As I waited, with what seems to be hundreds of other VIPs, media, etc. — on an absolutely sweltering day, I might add — to get into Vans Warped Tour, the Floridian emo post-hardcore punks, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, tore into the one song I hoped to witness live, “In Fate’s Hands,” the opener to Don’t You Fake It —an album that got me through some angsty tough times in junior high, back when I wore hoodies with thumb holes and toyed with the idea of cutting…
Still, 20 years later, “In Fate’s Hand” sounded exactly like it did on the 2006 record, even as I heard it in the distance. As I finally made it into the festival and walked to the Off The Wall Main stage, the crowd was sizable, even for this being 12:30 pm — possibly the earliest I’ve ever come for a festival set. Even though the unclean/harsh vocals (a part I absolutely adored live) come from K Enagonio, a newer member, they blend perfectly with the band, covered in chest tats and piercing red hair. During “Face Down,” the group undisputed hit, they blended the screamo parts with Robbie Winter’s soft vocal tones, perfectly. The crowd lost it, as did I. I wish the set was longer, but I couldn’r have asked for a better opener to my Warped Tour.
