Vans Warped Tour: Advice and the Great Centennial State
Motion by Daniel Gallagher
Since 1994, Van’s Warped Tour has hit the majority of the nation’s outdoor venues. From parking lots to football stadiums, this tour has featured genres from punk rock to electronic and much, much more. Over the summer, Colorado Music Buzz had the opportunity to sit down with several of the artists and ask them what Colorado is about, or in other words, how to promote/sell the lifestyle of a Coloradan as well as their favorite part about the Centennial State. They also gave advice on how to pursue a dream most people have of becoming a musician.
Nathaniel Motte of 3OH!3
CMB: If you were to promote Colorado as a lifestyle, what would be the few things you would mention?
NM: I love boulder, it’s a great place to grow up and it’s so beautiful. The untamed, natural beauty is really breathtaking especially for people who aren’t used to seeing mountains or rivers. Boulder, Colorado is a very open town with lots of ideas flowing through there and has always been a very dynamic place of change. It’s nice to live there and is a great breath of fresh air.
CMB: If you were to give advice to songwriters and aspiring artists, what would you say?
NM: The most important thing is to have fun and be creative. I think it’s important to try something new and to try something different and believe in what you’re doing. Anyone from anywhere can hear it when you put your work online.
Justin Pierre (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar) & Claudio Rivera (Drums) of Motion City Soundtrack
CMB: What are your favorite things about Colorado? Sports Authority Field was your favorite performance of the tour so far – What else do you love about Colorado?
JP: I don’t know if I should be funny or serious! If you are a consumer of alcoholic beverages… anywhere in Denver or up there will do because you get drunker faster. They also have those ‘jazz’ cigarettes too…
CR: and it’s funny because neither of us do any of that stuff. It’s a really mellow place to be and people are just chilling and relaxed. So really the answer is…
(Pause)
JP & CR: Colorado… It’s Chill
CMB: What would be the advice you give to people that are aspiring to be musicians?
JR: You have to do what you love no matter what. You have to not give a rip about what anyone thinks of your band even if everyone hates your music. We just kept playing and kept doing it and people eventually listened and loved it.
CR: My advice would be to just do it. There is no manual that we read… there was no book or conference we read or attended… we just did it. We were terrible at first… but just do it and do it a lot and you’ll get there.
Dave Stevens of We Came as Romans
CMB: What would be the advice you would tell musicians to keep their head up and press on?
DS: I think if you want anything bad enough and you’re willing to sacrifice and work hard enough for it I think you can get it – no matter what it is. It just depends on what you’re willing to sacrifice and how far you’re willing to go to make it happen and that’s where you get stuck. With music I had to put college aside and gamble with it and see if I could make this happen and we went ten-fold and we made this happen. I’m a firm believer in anything you want to do in life you just have to go for it and make it happen.
In short, music has a place in everyone’s life and there will be people out there who will try and take that dream from you. Whether it’s becoming a painter, lawyer, or musician there is always inspiration to be found in music. It’s changed, saved, and improved lives from the very beginning and draws us closer and closer with each new song or album. Sometimes there will be oppressors and negative forces holding you back from achieving your dream. But as Nathaniel, Justin, Claudio and Dave all said… it just takes passion and initiative to achieve your dream. Whatever it may be it always comes down to those two factors and if you try hard enough and keep your head down… wonderful opportunities will start to unfold right in front of you. All that’s left to do is decide which door to walk through.
Category: Buzzworthy2
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