After roughly 26 hours straight driving from San Francisco, the Warped crew made it up to the University Of British Columbia. A vastly different setting than the previous three, a smaller crowd but a larger area quickly tired my legs that were so accustomed to bus living. One of the most interesting and frustrating parts of the tour is Canada’s policy on bringing merchandise into the country. Any merchandise you bring across is automatically taxed, which forces the 50+ groups on the tour to ship their merchandise to the venue. The band I’m riding with, Bayside, shipped about six days early. The merchandise arrived in four days, and was then sent to the back of the delivery line since it couldn’t be delivered till the day of the show. Unfortunately, for the band and that hundreds who voted for them to win the Energizer Long Lasting Performance time (an extra ten minute set), no merchandise ever came for them. We’ll see if their luck changes for Calgary.
I’d like to take a few minutes and talk about one of the other non-profits on the tour. I’ve set up the last couple days next to Kelsey and her Boarding For Breast Cancer tent. Their goal is to raise awareness and teach how to properly examine for breast cancer. One of the most startling statistics is that 30% of cases are discovered by partners. They’ve been able to raise a considerable of money in donations, as well as teach hundreds how to properly check themselves or their partners for the lumps indicative of cancer.
Lastly, I said this is in my last update, but you cannot go to Warped Tour and miss The Spill Canvas. TSC are seriously four of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, not to mention arguably the most talented band on the tour. Their set, which blends older tracks with brand new songs from the new EP and upcoming full-length. Take a half an hour of your day and head over to the Hurley stage for their set, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
