By: Kalliope Ashton

Over 17,500 people arrived at Sandstone Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas on August 2^nd and endured temperatures of 115 degrees for this year’s annual Vans Warped Tour.

Warped Tour is an all day concert that can have up to one hundred bands playing each day, depending on which city they’re in. There are eight different stages in which the bands are divided between for performances.

This year Bonner Springs, hosted several up and coming bands, as well as many returning favorites. Each band performs for approximately half an hour, must perform all their well-known songs or might even throw in some new music to see how the crowd will react to it.  Warped Tour has music for everybody, but their main genre of focus tends to be alternative, punk, and rock.

I had the good fortune to see the Warped Tour in St. Louis on July 5^th, as well as attending the one at Sandstone. In comparing the two I experienced a few bands in St. Louis that I would not have seen locally (The All American Rejects, I See Stars, etc). The crowds at the St. Louis show didn’t seem to be as enthusiastic as the fans in Bonner Springs, who seemed to show a lot of support for every band that played. The weather in St. Louis was humid, but a lot easier to bare than the extreme heat fans had to experience at Sandstone.

It’s always good to go to any concert prepared, but especially one that you’ll be outside exposed all day to the heat. Buying food and drinks at concerts isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s a lot better than getting dehydrated, and in 115 degrees it is very important to keep drinking water. A man at the age of 26, passed away during the Bonner Springs show. There is no confirmed cause of death, though everything seems to point towards dehydration. This year Sandstone had various places where you could get free water, and had plenty of shady places for taking a break if need be. It’s important that people take advantage of these things in the future, so hopefully any future deaths or injuries can be prevented.

Warped Tour can be a great experience. You can see some of your favorite bands, check out bands that you’ve never heard of, and you can hang out with other people who share the same interest in music. It’s also a great way to get up close and personal with some of the bands. A great majority of bands members will be walking around all day and don’t mind stopping to talk and take pictures. If you haven’t checked this concert out before, I suggest adding it to your bucket list.