by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Corporate sponsorship is a necessary evil for the Vans Warped Tour, to keep prices low, but with sponsors including Sony, Adidas and Yoo Hoo, one has to wonder just how punk rock Warped could actually be. It does ring strange that, along with bands like Bush-whackers Anti-Flag, Florida’s Against Me!—known for their strong political beliefs and getting their start playing folk-punk at house parties exclusively—chose to be part of this year’s line-up. The Mirror talked to drummer Warren Oakes over the phone while he was on merch-table duty.

Mirror: There have always been complaints about the Warped Tour and their price-gouging on water, as well as the obvious one that it’s nothing but a travelling marketing behemoth, preying on teenage consumers. With your obvious political leanings, it was a bit strange to see you guys on the roster.

Warren Oakes: Well, I’m sure I’m quoted somewhere saying I would never do this tour. I definitely don’t have any regrets, and we knew what we were in store for. This is a very commercial event, and everybody is vying for the attention of kids, and ultimately for their dollars. There are days when you walk around and it can be kind of easy to bum yourself out with all the sponsors. I think we’ve made our bed, and we just try to make the most out of it. This is definitely not a countercultural experience.

M: Are there tables set up at Warped, trying to promote political awareness?

WO: There are a few tables set up, like the Take Action tent, and they also bring in local non-profit organizations in each city we go to. It will be anything from a local communist party to Infoshop.org, and the ONE Campaign people are out here. I talk to kids every day out here that are pretty conscientious people. It’s kind of a mixed bag, though, because for every anti-war table, there are Army and Marine recruiters out here. For me, that and the price of water were the two biggest travesties for the tour. We did get hold of some anti-recruitment groups who started handing out pamphlets, and as well, there have been protests in front of the recruitment table.

M: You just signed with Sire, and have alienated a lot of your older fan base that was used to seeing you guys at house parties and being on No Idea and later Fat Wreck. Have you had the sell-out finger wagging at you since doing the tour?

WO: I don’t really see them because none of our older fans would come to Warped. We’ve always gotten that. When we went from acoustic to electric, we lost fans, and then when we signed to Fat Wreck, we lost fans, but now that we’re on a major and on the Warped Tour, I think we have offended all the people left who could be offended. If we want to try something different, we can’t think of how it’s going to offend people, because we have to go to sleep at night and live with our choices—and right now, I’m having a hell of a time.

With NOFX, Rise Against, Anti-Flag and many more at the Vans Warped Tour at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Sunday, Aug. 13, noon, $43, all ages

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