WIll going to warped tour warp her?

June 11, 2008 9:37 AM

Should I take my 14 year old daughter to Warped tour?

I'm thinking of taking my daughter and a friend to warped tour this summer. There are several bands we both like playing, and we went to a fairly good size live show at a club a few weeks ago. She liked that. I've never been to a big tour like warped and don't really know what to expect. Is it possible to have a good time and enjoy the show, or is it too hot, crowded, and full of jerks?

posted by cosmicbandito to media & arts (25 comments total)

It'll be awesome, take her for sure!
Expect marijuana smoke to be in the air.
You can also visit Montreal at the same time.
posted by PowerCat at 9:45 AM on June 11, 2008

She'll love it. Most of the kids will be around her age I would think. Expect the very good possibility that she will want to hang out those kids rather than her parent.

Make sure you set up a 'meeting place' where you can find each other if you get separated. And you might want to give her a cell phone if she doesn't already have one for the day.
posted by rooftop secrets at 9:48 AM on June 11, 2008

while hot, crowded, and full of jerks (and expensive for foodstuffs and souvenirs), it is well worth it. i went my first time at 14 and had a blast - i can only imagine how much more fun it'd have been if my dad (who chaperoned) was into the music whatsoever. take her, and enjoy!
posted by alpha_betty at 9:50 AM on June 11, 2008

Oh, you should go. There's even a "parent's tent" if you get tired of all the kids.
posted by meta_eli at 9:50 AM on June 11, 2008

Why not ask her if she wants to go? She may not be interested. Seeing bands in a festival setting is not the same experience as seeing a band headline in a club, and the surrounding bs of a festival may or may not be appealing to her.

If you do go, spend some time at the smaller stages, which will be the more positive experience than the insanity of the headline acts. But honestly, find out if she cares at all. She may not want to go, and if there are bands you like, you might just be better off taking her to see them the next time they come through town. My own bias is against festivals so take this with the usual grain o'salt.
posted by micawber at 9:50 AM on June 11, 2008

Teenagers should go to as many concerts as they can.
posted by mullacc at 9:53 AM on June 11, 2008 [12 favorites has favorites]

If she wants to go, rock on with the fun! One of my favorite memories as a kid was going to a Metallica show with some friends and my dad where he made friends with the bouncer to let us closer to stage.
I echo the idea of checking out some of the smaller stages at a concert like Warped Tour. They can be helluva lot more fun than the bigger acts.

And yea, there will be jerks- mostly due to alcohol. Just stay out of their way and it should be fun.
posted by jmd82 at 10:07 AM on June 11, 2008

Warped tours are always in places with no shade, like parking lots, racetracks, etc. Sunblock is your friend. So is water. They pump in extra sun, so don't get burned or dehydrated for maximum fun.

Travel light, don't get robbed, enjoy the music.
posted by knowles at 10:15 AM on June 11, 2008

Oh yeah, definitely. If she's keen on going, and you can amuse yourself for the duration of the concert it should be great. And you'll seem very cool in the eyes of her friend (as long as you don't helicopter them too much).

At that age, music is your life and speaks to you in ways it may never again.
posted by Flying Squirrel at 10:23 AM on June 11, 2008

Yes, take her. Hopefully she will learn a few of the bands songs by then, that makes every show 10x better.

Probably wouldn't let her crowd surf or get in the pit until she's 16.
posted by thetenthstory at 10:30 AM on June 11, 2008

Definitely - you sound like a very cool parent. I think it is great that you want to take your daughter to a concert, probably not the greatest concert for her to go to alone, but with you there great. Yes, there will be jerks, but I suggest just relocating if you find yourselves too close to one. Heat is definitely an issue with shows like this. Drink water every hour, wear sunblock and reapply oh and wear a hat. I spent some quality time at shows in TN heat and if you get sunburned or sunstroke it will greatly reduce the great fun you will have!
posted by Carialle at 10:45 AM on June 11, 2008

In my experience, the entry lines for Warped Tour are insane. Half the crowd is still waiting in line when they start playing at the scheduled time. It's best to either get there an hour early or an hour late.
posted by smackfu at 10:49 AM on June 11, 2008

She'll be fine. Both of the times I went to Warped Tour all those years ago we had a blast and didn't run into any jerks or difficulties whatsoever. Actually the people there were pretty awesome as a whole- at one of them, on a 100+ degree day, one of my companions had a water-related emergency and needed some rapid hydration...I was expecting it to be a pain in the ass to get to the front of the water line in a hurry (it was a large line) but everybody took one look at her and we were right up front 5 seconds later.

