March 30, 2000 – America's longest running festival tour, the Vans Warped Tour, heads into its sixth year June 24 in Phoenix AZ with a line-up of top-name bands as well as youth-culture lifestyle booths and extreme sports attractions such as Human Cannonball Dave "The Bullet" Smith, who will be shot out of a cannon over the main stage every day.

Featuring artists such as Green Day (in their first U.S. outing in over two years), Long Beach Dub Allstars, NOFX and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, this year's trek has increased to 39 North American stops (compared to 30 in 1999), and is thus the biggest Vans Warped Tour yet. Cities added to the tour route include Las Vegas, Calgary, Norfolk, Knoxville, South Padre Island and El Paso.

Other bands confirmed for the tour include Anti-Flag, Bueno, Flogging Molly, Good Riddance, Hot Water Music, Jurassic 5, Lunachicks, Millencolin, MxPx, One Man Army, Snapcase, the Donnas, the Line, the Muffs, the Suicide Machines and T.S.O.L., with more to be announced soon. Tour organizer and self-proclaimed "Camp Counselor" Kevin Lyman comments on the range of band's in this year's line-up: "By having bands like Green Day and Long Beach Dub Allstars join the Warped Tour family – along with long-standing relatives like NOFX, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and MXPX who have returned – it gives us a chance to bring the new kids like One Man Army, Hot Water Music, Anti-Flag and others to large audiences throughout the summer."

This year, the tour has partnered with Launch.com to create a more interactive and useful website for their audience. The new site launches today and will focus on incorporating fans into its design. www.WarpedTour.com will now feature online ticket sales as well as daily updates, band line-ups, fan show reviews and interviews with bands and athletes.

As always, the communal spirit of the tour culminates with the nightly after-show barbecue where bands, athletes, crew and sometimes fans come together to relax and exchange ideas. As the tour continues to grow – approximately 400,000 fans attended last year's North American trek – the grassroots mentality and fan-friendly ticket prices (around $20.00) remain. In a review of last year's show, the Los Angeles Times noted: "Keeping the vibe grassroots is the key to Warped's charm..." In another live review, the San Francisco Chronicle said: "...a crowd of 10,000 punk rockers and aspiring punks messed around, postured, flirted and learned a few lessons. Lesson 1: There's room for everybody...Lesson 2: Trust your neighbor...Lesson 3: Be yourself..."

Vans Warped Tour Radio (VWTR) presented by Playstation is back for Vans Warped Tour 2000 and will be distributed via broadcast radio and the Internet. This weekly 26-part series which kicks off May 1 features music and interviews with bands appearing on the current and past tours and will be hosted by KROQ's Zeke. VWTR will be heard on a national network of local U.S. radio stations and will be available to Internet users at www.WarpedTour.com. Lyman feels this outlet "gives underappreciated yet excellent music a chance to be played on commercial radio."

Renowned extreme sports athletes on board for this year include pro-skaters Steve Cabellero, Mike Frazier, Neal Hendrix, Phil Hajal, Daniel Ehara, Jon Comer and Remy Stratton, as well as rollerskater Brian Wainwright. BMX-er Rick Thorne once again returns to the tour, while Moto-X riders Chris Rourke, Twitch, Collin Morrison and Brian Ferrell will make their debut on the tour. The Observed Bike Trials will feature Jeff Lenosky, Ryan Leech and Chris Clark. In its tradition, the VWT also continues to have amateur skate contests in each city.

Other highlights and facts about the Vans Warped Tour 2000 include:

* LADIES LOUNGE: This year's female-focused tent is presented by MXG Online and is also sponsored by Sessions, Rookie, Cosmic Girl, Lamar Snowboards and Surf Diva Surf School for Girls.

* TIKI TENT: The Tiki Tent will feature live music from the Stingrays, Toledo Show, the Cheap Leis and more, as well as daily fashion shows.

