It’s been a Warped decade for punks

It started off as an unruly circus of outcasts trekking from town to town in stinky vans and playing noisy music to skeletal crowds.

Now the Warped Tour, celebrating its 10th anniversary, is home to more corporate logos than a NASCAR race vehicle. Sponsors such as PlayStation and Hot Topic are as conspicuous as the bands themselves. That, coupled with the fact that bratty pop groups often outnumber traditional hard-core bands, continues to make the tour the target of punk purist antagonism.

Yet in the wake of Lollapalooza’s recent cancellation and flagging ticket sales for other big tours, Warped continues to thrive.

“I can remember unloading the first truck and not really having a clue what we were doing,” says Warped creator Kevin Lyman, who started out booking small California punk shows in the ‘80s and worked with mega-promoters Goldenvoice before setting out on his own. “The Warped Tour has become a machine, but it hasn’t changed; it’s still like a big backyard party.”

Though BMX and skateboarding exhibitions (Vans sneakers have been its most high-profile sponsor since 1995) have defined the tour’s identity, and it is labeled a “punk” tour, Lyman has peppered his lineups with hip-hop (Eminem, Jurassic 5, Atmosphere), ska (No Doubt, Sublime) and even metallic groups (L7, Limp Bizkit) over the years.

“It brought forth a lifestyle more than just a particular genre of music,” says Jay Bentley, bassist of Bad Religion, playing Warped for the third time. “It’s about the carefree Southern California attitude.”

But Bentley thinks this year might offer more serious moments too.

“As events have unfolded in the world, we and [Fat] Mike [of NOFX and founder of Punkvoter .com] knew that we had to be on the tour this year,” he says. “Looking at the lineup, from Anti-Flag and Bouncing Souls to Thursday and everyone else, there’s going to be a lot of bands out there speaking their minds.”

If a more political tone does emerge, the 2004 Warped may end up conjuring the spirit of old-school punk -- though Lyman’s formula of mainstream hit makers such as Good Charlotte alongside old faves such as the Vandals probably won’t sway those who’ve questioned his credibility.

“Some of the new stuff is not relevant for a 43-year-old guy like me, but then neither are a lot of the old punk songs that I used to listen to,” Lyman says. “Everyone always asks me, ‘What is punk?’ And I go, ‘Punk is getting up every day and doing what you want to do ... getting to do the thing you love every day.’ We get to do that.”