On a picturesque Saturday afternoon, a mighty crowd descends upon the Ghost Stage at Vans Warped tour. The sun is hot, the beer is cold, and a refreshing breeze weaves its way through the crowd. The crowd is all smiles and the occasional banana costume. The vibe so jovial and effervescent, one would assume the audience was primed for an all out ska set.
But when Big Ass Truck I.E. takes the stage, their logo projected above with two grotesquely vainy arms gripping a steering wheel. They make quick work of whipping the audience into a frenzy with their tones, lushly heavy. Spectators quickly become participants as they come out in droves to two-step, kick spin, and crowd kill joyously.
Charismatic front man, Abel Abraca, the type of guy who I would pray to run into at a sketchy truck stop, takes a brief pause part way through the set to take a photo. He smiles and says “It’s for my Dad.” Before launching headlong into the rest of the set that inspires the formation of two fierce circle pits and through a process of hardcore cellular fusion, merge into one pit spanning the entire audience. The delirious merriment comes to an end as rapidly as it began, Big Ass Truck I.E. leaves us thrashed, bashed, and elated.