If you were going to Ozzfest I'd say you're a lot more likely to run into total toolbags much more frequently, and I'm not really familiar with the music scene of Warped Tour now because the scene it now caters to is decidedly different than when I was going, but based on the direction the music has gone I'd guess that the crowds are even more tame now.
posted by baphomet at 11:07 AM on June 11, 2008

Oh, fun. I went to Lollapalooza for the first time at 17, and took my sister who was 13. She accompanied me to several big festivals in the years afterward.

We lived in Arizona at the time, and staying cool was tough. My favorite trick was to freeze a gallon jug of water and then wear it in a backpack--it helped keep me cool and I could drink it as it thawed. If it's at all possible to bring your own water into a show anymore, I'd recommend this.

Wear watches, and arrange to meet up somewhere at previously designated times if you split up. Allow a ten or fifteen minute window for that--sometimes one of you gets stuck in a food or bathroom line or just caught in crowd traffic, but unless you have cell phones to check in, it's a good idea to touch base with one another.
posted by padraigin at 11:12 AM on June 11, 2008

Yeah, take her. She's at that perfect age where these massive tours that you deal with huge crowds, overpriced stuff, and massive heat are actually enjoyable. Before you know it, she'll be a cranky ass like me that can't be bothered.

Also, make her sit through the Bouncing Souls and Street Dogs sets.
/cranky bastard.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:20 AM on June 11, 2008

I'm guessing you would go to milwaukee?!?

Go. Ask her if she wants to bring friends...if she does, expect her to ditch you soon. Go talk to the masseuses or something in the booths and hang out there, while your daughter gets pushed, shoved, sun burnt, and has the time of her life.

Bring one backpack per 2 people, and leave it empty (except water, if they let you bring it in). Put all the swag in there.

Wear shorts, a t-shirt, and maybe a longsleeve that you can wrap around your waist. It will get way colder at night.

There's no reason for you to have a "lets meet up every 15 minutes" or some krap like that. Let her be with her friends until they call you (bring cell phones...for each of you...even if you think you're gonna stay together).

IF you and her are the only ones that go...PLEASE do not go in the pit. Watch the good bands from afar. I REALLY hate jerk parents that go to the shows, accidentally get in the pit, don't like it, and push people hard or punch them because they think they're being attacked. Just stay away from there, your body and state of mind cant handle it.

Just let her lead. If she wants to ditch you, let her.

Oh yeah, as you come in...FIND A LANDMARK you can spot from a distance, and tell her "right under here is our meeting place just in case we need to find each other".

LET HER HAVE FUN. Good luck!
posted by hal_c_on at 11:21 AM on June 11, 2008

Also keep in mind that Warped Tour usually focuses on punk/nu-punk/hardcore bands...it sounds like you're familiar with the music, but you don't specify what she listens to. I've been to hundreds of punk/hardcore shows back in the day, and I can say from experience that you're more likely to run into jerks at the hardcore sets. I just looked at the Warped Tour lineup and while I don't recognize the majority of bands on there, I'd say that these bands are probably going to have more fun-and-dig-the-music crowds/sets:
Against Me!
Bouncing Souls
Matisyahu
MC Chris
Reel Big Fish
Rise Against
The Vandals

Where as these bands are more hardcore/metal and you'll see a lot more slam dancing/posturing bullshit/"look at me, I can flail my limbs around like I'm having a seizure on a tilt-a-whirl"-type moshing:
Every Time I Die
Evergreen Terrace
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Devil Wears Prada
August Burns Red
As I Lay Dying
All That Remains

So if your daughter is into those bands and you're worried about safety and such I'd probably keep a little more distance between you guys and the crowd. Fortunately Warped Tour is a very professional tour and the stages all sound good from a reasonable distance. If you end up going to mostly sets on the pop punk/emo side of things, though, expect a bunch of kids having fun and dancing around together. Crowd wise there isn't much to worry about for sets like that except separation (you wont see much of the kind of moshing that parents get worried about) so make sure to plan out a post-set meeting point if she decides she wants to experience the crowd atmosphere more.
posted by baphomet at 11:25 AM on June 11, 2008

You are way cooler than my mom. She would have never braved Warped. (Fortunately, my best friend's older brother was around to chaperone us).

