DVD: Vans Warped Tour '07

Label: Image Entertainment

Released: December 2, 2008

For years, the Warped Tour has managed to find a healthy balance between DIY punk ethics and corporate involvement. Granted, the corporate presence has increased quite a bit over the last decade, but Kevin Lyman and company still put on a great show while keeping tickets and merchandise cheap and leaving at least some of the barriers down between bands and fans.

This DVD from the 2007 tour also finds a happy medium between punk and professional. The sound quality and editing is anything but amateur. On the other hand, the camera angles have more of a by-the-seat-of-the-pants quality, with many shots from the crowd perspective and of the crowd itself. With everything from the old school punk of Bad Religion and Pennywise to the emo/screamo of Chiodos to the funk and reggae of Fishbone, the DVD contains performances that capture both the energy and eclecticism of the Warped Tour. The one big fault here is the absence of one of the coolest things about the Warped Tour, the smaller, little known bands. The interview portion is mildly insightful at best, but may be worth sifting through for a few words from some favorites.

For the most part, this is as good a representation of the Warped Tour as you can get without going. However, just a song from each band (and no summer sun) isn't enough to get the real feel. The Vans Warped Tour '07 DVD isn't for anyone who wouldn't typically attend the tour (obviously), but it's a decent artifact if the Warped Tour is up your alley.

Rating: 6/10

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