On Saturday, June 17, Vans Warped Tour returns to Oregon. This is the concert’s first time being held in Salem since 1996. Hosting around 65 bands per location and traveling to 40 major cities around the U.S., the show attracts a variety of ages to the Oregon State Fairgrounds. Tickets can be bought online or at any Journey store and range from $29.00 – $69.00. This year any attendant with a ticket who is under 16 years old and is accompanied by a parent over 28 years gets a free parent pass with their child’s ticket.
Several fundraisers are offering special packages during and before the show for contributing to their cause. Express Entry wristbands will be handed out to those who bring three canned goods, a used cell phone, or $5 to the Feed Our Children NOW! tent. Music Saves Lives will also be giving away 100 backstage wristbands to anyone who donates blood or has someone donate for them.
The 2017 lineup has brought bands like American Authors, Hawthorne Heights, Hands Like Houses, Goldfinger, Our Last Night, Being As An Ocean, After the Burial and Boston Manor plus many more. Solo artists include Andy Black, who is the lead singer in Black Veil Brides, Sammy Adams, Futuristic and more. Although more bands, such as Bowling for Soup and Streetlight Manifesto, will be performing at other venues.
“One of my favorite bands will be at the concert and this is one of the only concerts available to see such a wide variety of artists,” Lucas Hildahl ‘18 said. “Hosting the concert in Salem means that it’s available to a lot of fans who haven’t been able to go in the past.”