Expect it to be hot and tiring. Bring water. Sometimes they are weird about what you bring in, I think your water needs to be unopened. Slather yourself with sunscreen. Ugh I can still remember getting my hair part burned one year when I wore pigtails. Bring a lot of cash for food, water, etc. The girls will probably want to buy some band merch or jewelry from one of the many vendors.

Also there will probably be only port-a-potties so bring hand sanitizer or something.

I recall everyone carrying all their crap around in backpacks.
posted by radioamy at 12:05 PM on June 11, 2008

Another yes. But bring another adult for you to hang out with, and split up immediately. Seriously.

I went to see Tokyo Police Club with my 14-year old daughter and 16-year-old son recently -- a band we all love and were all very excited to see. But we got there and while my kids didn't say anything... I'm looking around the club, and these are their people -- kids like them, kids they would like. And I looked at my son and my daughter through different eyes -- they looked so attractive and cool and fun, like people I would have befriended at a concert. I met some of my best friends at concerts when I was their age. I found that I really wanted not to be there so they could have that experience. I took myself off to the bar, but... yeah. I wanted to see the band badly (and they were amazing) but I would have wanted my kids to go be young and fun without Mom hanging around more.
posted by Methylviolet at 12:28 PM on June 11, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

It's always hard to tell other folks how to raise their kids.

But I went to the first three Warped Tours starting when I was 15. I went with some buddies to the Phoenix Amphitheater (on top of a parking structure), saw Quicksand and Orange 9mm and loved 'em, and had a good time on the whole. I was a pretty savvy kid (at least I like to think so), and the biggest problems I had were getting a sunburn and running out of water.

So, yeah, not a big deal, so long as your kid isn't a total spazz.

One last recommendation—EARPLUGS!

I know, I know, they're for dorky old dipshits. Whatever. They save you a lot of grief in the long run if you get decent earplugs.
posted by klangklangston at 12:32 PM on June 11, 2008

Nthing that there will be a lot of kids her age there. Drink lots of water, bring sunscreen, prepare for the food to be ROCKINGLY overpriced. Oh, and yes, there will be some patches of pot smoke in the air.

How jerky the mosh pit gets will depend on the band -- if she wants to get in there, aim for one of the bands that aren't very moshy to begin with. She should agree to be willing to step out if she's not having a good time. I.e., a blanket NO MOSH PIT rule may inspire prideful rebellion, but a decision she reaches on her own will likely inspire "forget those jerks!" and keep her safe. I wish my folks had let me go to concerts at 14.
posted by desuetude at 12:41 PM on June 11, 2008

klangklangston is right on with the earplugs. I have always worn them. At Warped I don't remember the noise level being too bad because it's outside, but it's been a long time since I've gone.
posted by radioamy at 2:02 PM on June 11, 2008

I went to the Warped Tour when I was in college (to work one of the soda stations). It was indeed loud, dirty, and jam-packed full of adolescents who looked like they were having a blast.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:37 PM on June 11, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Yet another vote for yes, you're an awesome mom.

Actually the people there were pretty awesome as a whole- at one of them, on a 100+ degree day, one of my companions had a water-related emergency and needed some rapid hydration...I was expecting it to be a pain in the ass to get to the front of the water line in a hurry (it was a large line) but everybody took one look at her and we were right up front 5 seconds later.

Hey, that sounds familiar. I passed out in the water line at a Warped Tour many years ago -- it was very hot, and I hadn't eaten all day. I woke up in the water tent. I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure I didn't have to pay for that water. People were pretty cool about it.

I also saw a girl get kicked in the head in the pit, and the paramedics took her away.

But, uh, don't let that scare you. I had a good time!
posted by liet at 9:41 PM on June 11, 2008

YES! Absolutely. Yes, sure, hot, crowded, jerks, porta-toilets that are worse than ten hells, whatever. These things will not ruin your daughter. If she's at all into this kind of thing, give her as much access to it as you can manage. I would have burned with mad respect for a parent who actively arranged something like this for me when I was 14.

Caveats: Obviously, ask her first - for all we know she may think Warped is twelve kinds of old and busted. She may also not be keen on going with, and having to be seen with, a parent, no matter how well you get on or how down with the kids you are. But in principle, 14-year-olds + Warped = amazing. Do it.
posted by Drexen at 7:35 AM on June 12, 2008