When driving my way down to Bicentennial Park, I would have never imagined I'd see a perfect line of civilized adolescence waiting patiently to take in this summer's most anticipated event, the Warped Tour 2006, in the scorching Miami climate. I was startled to find that there was so much diversity in styles, from Emo to Punk, and Hardcore to Preppy. There was a variety of ethnicities compared to past Warped Tours that have been played at Pompano and West Palm beach.

      Barricades and security guards bombarded the entrance, making sure to check every bag in sight for safety hazards. Unlike previous times, this year's festival was rather undersized and extremely intimate–no renowned headlining bands.

      To start off the insanity that would eventually lead to tremendous chaos, was Silverstein, singing songs from past albums like When Broken Is Easily Fixed and Stellar Gaze. On the stage next to them, Jack-N-The-Box and Senses Fail seized the crowd with their razor-sharp hardcore/punk beats from the depths of New Jersey. Senses Fail in particular captivated the crowd with their song "Rum Is for Drinking, Not for Burning" from their 2004 album, Let It Enfold You, leaving fans yearning for more.

      After their act, bands such as Anti-Flag, Rise Against, Armor for Sleep, Underoath and Motion City Soundtrack followed on the same stage. To many fans dismay, Thursday and From First To Last did not play.       The Battle of Bands on Ernie Ball stage had pretty intense acts, such as My Fair Verona and Cartel, but the band that captivated the crowd was new, mind-blowing locals from Miami, And Then There Was You. The band proved they had individuality and personality with their rocking guitars and amazing drumming, which was energized by their mix of hardcore, metal and punk sounds. They had the crowd, including me, in total awe, singing songs such as "Star Struck" and "Fall Fearless Empire," which is in the process of being re-recorded for their EP.

      Heading backstage, I stumbled upon a line of people that trailed behind the tour buses. As I followed, I saw fans sit down in chairs in front of a vacant tent. To my surprise, the guys from The Academy Is emerged out of nowhere to give a special acoustic performance of their album, Almost Here, and some personal EPs they recorded when they first started as band.

      After their performance, I was trying to make my way through the crowd that poured into tents selling band merchandise and indie clothing lines. Around this time, I couldn't help but notice fans running to the Teddy Bear Stage to grab a glimpse of the queen of rock, Joan Jett, with her original band The Blackhearts. I was totally blown away with her performance and magnificent stage presence. As she sang her famous anthem "I Love Rock N' Roll," the mob of onlookers all danced and sang along. Afterwards, fans ran after her, trying to snap a photo, get an autograph or just at least hope to get a glimpse of her up close.


      Following after her act was a hardcore Floridian band, Underoath. What outrageous stage presence they had! Their sound was even more mind-blowing than their recordings. They caused a multitude moshing, screaming and crowd surfing; they were possibly one of the best acts of the day.

      And after their set I was worried when I noticed the clouds begin to darken and block the sun's rays and the wind began to blow intensely, horrifying the bands that were playing. Suddenly an overload of rain began to pour heavily and intensely over the swarm of screaming fans; either way, that didn't stop NOFX and other bands from playing.

      But what more could you expect? With rain, yells of excitement and complete chaotic moshing, this is truly a Warped tour Miami shall never forget.


      For more information on the this and upcoming Warped Tour events please visit www.warpedtour.com.
      Email Leah your thoughts: outloud@outloud.com
Click here to read interviews of some of the bands who were at The Warped Tour 2006 :

• Senses Fail   


• The Academy Is   


• And Then There Was You  



      Want to see more photos? Click here!