Chicago – While most of the U.S. has been experiencing a heat wave and seeking shelter in air-conditioning, emo kids and modern punks have been having the best summer of their lives, with Warped Tour being in full-effect, despite the gnarly temperatures. On a Saturday afternoon, hoards of teenagers and twenty-somethings piled into the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Tinley Park, Illinois, covered in sweat, toughing out the humidity to see a myriad of bands, from Sum 41 and Good Charlotte to Sleeping With Sirens and The Maine. Of course, there were also hometown heroes Knuckle Puck and Real Friends, too! Best New Bands was on-site, braving the soaring temps and battling the sticky dampness – though, the Midwest has nothing on the humidity we experienced down in Tennessee, for Bonnaroo - to catch a handful of new bands at the 2016 Vans Warped Tour.
Mother Feather
Holy f*$k Mother Feather! This pop cock rock band from New York City has begun gaining the attention of anyone with eyes and ears – including Shirley Manson of Garbage – because man, do these ladies kick ass! Mother Feather began as a project between best friends Ann Courtney (lead vocals) and Elizabeth Carena (keyboards, vocals). The group also includes bassist Matt Basile, guitarist Chris Foley, and drummer Gunnar Olsen; however, this tour features a different drummer. I first heard of Mother Feather through some of my NYC music photography friends. I instantly fell in love with the action and theatrics captured in the live photos of Mother Feather. Then I took a listen, and woah, was I more in love! I was dying to see Mother Feather live… only there was a problem: they were an underground NYC band that up till that point hadn’t toured. Luckily for Mother Feather (and me), Warped Tour came a calling, taking the band on its first ever tour – though I should say luck is code for a lot of hard work and dedication, seeing as the band has been at it since 2011. Warped Tour saw Mother Feather’s immense talent, which for me meant finally seeing Mother Feather in the flesh, and Mother Feather definitely did not disappoint.
Mother Feather took to the Full Sail stage with gusto! I especially could not keep my eyes off of frontwoman Ann Courtney, who screamed and howled, jumped around and slithered. In their neon green custom-made attire, Ann Courtney and Elizabeth Carena wowed the audience with synchronized dancing. Courtney and her hype-woman Carena had the crowd begging for more with sexy and flirtatious dance moves. Some people in the audience danced. Others shook their heads to the beats or low-key played air-guitar. Those passing by stopped to watch the spectacle before them – because how could you not?
Mother Feather performed songs off its self-titled debut LP – which was released in May via Metal Blade Records - including the band’s anthem “Mother Feather.” Ann Courtney asked the crowd, “Where are my mother feathers? Who are my mother feathers?” Cheers followed. Mother Feather also performed the bouncy “Trampoline.” Ann Courtney and Elizabeth Carena leapt around the stage. Courtney sang, with a sly smile: “Have some fun, getting sprung!” Indeed, it was fun popping it off with Mother Feather, who hands down gave the best performance of the day!
Against The Current
Stop what you’re doing, we’ve found your favorite power pop punk band aka the new Paramore aka Against The Current. This New York band consists of lead vocalist Chrissy Costanza, guitarist Dan Gow, and drummer Will Ferri. In May, Against The Current released its debut LP In Our Bones (Fueled By Ramen), which has been topping charts and building the band a strong, world-wide fan base. The fans at the Cyclops Stage were beyond excited to see ATC. It seemed almost everyone in the audience knew the words to all the songs Chrissy Costanza belted out, as she boyantly bounced around the stage. I can count on one hand the number of times she stood still. It was like trying to keep your eye on a tennis ball bouncing back and forth, during a Wimbledon match!
Costanza slowed down for the mellow “Wasteland,” which gave fans all the feels. “Running With The Wild Things” and ”Talk” had the crowd going wild, but it was “Forget Me Not” that seemed to be the fan favorite of the day. Hands flew up and down to the beat. People sang, “I’m looking down from the skyline / Dancing on the moonlight / Can you see my name in the stars?” Given what I witnessed, we’ll all soon see Costanza’s name in the stars!
The Heirs
Of course I couldn’t end my day at Warped Tour without seeing The Heirs headline the Poseidon Stage. This L.A. band is fronted by siblings Brandon and Savannah Hudson. The two teenagers are joined by their friends Alex Flagstad (guitar), Eian McNeely (bass/keys), and Brennan Benko (drums). Together these five make Cali sun-kissed, 80s inspired electro-pop. Last Fall The Heirs released the fabulous EP Ecliptic via Capitol Records.
In my Best New Bands interview with Brandon Hudson, I was told there would “be a lot of new material” at Vans Warped Tour, and the band was “excited to see how everyone responds to it live, how everyone reacts to it.” Indeed, there was new music. The band performed its newest single “What You Want.” Fans seemed to love it. The Heirs also played the song “Ecliptic,” which Mother Feather loved, declaring it to be the “unofficial feminist Vans Warped Tour anthem,” via Twitter. With Hillary Clinton shattering glass ceilings, becoming the first female presidential candidate to be nominated in the United States, it just might become her unofficial campaign anthem. Okay, okay, probably not, but do expect to be hearing more from The Heirs.
Warped Tour runs through mid August. A full list of 2016 Vans Warped Tour dates can be found on the Vans Warped Tour website.
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Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
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