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Founder of alternative tour reflects on a long run FOREVER WARPED
By John Benson
It was roughly two decades ago when Kevin Lyman decided he wanted to be a schoolteacher. He wanted to give back to the youth of the day something meaningful, something perhaps life- changing.
That’s exactly what Lyman has been doing for nearly two decades, but he has no classroom and no official students. Instead, as visionary and organizer of the summer’s annual Warped Tour, the tour manager for the first few Lollapalooza festivals of the early ’90s provides equal amounts of freedom to kids and bands seeking excitement, friendship and acceptance.
What began in earnest in 1995 with underground acts L7 and Quicksand, along with then newcomer Sublime, has grown into a punk-rock rite of passage. The Vindicator talked to Lyman about his beloved Warped Tour, which returns to Blossom Music Center and First Niagara this week.
Q. When you started the event, did you ever think it would last decades later?
A. Absolutely not. To be honest, when I started, it was going to be one summer show and out. Then I was going to go be a schoolteacher, which I found myself in the role many, many years later being a teacher for most of these kids how to tour, how to be on the road, how to take their business seriously. I was going to go back and finish up and get a degree, and then go out and teach. I thought it would be a little bit more stable than the music business.
Q. It’s funny how things worked out. How has the Warped Tour evolved over the years?
A. Just the sheer numbers. We just crossed the border into Canada recently, and we had 1,100 people. That’s a lot of logistics to get those people across the boarder smoothly. A decade ago it was probably 400 people. But now we try to pay homage to where we began. And the Warped Tour feels like a big backyard party. It’s kind of like stepping back and letting it evolve and take its own course listening to fans and the kids. Nowadays I get most of my inspiration from talking to fans at shows and reading online.
Q. Early on, the Warped Tour was viewed as a lifestyle tour targeted toward the young, punk-rock skating crowd. Has that changed?
A. It’s different. We’re dealing with a lot of kids who are bullied in school or don’t fit in. So it’s the same as it was, but now tattoos or hairstyles aren’t a badge of anti-establishment. When you really meet these kids, they’re looking to fit in, and so many kids say they feel comfortable being there, being themselves and not being judged.
Q. Despite all of its success, have there been missteps along the way?
A. We’ve attempted a lot of things, and there have been attractions that haven’t worked, stages that haven’t worked. There were a couple of bands that were probably a little stretch for the Warped Tour audience. Years ago I tried to put Twiztid on there, and that was just a little extreme, especially since we were very punk-rock focused at that point. It could work possibly now.
Q. Twiztid is a rap act, but Eminem found success on the Warped Tour.
A. Yeah, but Eminem was cognizant of the audience he was working with. He didn’t walk on stage and flip them all off. The Warped Tour kind of fills a niche. And for the audience, it’s not for everyone. I think if you want to hear a hit song and sit in one seat, it’s not going to happen. It’s for the kid who has an open mind.
Q. Finally, how long can the Warped Tour last?
A. I don’t know. It’s tricky every year, but I enjoy doing it. I make a nice living, but I don’t get rich on it. It leaves a little bit at the end of the summer, but at this point retirement isn’t in my future. I’m still having a good time, so I might as well keep doing it.