Relient K Kicks Off Summer with The Vans Warped Tour

By Christina Cosce
Tue, Jun 24, 2008 @ 05:32 AM PST

The Vans Warped Tour hit San Francisco�s Pier 30/32 Saturday, June 21, 2008 for the second show of the summer. This year�s line-up features an assortment of ska, emo, hardcore, and punk bands including Gotee Records� pop-punk veterans, Relient K.

The all-day festival attracted a mostly young but diverse crowd with each band drawing its own distinct following. Merchandise tents and informational booths filled the venue, ranging from the Revolutionary Communist Party to the Eco Initiative and Breast Cancer charities.

The breathtaking backdrop of the San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge framed the two main stages. Four smaller stages positioned around the venue hosted a variety of performers, mostly underground and lesser known bands. Over 30 bands performed for hordes of sunburned and dehydrated fans on the exceptionally clear San Francisco Saturday.

Warped may not have the most welcoming audiences for a Christian band, but Relient K made a serious effort in their noontime performance on the Highway 1 main stage. As one of the first acts of the day, their early timeslot allowed them to beat the unusual afternoon heat but proved too early for many of the day�s attendees, luring an enthusiastic but relatively small crowd.

Fans sang along to �Be My Escape,� Relient K�s catchy, popular single. Frontman Matt Thiessen encouraged fans to sing along, evoking a frenzy of jumping and fist pumping. Another favorite, �Who I Am Hates Who I�ve Been,� was met with a spirited response by an animated crowd that clapped along throughout the performance.

The set�s less popular song pick was �High of �75,� but Thiessen explained the choice: �We picked this today because the forecast for today was �Sunny with a high of 76� � close enough.� A reworked �The Best Thing� surprised fans, using verses from Kanye West�s �Good Life� as the intro and outro. The rap went over well with the crowd who busted out the �metal-horn� hand gestures and sang along. Relient K also performed �The Scene and the Herd� from their album The Birds and the Bee Sides set for a July 1 release.

Judging from this set, it seems the band has opted to leave behind everything pre-MMHMM, ditching old favorites like �Sadie Hawkins Dance� to focus on their newer, more mature sound.

Overall, Relient K did well in overcoming their early set time and left diehard fans wishing the sets lasted longer than 30 minutes�vowing to return to the Warped Tour when it comes to Mountain View in August for round two.

Tue, Jun 24, 2008 @ 05:32 AM