Pioneer presents

Warped Tour Live 2002! (2002)

"Nobody's really a rock star out here. Everyone's accessible."- Tony Sly (No Use For a Name)

Stars: Bad Religion, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, New Found Glory, NOFX, Flogging Molly, MXPX
Other Stars: Something Corporate, Anti-Flag, Ozma, Morgan Heritage, The Used, Lagwagon, Hot Water Music, No Use For a Name, GOB, Reel Big Fish, Alkaline Trio
Director: Jean Pellerin, Mario Rouleau

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (contains language)
Run Time: 01h:45m:36s
Release Date: 2003-04-01
Genre: rock

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B+	B+	B+	A-	B

 

DVD Review

My first Warped Tour experience occurred during the summer of 1997 in St. Louis at the local ampitheatre. Fishbone, Pennywise, NOFX, Face to Face, and others entertained the crowd throughout the day, but the organized concert atmosphere fell flat for this type of tour. A site used to housing mainstream acts like Eric Clapton and Hootie and the Blowfish was not prepared for an invasion of punk kids. The end result was a mini-riot with fans storming the stage and battling unfriendly security guards while trying to get closer to the performers.

Luckily, the 1998 version in St. Louis took place in the proper open outdoor setting. Bad Religion, Rancid, the Reverend Horton Heat, the Pietasters, and others delivered energetic 30-minute performances non-stop on two stages. The open setting allowed punk fans to roam through the booths and catch all their favorite acts in comfortable fashion. Without the annoyance of plastic seats and workers unfamiliar with the Warped Tour format, I enjoyed one of the best outdoor concert experiences possible.

Warped Tour Live 2002! provides a glimpse into a typical tour day very effectively. Complete live songs are shown from a group of 17 bands that combine mainstays like Bad Religion and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones with such rising acts as Newfound Glory and Anti-Flag. Typical large-scale tours (i.e. Lollapalooza, Ozzfest) suffer from a lack of momentum caused by lengthy breaks between acts. While they also utilize a second stage, moving from one to the next is not nearly as easy. In addition, the bands always play in the same order, which leads them to sometimes phone in performances. The Warped Tour rotates its lineup every day, with prominent acts sometimes playing first and new bands often receiving prime slots. Also, the unknown order brings fans there early and injects energy into the beginning moments. The opening acts at Lollapalooza often play to half-empty venues and less-than-enthusiastic audiences.

This disc offers fans an enjoyable recollection of their experiences at this past summer's Warped Tour and provides a refreshing behind-the-scenes look at the crew and bands. While certain acts like the Alkaline Trio, Ozma, and The Used didn't do much for me, their inclusion will definitely be appreciated by their devout fans. My personal favorite is Bad Religion, who remain viable after playing for more than 20 years. The Process of Belief is their best album in a long time, and they still generate considerable live energy. The biggest surprise comes from Flogging Molly—an Irish band who joyfully blend punk and traditional influences. While their formula might seem clichéd at first, it jumps in a live setting and generates tremendous entertainment.

The Warped Tour is never a two-act show, and this day is no different. Newfound Glory have garnered considerable airplay on MTV and alternative radio with their pop-friendly guitar hooks. While I'm not a huge fan, they do justify their success with two energetic tracks. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are notorious for performing chaotic shows that inspired white boys to dance uncontrollably. Their ska/punk combination works effectively and even allowed them to cross over into the mainstream several years ago. The guys aren't at their best here, but they do offer oldschool classic Hope I Never Lose My Wallet and Everybody's Better—a slow, groovy tune with simplistic lyrics. Standing with Bad Religion as the elder statesmen of the tour, NOFX continue to draw fans with their often-crude topics and extreme sarcasm. They also rock the house, as shown by The Brews, which stems from their 1994 record Punk in Drublic. Unfortunately, this is the only song from NOFX available on this release.

Along with the exciting concert footage, Warped Tour Live 2002! also features shots of BMX bikers, half-pipe skateboarders, and the World's Fastest Drummer competition. Especially interesting are interviews with founder Kevin Lyman, who discusses how bands get on the tour and dealing with crazy weather. We also receive an close-up walkthrough of Flogging Molly's tour bus, which includes broken televisions and very close sleeping quarters. Life on the road isn't as glamorous as one might expect. On an overall scale, this disc provides impressive live music while retaining the spontaneous atmosphere that embodies the Warped Tour.

Rating for Style: B+
Rating for Substance: B+

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.85:1 - Widescreen
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Shot on digital video and presented in the 1.85:1 widescreen anamorphic format, Warped Tour Live 2002! offers a clear presentation. Shot with several cameras and presented from nicely choreographed angles, the images have few issues with lighting or awkward shots. There are limitations to the clarity of the digital video format, but the grain that often appears rarely is noticed here. This release offers a solid transfer that should disappoint fans of the included bands.

Image Transfer Grade: B+
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	yes
Dolby Digital 5.1	English	no

Audio Transfer Review: The pivotal element of this type of concert DVD release is the audio transfer, and once again this disc does not disappoint. The 5.1-channel Dolby Digital track offers considerable power as the big guitar sounds flow throughout the sound field. Its 2.0-channel Dolby Surround counterpart is not as successful and is a significant dropoff, but this probably relates more to the strength of the digital track. While it would have been nice to have a DTS version, this is still a very strong audio release.

Audio Transfer Grade: A- 

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 52 cues and remote access
Music/Song Access with 27 cues
1 Documentaries
3 Featurette(s)
Weblink/DVD-ROM Material
Packaging: unmarked keepcase
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:

1. The Interviews Uncut (5)
2. Extended Clips of Founder Kevin Lyman

Extras Review: Upon my first glance at the menus, I was stunned at the amount of extra features on this disc. However, further inspection revealed that much of the supposed bonuses were actually just more chapter cues. While these inclusions are a nice addition, they still provide a minor disappointment. Even with less material, Warped Tour Live 2002! offers a decent level of supplements. The highlight is extended versions of the interview clips presented in the original feature. It is great to see an even lengthier version of the Flogging Molly bus tour. Also, Newfound Glory really comes off as down-to-earth guys during a five-minute clip. In other segments, No Use For A Name discusses other bands they've enjoyed on the tour, and several members of Bad Religion continue to act silly.

This release also contains the two full segments with Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman. Each segment runs for about six minutes and gives us plenty of information. The first one is actually a video clip of a speech he gives to the sponsor crew at the beginning of the tour. More interesting statements occur on the second clip, which has Kevin discussing the progression of the Warped Tour on the beach.

A surprisingly lengthy documentary covers The Cities and includes a quick clip from every stop on the 2002 tour. Many of the segments present the bands and crew hanging out in all types of locations. The best ones include the stage manager offering a quick tour of the stage, silly antics in nasty weather, and finally getting a view of a girl band, The Eyeliners. Shopping With the Barbecue Band is a five-minute feature that showcases the stunning amount of food needed to serve the bands at the end of each day. The guys spend more than $700 for one show, and this remains separate from the catering budget.



Extras Grade: B
 

Final Comments

The Warped Tour is not without its detractors. Rumblings have arisen about the significant corporate sponsorship and $20-$30 ticket prices. While these aspects might not fit with the "punk" attitude, they also allow the creators to provide a much more entertaining day with a large collection of talented bands. Considering the number of acts performing, the ticket price is a steal. I would continue to attend the shows, but my 27 years puts me at nearly double the age of a decent number of the concertgoers. Even with the very young crowd, the Warped Tour still provides entertainment for music lovers of all ages. This disc accurately captures the experience of attending a show, and will probably encourage fans to return this summer.

Dan Heaton 2003-04-09