The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration Blu-ray Movie Review

Though too short, this glimpse inside the Warped Tour should satisfy music fans.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 18, 2010

Warped Tour is double scoops of beans. From pretty ladies.

The Vans Warped Tour, started in 1995 by Kevin Lyman as a showcase for some of Southern California's punk bands -- including Sublime and No Doubt -- has grown into a 15-year-old extravaganza of music and extreme sports that draws legions of fans through the inclusion of both high-profile bands and up-and-comers looking to find their stride on tour, all from diverse backgrounds and musical styles. In 2009, the Warped Tour celebrated its 15th anniversary, beginning and ending with stops in the Golden State, sandwiched around visits to 27 states and 4 Canadian cities in just under two months. Summit Entertainment's Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration captures some of the finest moments from the tour, showcasing a dozen bands and featuring several candid behind-the-scenes interview clips with the stars for an experience that's not the complete Warped Tour, but a fair glimpse into what it's all about.

Auditions are now being held for 'Glitter 2: Electric Boogaloo.'

With music from The Aggrolites to Underoath, 2009's Warped Tour featured a healthy selection of bands, but Summit's disc also provides a nice hodgepodge of interviews with the talent in addition to the music. This program serves as a decent introduction to the Warped Tour, particularly from the perspective of the musicians that take part in the festivities, some of whom are appearing on the Tour for the first time, others veterans of the series with a firmer grasp of what it's all about. The Warped Tour is described as a "personal" festival rather than as a larger, detached experience, and one that's geared toward younger fans. The Tour is loosely structured and said to be free of the confines of bigger but more strict cookie-cutter-style concerts; younger bands see it as something of a "right of passage" not only for the experience on-stage but also for the opportunity to embrace a somewhat more difficult life on the road. Indeed, the Warped Tour forgoes the glitz, glamour, fancy hotels, and private jets that most fans probably associate with Rock talent on tour in favor of a rougher and more exhausting but no less enriching experience. Groups are said to come off the Tour having not only having enjoyed the greater exposure it provides, but discovering alongside their contemporaries both a bond through music and newfound friendships that only draws the community surrounding the Warped Tour closer together.

The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration proves to be a well-produced disc. The picture and sound quality border on excellent, and there's practically no downtime between songs and interviews. If there's a single complaint -- and it's a big one -- The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration feels incomplete, to say the least. It's choppy and far too short -- clocking in at under 90 minutes -- and fans will inevitably be left wanting more, though no doubt the point of the disc is to increase interest in the Tour and ultimately draw a larger fan base to future live events. Fortunately, each act puts forth a good effort, at least as they're presented in this limited 94-minute production. The music is energetic and the performances full of vigor; each band is sure to make plenty of new fans both on tour and through the disc, or at least earn some additional iTunes and YouTube click-throughs in an effort to learn more about them than what's offered on this short program. Each band seems genuinely excited to be part of the Warped Tour, and their enthusiasm is reflected in their music. Fans of the Warped Tour, or any of the groups represented in this collection, will find plenty to like about The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration, and newcomers to either the bands or the Warped Tour will find in this package a decent enough introduction to either.

The following bands and songs make up the disc's playlist:

The Aggrolites -- "What a Complex"
3OH!3 (via video from Denver, Colorado) -- "Starstrukk"
Ice-T and Body Count -- "Body Count's in the House"
NOFX -- "Eat the Meek"
The All-American Rejects -- "Move Along"
Decaydance All Stars -- "Dammit"
Blink-182 (via video) -- "Rock Show"
Underoath -- "In Regards to Myself"
Rise Against -- "The Good Left Undone"
Ozomatli -- "Saturday Night"
Bad Religion -- "New Dark Ages"
Pennywise -- "Bro Hymn"

The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration features a rock-solid 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Though it understandably takes on a fairly smooth and glossy video-like appearance, the image reveals strong detailing and good color reproduction, not to mention deep and solid blacks that never seem to crush out details. Viewers will note beads of sweat on performers' faces and enjoy the ability to make out even the small text appearing on posters that cover a wall behind the stage, at least during appropriately up-close shots. Details all around the frame are consistently sharp with the only real blemishes coming in the form older standard-definition material that's been sourced from past tours and intercut with the newly-minted high definition footage. Colors are nicely reproduced; the strobe lighting heavily influences what the transfer looks like at any given time, but flesh tones appear natural and the varied colors found on clothing and instruments -- not to mention the glitter that covers Tyson Ritter's upper body -- never disappoint. Banding is minimal, very slight blocking creeps into a couple background shots, and aliasing appears absent from the image. Noise is practically non-existent, giving The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration a fresh, good looking image from beginning to end. Fans should be pleased with Summit's high quality transfer.

The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Summit Entertainment brings The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration to Blu-ray with a high-powered Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track's bread-and-butter segments, the concert clips, prove themselves to be rich, full-bodied, and ear-piercing stuff. Guitar riffs slice through the soundstage with incredible precision and clarity, even considering the track's high volume at reference level. The track makes full use of the 5.1 configuration, engaging every speaker to create a wonderful sense of immersion into each song. Likewise, crowd noise is often enveloping and natural, well-positioned and never seeming overplayed, the track doing well to place the listener amidst the enthusiastic fans. Most impressive is the sense of space the track creates; guitars, drums, and other instruments often seem to extend beyond the boundary of the speakers, the track seemingly larger than the confines of the soundstage. It's excellent stuff to be sure, the presentation only really marred by some mushy and garbled dialogue during interview clips, but the music consistently sounds great. Fans of the style of music or the bands will enjoy listening to this track over and over again; it's top-quality stuff.

The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration rocks onto Blu-ray with a fair assortment of bonus materials. Kevin Lyman Exclusive Introduction (1080p, 2:13) features the Tour founder speaking briefly on the history of the Warped Tour. Kevin Says: The Hope for the Future 1080p, 22:02) again features Kevin Lyman, this time flanked by several Warped Tour performers, all discussing the experience of playing on the Tour. 15 Memories/15 Years (1080p, 8:40) also features Lyman sharing some of his favorite memories from 15 years of the Vans Warped Tour. Next is 15 Years of Warped -- A Punk Rock Summer Camp (1080p, 15:34). This piece delivers a solid overview of what it's like to attend the Warped Tour. Warped Gives Back (1080p, 3:05) features Kevin Lyman and others speaking on the Tour's associations with various charities and organizations. Finally, Warped Tour 16 (1080p, 0:50) offers a brief preview of what fans can expect from the 16th Warped Tour.

The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

More than the sum of its music, The Vans Warped Tour is also about extreme sports, but most important of all, it's billed as a tour that's built for fans. Insofar as it's represented on this disc, the concert seems like a fan-favorite event, not only because its landscape is dotted with several major acts, but because of the inclusion of those bands hoping to find their stride and make a positive impression in the 30 (and now 40) minutes they have to wow the crowd. According to the background information provided on the disc, no bands are placed on a higher pedestal than others; the Warped Tour creates an equal playing field where the music more often than not comes before egos and posturing, where the fans can enjoy their favorite bands without all the extra baggage that sometimes dominates similar events. Summit's Blu-ray release of The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration is technically proficient and delivers a fair amount of bonus features. The program itself is far too short, but for fans of the talent or the Warped Tour, this title would one day make for a fine addition to the Blu-ray concert collection, given that the price ultimately finds its way to the $15 range.