​Lisle, Illinois 

As Saliva took the stage, they wasted no time as their entire set was intense and filled with that Rockstar passion. Band members, Bobby Amaru (Vocals), Wayne Swinny (Lead guitar, Backing Vocals), Tosha Jones (Drums, Percussion), and Damien Starkey (Bass) are dynamic combination of artists, since they equally own that stage in their own way. They rocked Base Camp Pub as they didn’t allow the crowd to led up at all, giving us a taste of those old WWF Raw and Smackdown days. That was all because of their rock swagger that kept the crowd fully into them and their setlist that was put together for this show. The setlist included chart topping hits like: "Click Click Boom," "Always," "Ladies and Gentlemen," "Superstar," and many more! In addition, what was truly a site to see was lead singer since 2012, Bobby Amaru, smash these songs to vocal perfection. Amaru took Josey Scott’s place after Scott left the band at the end of 2011 to pursue a solo Christian music career. With Bobby Amaru being the young talented vocalist that he is, he actually gives these songs a cleaner sound, which leaves the crowd right in his hands. As Saliva wrapped up their last song, we couldn’t help but think that they were the perfect band to open for Puddle Of Mudd.

Puddle Of Mudd | The Resurrection Tour  | ​Lisle, Illinois ​

As Puddle Of Mudd took the stage, the entire venue lit up as lead singer Wes Scantlin dropped the hit song "Control." From start to finish, Wes had the whole venue tuned in as he belted out Puddle Of Mudd’s chart topping number one hits one after another with his unique post grunge voice. Helping Wes blow the roof off Base Camp Pub with their setlist was Matt Fuller (Guitar, Backing Vocals), Dave Moreno (Drums), and Michael John Adams (Bass, Backing Vocals).

This setlist included songs like: "Control," "Stoned," "We Don’t Have To Look," "She Hates Me," "Famous," "Psycho," "Blurry," and many more. Honestly, getting to see lead singer Wes Scantlin is a real privilege, since there are not too many artists like him anymore. With Wes being sober for almost a full year now, it’s such a great site to witness him live in concert and doing what he loves, since the media portrays him as someone that he is completely not. One thing that was powerful to witness was when Puddle Of Mudd dropped their cover of ACDC’s TNT mid set!

We didn’t really know that they could give off that type of sound, but in the end, they actually smashed that cover. With Puddle Of Mudd’s talent, you never really know what surprises or maybe even covers can come up in any set. After that cover, there where about five songs before they concluded with their chart-topping hit “Blurry” off the ‘Come Clean’ (2001) album. With the whole venue screaming the lyrics back at Wes, it was definitely the right type of ending for the night.

Saliva & Puddle Of Mudd

​Saliva and Puddle Of Mudd are two bands you really want to be on the look out for. Luckily for you, these two powerhouse bands still have a lot of touring to go! Check out the links below to see if Saliva and Puddle Of Mudd are coming to a venue near you!

Anthony Cannella

On July 26th, 2018 Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday as well as The Story So Far graced the Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago with their Summer Tour.

The tour was almost at a conclusion on this day; it was quite a show to look out for  due to the high energy each band produced and the different styles of Rock you were able to witness all in one night!

Drummer Mark O'Connell from Taking Back Sunday stated, “It’s funny, we’ve been friends all of this time, but we’ve never done a full tour together. We ran into each other at some festivals last year and got to talking about it and here we are.”

And all we can say is we are glad you guys did because it was truly a night and tour to remember! Check out the photos below to witness just how epic this show was!

For example, starting off the night was Pop-Punk sensation The Story So Far. Their upcoming fourth studio album is featured in the banner above; titled 'Proper Dose' it will be released September 21st, 2018 via Pure Noise Records. Parker Cannon (Vocals), Kelen Capener (Bass), Kevin Geyer (Lead Guitar), Ryan Torf (Drums), and Will Levy (Rhythm Guitar) came out prepared to start the party and that exactly what they did right from the start with their hits from 2011 to 2018.