* MODART TRAVELING ART CONTEST: Amateur artists can submit their artwork to be displayed on the tour. Twelve of the best submissions will be chosen for this touring art show which will also be judged by festival attendees in each tour stop. The winner will receive a $10,000 art school scholarship. Stayed tuned to www.WarpedTour.com for info on how to enter.

* ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN'S BATTLE OF THE BANDS: Bands selected to perform on this stage will compete for the grand prize of a recording contract with Spin Records and the opportunity to be a featured act on the 2001 Warped Tour.

* VANS WARPED TOUR COMPILATION CD: WORLD WARPED III features all live music from NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, H20, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Lit, Less Than Jake, No Use For A Name, MXPX, Bad Religion, Supersuckers, Flogging Molly, Royal Crown Revue, Anti-Flag and Lunachicks. The CD will be released this summer on Side One Dummy.

* SPONSORS: New associates for 2000 include: Launch.com, Tombstone Pizza, SOBE Beverages, Ernie Ball Music Man/Spin Records Battle Of The Bands, Sony Electronics, Kung Fu Records, Go Kart Records, Lookout, Sessions and Tooth & Nail Records. Returning sponsors include: Playstation, Alternative Press, Transworld Publications, Volcom, Hurley, Cinderblock, Crate, Ampeg, Ernie Ball, Epitaph, Side One Dummy and Fat Wreck Chords.

* CHARITY: A portion of profits from ticket sales goes to benefit the AIDS charity Camp Pacific Heartland and Boarding for Breast Cancer.

Current tour dates are as follows (subject to change):

Date		City		Venue
Sat 6/24		Phoenix, AZ		ASU Campus Lot
Sun 6/25		Las Vegas, NV		Thomas & Mack Center
Tue 6/27		Fresno, CA		Cal State Fresno Amphitheater
Wed 6/28		San Diego, CA		Coors Amphitheater
Thu 6/29		Los Angeles, CA		Arrowhead Pond Lot
Fri 6/30		Los Angeles, CA		Arrowhead Pond Lot
Sat 7/1		San Francisco, CA		Pier 30/32
Sun 7/2		Lake Tahoe, CA		Boreal Ridge
Mon 7/3		Boise, ID		Idaho Center
Tue 7/4		Seattle, WA		The Gorge
Thu 7/6		Calgary, ALB		Race City
Fri 7/7		Missoula, MT		Grizzly Stadium
Sat 7/8		Salt Lake City, UT		Fairgrounds
Sun 7/9		Denver, CO		Mile High Stadium
Tue 7/11		Minneapolis, MN		Metrodome Lot
Wed 7/12		Chicago, IL		World Theater
Thu 7/13		Cleveland, OH		The Flats at Nautica
Fri 7/14		Philadelphia, PA		Corr States Lot
Sat 7/15		New York, NY		Randall's Island
Sun 7/16		Asbury Park, NJ		Stone Pony Lot
Mon 7/17		Syracuse, NY		NY State Fairgrounds
Tue 7/18		Pittsburgh, PA		IC Light Amphitheater
Wed 7/19		Buffalo, NY		La Salle Park
Thu 7/20		Boston, MA		Suffox Downs
Fri 7/21		Montreal, QUE		Parc Des Lies
Sat 7/22		Toronto, ONT		The Docks
Sun 7/23		Detroit, MI		Phoenix Center Street
Tue 7/25		Washington, DC		RFK Lot
Wed 7/26		Norfolk, VA		Naval Station Field
Thu 7/27		Knoxville, TN		World's Fair
Fri 7/28		Jacksonville, FL		Fairgrounds
Sat 7/29		Miami, FL		Bayfront Auditorium
Sun 7/30		Orlando, Fl		Central Florida Fairgrounds
Mon 7/31		Panama City, FL		Club La Vela
Wed 8/2		Houston, TX		Astro Arena Lot
Thu 8/3		South Padre Island, TX		Charlie's
Fri 8/4		Dallas, TX		Artist's Square
Sat 8/5		San Antonio, TX		Sunken Gardens Lot
Sun 8/6		El Paso, TX		Biggs Park (Fort Bliss)

 

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