It’s that time of year again!

Lineups to various music festivals such as Country Thunder and Lollapalooza are being announced left and right; just another reminder that summer and all of its glorious nights full of music and good vibes are just around the corner.

Another thing that’s just around the corner is Warped Tour 2014!

On July 19th, First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre will come alive with great vocals, impressive guitar solos, and thousands of screaming fans all running around in the summer heat to make it to see their favorite bands perform live.

Among the performers will be BreatheCarolina, Crown The Empire, Falling In Reverse, Issues, Less Than Jake, Mayday Parade, Motionless In White, Of Mice & Men, The Maine, The Story So Far, We The Kings, 3OH!3, All Time Low, Anberlin, Bowling For Soup, Cute Is What We Aim For, Four Year Strong, The Ghost Inside, and The Word Alive, but those are just a few of my personal favorite bands that will be performing; there are still dozens of others.

For those of you who have never been to Warped Tour and don’t know how it works, the first thing that I have to say to you is go. Just go. It’s full of good vibes, super fun people, great music, and plenty of Vitamin D. What more could you possibly ask for on a summer day?

The second thing is that there’s always something to do, so being bored is practically impossible. Warped isn’t just any old concert with one stage where you have to wait 20 minutes for the next act; there are several different stages that a band is constantly playing on.

For those of you who are thinking, “Oh my gosh, why would I go to Warped Tour? It’s full of weird, emo people screaming stupid, depressing lyrics.” Well, you’re missing out, and you clearly don’t know the world of rock and roll as well as the stereotypes tell you you do.

Rock concerts are so much more than that. The people you meet at concerts are among the most entertaining, welcoming, fun people you’ll ever meet in your life. Everyone’s there for the same reason: to listen to some awesome music and have an even more awesome time. In a way, we’re all bonded, which is what makes the experience so great.

Visit the Warped Tour site for more info if you’re interested, and leave a comment that says which one of those bands and artists you want to see the most and why you like them so much for your chance to win TWO free tickets to Warped Tour!

This contest ends Monday, May 19. You must be a Niles West student to win. A random winner will be selected via random.org and notified via e-mail and announced on morning announcements.