Their high energy songs with their killer sound got the people going as you could see the crowd surfers soar through top of the crowd that was constantly jumping. For a second, it was like we were at Warped Tour with how alive it was. If an opening band can make a venue compare to that scene, then The Story So Far is definitely a band to keep a look out for in your city. 

After The Story So Far set the bar high at the Huntington Bank Pavilion, the crowd couldn’t contain their anticipation for Taking Back Sunday. 

Taking Back Sunday is simply an experience to see and that is the best way to explain it, due to the fact that you get such a variety of Rock in the setlist. Just by hearing Adam Lazzara, John Nolan (Lead Guitar, Keyboards, Backup Vocals), Shaun Cooper (Bass), and Mark O'Connell (Drums, Percussion) collaborate with each other, it is no surprise that Taking Back Sunday has been successfully touring for many years.

They feed off each other in so many ways and as a result it comes together to form such a unique show that plays every song to perfection. Toward the end of the setlist, Taking Back Sunday took time before the last song to pay tribute to the headliner, Coheed and Cambria. Adam Lazzara, hyping up the crowd more than it already was, started a Coheed chant before they dropped their chart-topping hit “Make Damn Sure” from the album Louder Now. With the audience screaming back the lyrics at Adam, it was an remarkable way to end such a special set before the powerhouse Coheed and Cambria took over.

Like we said, this Summer Tour was unique and very well put together due to the intense energy and the fact that you get to observe a variety of Rock styles and genres in the same night. This is especially with headliner Coheed and Cambria, since they can range from Indie to Progressive, to Metal and even forms of Punk with a hint of Pop in the hooks.

Either way, Coheed and Cambria is a must-see as Claudio Sanchez (Vocals), Travis Stever (Guitars, Lap Steel Guitar, Backing Vocals), Josh Eppard (Drums), and Zach Cooper (Bass, Backing Vocals) tear up the stage with their killer sound paired with a lightshow that goes unmatched.

Coheed and Cambria, just like their albums, elevated the crowd as they took us on a journey for thirteen songs starting with a Prologue that lead into “The Dark Sentencer” off the new album Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures (2018).

Front man Claudio Sanchez ​took the Huntington Bank Pavilion by storm as he showed off his powerful and unique voice making it known that he’s been the lead vocalist since 1996; each note is on point while shredding his variety of guitars.

Another thing that doesn’t go unnoticed, are the bands antics that really get the crowd fully into the moment with them. For instance, as Sanchez is slashing through his double electric guitar, he heightens the moment by starting to shred the chords using his mouth! One moment that really stood out though was when Coheed and Cambria blared their hit “Welcome Home” off the album Good Apollo, Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005) and the reaction it received. Easily being one of their biggest hits, “Welcome Home” shook the venue as the sold-out crowd gave everything they had for it being the last song.

http://www.coheedandcambria.com;
http://www.takingbacksunday.com;
http://thestorysofarca.com.

Anthony Cannella

On July 24th, Collective Soul and 3 Doors Down came rolling through on their Rock N' Roll Express Tour in Chicago, Illinois at the Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island with special guests Soul Asylum. 

The Rock N' Roll Express Tour is a tour that needs to be on people’s radar, because we promise you it is an amazing time from start to finish. If you don’t believe us, just view the pictures from the show at the top of the page! Check out the tour dates below to see if the Express will be making a stop near you!

Soul Asylum | Rock N' Roll Express Tour | Chicago, Illinois

This highly anticipated tour had Huntington Bank Pavilion at full capacity from start to finish as the energy was high right from the start. Soul Asylum was definitely a reason for that as they smashed the stage with their hit songs and high-performance energy. It is strongly believed that a tour is as only as strong as its openers and with Soul Asylum starting the night, it set the bar high for the rest of the show!

