A Warped History

In movies, music, art and television, there are no such things as good ideas.

Well, there are, but a good idea is one you hardly remember. Great ideas, however, are the ones you’ll never forget.

For Vans Warped Tour creator Kevin Lyman, his great idea has been able to clutch the single-best luxury that most other concerts will never be fortunate enough to achieve: longevity.

With more than a decade and a half’s worth of history, Vans Warped Tour will celebrate its 15th anniversary at a one-night theatrical event Thursday.

The two-hour movie screening in select theaters will feature recorded performances from popular Vans Warped Tour veterans such as NOFX, Ozomatli, Pennywise, Rise Against and Underoath, as well as behind-the-scenes clips and special footage tracing important tour memories.

“The film’s lineup really encapsulates the 15 years of the tour. It’s about respecting the past and embracing the future,” Lyman said. “People sometimes see the Warped Tour as one-dimensional, but our goal is [to] surprise viewers with the range of musical talent.”

Throughout the years, Vans Warped Tour has evolved from a pursuit of taking nameless performers on the road to becoming a full-fledged cultural phenomenon. Lyman expressed that the “sense of discovery” first-time tour-goers feel during their first “warped” experiences has kept it going for this long.

Dating back to 1995, the year of the first Warped Tour, Lyman rallied bands that he had met throughout his career working in clubs. The first show featured acts mostly unknown at the time.

“I loved music, and I knew that I didn’t want to become ‘that guy’ who became burned out by it,” Lyman said. “I spent 12 years trying to build respect within a culture, but before moving on I decided to try one more thing with my friends.”

Though the tour’s first year garnered only modest reviews, Warped fever soon caught on.

“A lot of people didn’t attend, but for those who did, they loved it,” Lyman recalled.

In the tour’s second year, Vans joined in as a permanent partner, forever fusing skateboarding culture and the world of rock music. Surpised by the tour’s potential for commercial growth, Lyman has watched his idea morph into a highly anticipated annual event that not only serves as a platform for emerging artists but stands as a defining movement for youth within music culture.

Aside from the more than 50 non-profit organizations that have emerged as a result of the tour, Lyman has also witnessed growing opportunities for young entrepreneurs to get their big break — just as he did. Young fashion designers for clothing brands such as Hurley and Glamour Kills have found success building their businesses alongside the Vans Warped Tour.

The Vans Warped Tour’s contribution to modern popular music is also evident in its 15 years of operation. Lyman’s tour has been instrumental in pushing names like No Doubt, The All-American Rejects, Blink-182 and Katy Perry to the vanguard of mainstream music. If it’s the Vans Warped Tour that showcases up-and-coming bands to the world, it is Lyman’s job to continue making the next discoveries in music and bringing something new to fans each year.

“I hope when people come out of the theaters after seeing the scope of our 15 years, they will leave with same shock value or appreciation for what we try to do each year, which is something new and totally different,” Lyman said. “It’s amazing, but I had no idea the Warped Tour would become what it is today.”