Collective Soul | Rock N' Roll Express Tour | Chicago, Illinois

As a rebuttal to the high energy Soul Asylum set, Collective Soul came out wasting no time as they took us back to the 1990’s and through the 2000’s to give us some ol’ fashion Rock N' Roll! Band members Ed Roland (Vocals and Keyboard), Dean Roland (Rhythm Guitar), Will Turpin (Bass), Johnny Rabb (Drums), and Jesse Triplett (Lead Guitar) put on an amazing set as they confidently give everything they have on the stage. It is no mystery that these guys have been doing this for a while as they give off that rockstar mentality on stage that makes each song enjoyable to hear and watch. 

​Johnny Rabb (Joined 2012) and Jesse Triplett (Joined 2014) are the only members from the band that are not the originals, but with their outstanding sound and performance, it definitely has the crowd fooled. 

What stood out the most, is when they dropped their hit song “Shine” that was on Collective Soul’s first album ‘Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid’ in 1994 via Atlantic Records. From start to finish, the crowd was belting the lyrics back at Ed Roland, making it an amazing moment for the entire venue. Throughout the entire set the crowd was locked in, but as Collective Soul wrapped up we all knew 3 Doors Down was coming on shortly after.

3 Doors Down | Rock N' Roll Express Tour | Chicago, Illinois

With the crowd at the edge of their seats, the lights went dark for a bit and before we knew it 3 Doors Down took the stage and took it like soldiers that were ready for
war as they dropped the song "Duck and Run!"

This type of energy and excitement continued throughout the entire set. It was obvious, due to the fact that 3 Doors Down had the audience out of their seats from the second they stepped out on stage. Band members Brad Arnold (Vocals), Chris Henderson (Rhythm Guitar), Greg Upchurch (Drums), Chet Roberts (Lead Guitar), and Justin Biltonen (Bass) are a site to see together as you can truly see these guys having fun and passionately playing the music that they love.

Half way through the show, lead singer Brad Arnold gave the crowd a reminder that 3 Doors Down have been successfully touring for about eighteen years now. That statistic is just mind blowing, due to the fact that their music will never get old throughout every generation. Witnessing these guys on stage, it is not surprising that this music has been touring for eighteen years, since every note and every song is played and performed to perfection. 3 Doors Down went on to grace the crowd with a seventeen song setlist that included hits like: "It’s Not My Time" (2008), "Away From The Sun" (2002), "Loser" (2000), "Here Without You" (2002), "When I’m Gone" (2002), and "Kryptonite" (2000). With a setlist like that it leaves the crowd no choice but to be out of their seats and rocking along the whole time.

Rock N' Roll Express Tour | 2018 Schedule

Visit: https://rocknrollexpresstour.collectivesoul.com/

​Aug 14, 2018 The Amphitheater at Bald Hill Bookhaven, NY. USA
Aug 16, 2018 Mohegan Sun Uncasville, CT. USA
Aug 18, 2018 Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino Niagara Falls, NY. USA
Aug 19, 2018 Borgata Atlantic City, NJ. United States
Aug 21, 2018 Pier Six Pavilion Baltimore, MD. United States
Aug 22, 2018 White Oak Ampitheatre Greensboro, NC. United States
Aug 24, 2018 Ascend Amphitheater Nashville, TN. United States
Aug 25, 2018 Heritage Park Amphitheatre Simpsonville, SC. United States
Sep 4, 2018 Black Oak Casino Tuolomne, CA. United States
Sep 6, 2018 Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino Lemoore, CA. United States
Sep 7, 2018 The Pearl Concert Theatre @ Palms Casino Las Vegas, NV. USA
Sep 8, 2018 Harrah's Resort Socal Valley Center, CA. United States
Sep 11, 2018 Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO. United States
Sep 12, 2018 Utah State Fairgrounds Salt Lake City, UT. United States
Sep 14, 2018 Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino Mescalero, NM. USA
Sep 16, 2018 Comerica Theatre Phoenix, AZ. United States
Sep 18, 2018 AVA Amphitheater (Casino del Sol) Tucson, AZ. United States
Oct 19, 2018 Navy Station Norfolk's Fleet Fest Norfolk, VA. United States
Oct 27, 2018 Harrah's 15th Annual The Better Life Foundation Cherokee, NC. USA