How successful do you need to be to stop working hard?
10 things we have learned from working hard on The Vans Warped Tour
It’s the final Warped Tour. It’s been two years since we’ve been back. Our legs are rested and our spirits are high. We’ve survived four of these things so far, so here’s some of the things we’ve learned.
- Rise and grind (Making the most of your day)
There are so many different ways a band can approach their summer on Warped. I’ve written about this before, but we see the tour as an opportunity to push ourselves and to see those results every day. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make this tour as comfortable and easy as possible. It’s long, and it’s hot, and most bathrooms are made out of plastic. Something as simple as eating a meal requires standing in line for an hour. We get it. But that doesn’t mean we have to shy away from putting in the hours every day. Even now as I sit typing this, I’m trying to get myself into a mental state that will allow me to work hard for the next two months. This is because I know what is possible when that extra effort meets the pavement. You can move 10 thousand albums. You can bring more people to your stage when you play. You can make sure the people coming to see your band get a chance to meet you. You can make sure your crew, the people working the absolute hardest, are taken care of. It’s all about having a positive mental attitude on the bus. If we all believe we are working towards the same goal, we can step off that bus every morning with a goal in mind. As soon as we know our set time (which changes every day) we get down to business. Some of us walk the line, selling cd’s and waving signs with our set time. John goes to the tent to hang out and spends his morning doing a casual meet and greet. I’m probably off somewhere hanging posters with our set time. Anything helps, and everything counts.
2. At what level of success should you stop working hard?
From the start, we have been relentless in our effort to push our band to the limit not only to challenge ourselves but to make sure our fans know that we truly care. It’s not always easy, it’s not for everybody, and I am in no way advocating that every band should follow the way we do things. I am only speaking from experience and from what we have learned. Going the distance every single time will impact the trajectory of your band. The easiest option in the world would be to sit on the bus refreshing your social media over and over or flipping channels on the tv or just sleeping in. It is so easy on a tour like Warped to just live in that world. Fans come to our shows, people buy our merch, and all we have to do is play a 30 minute set. It’s still not enough for us. We have been a band for over a decade now and we’ve seen highs and lows and everything in between. We’ve seen success, we’ve seen failure. We know it all. Just because things are good does not mean that things will stay good. Sometimes people are shocked to see us walking the line in the morning, like it’s something only a small unknown band would do. Sometimes people don’t even know who we are. That’s what it’s all about. Get out there and be seen, and be human, and immerse yourself in something that lets you connect with fans, or just your fellow humans for that matter. Stay grounded, and don’t allow yourself to become sated.
3. Attention: Stand out. Never fit in.
After the 2014 Warped Tour we realized that for as many bands as there are on the tour, there isn’t much effort going into standing out. We thought about this a lot and decided that there was something we could do aesthetically to draw attention. In 2016 we just made everything blue. That’s it. Blue stage, blue tent, blue suits. American Candy was out and the cover was blue. That’s it. Simple decision, but it tied everything together so that when someone saw our set and then saw our tent, they would make that connection. It was something that seemed so simple yet so obvious once we put it into action. We made everything as simple as possible. Our backdrop read “You are watching a band called The Maine” and our tent was designed with a similar style of almost sarcastic simplicity. We gained a lot of new fans that year, and I think part of that was because how easy we made it to identify our band.
4. Why would you pay money to meet a human being?
That’s the phrase that was printed on the inside of our pop up shop on the 2016 Warped Tour. Honestly though, why? You bought their albums, you bought their tickets, you bought their shirts. I’ve heard the argument that other bands have families and need that extra money. We have families. We have dreams. I want to drive a Tesla. But I realized something early in our career. Not everyone can pay that extra fee. Not everyone can just spend money without thinking about it. There are plenty of people who love your band and have to save their money in a conscious effort to come watch you play. It’s not as easy for them to be a fan sometimes. The last thing we want to do is take that human interaction and monetize it. We are regular ass dudes. We shop at target. We fly economy. We get embarrassed. We fuck up sometimes. We struggle to do the math and split the check at dinner. We don’t have it figured out. That ain’t worth money. We just want to say thank you and to let you know that we can hear you and it’s driving us to keep this thing going. Small disclaimer: I understand that we have been set up to operate like this for years and that took some serious creativity at times. I’m not going to say there is a right way to do it, just giving you our perspective on the matter.
5. Be Respectful.
Back to the human thing. I don’t care if you’re the pope or working at McDonalds, if you are reading this, you are a human. If you’re not, then congratulations robots, we all knew this day would come. My point is that sometimes when you get a bunch of rowdy tour humans together emotions can run hot and egos can run wild. I remember a few years ago a band had volunteered to serve food for the catering line and their singer was being a real stinker. I asked him what the food options were and he just threw a pita at my face. I didn’t know this guy, and I didn’t really care who he was. It’s actually pretty funny when I think about it now, but that exchange stuck in my mind. We’re all in the trenches. We’re all in it together more or less. If your stage persona follows you back to the bus, and everywhere else you go, when are you actually you? Kevin Lyman has put quite the effort into the brand that Warped has become. It’s a great opportunity for new and old bands alike, both big and small. The least you can do is respect that and try not to fuck it up for everyone else.
6. Perspective. Try to see outside of your own reality.
It’s 3 pm and the sun is beating down on your tent. You played two hours ago and you can’t shake this hangover that just keeps knocking on your skull. You’re almost an hour into signing at your merch setup. It’s tough. Through your eyes, all you want to do is go lay down and chug water. I have found myself in this situation countless times the last four Warped Tours. The thing that helps me push through is to think about the day through the eyes of our fans. It’s a long one. It’s hot and gross but they are so excited to see you and get a photo, so much so that the entire time you’ve been signing autographs, they have been standing outside of that tent in the sun, enduring. Sometimes it takes new perspective to help you push through and appreciate the situation you’re in.
7. Avoid high school drama.
I’m 30 this year. I simply do not have the time or energy to put into this kind of shit. If you haven’t learned by now to stay in your own lane, I’m just going to keep on driving baby.
8. Entitlement
Warped is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter how big you are. Your set time will change every day, and you will play for 30 minutes. To assume that you are more important than that is foolish. It’s best to just have a good time, make some new friends, and enjoy the ones you got. Everybody is uncomfortable, and everybody is trying to make something of themselves. Just do your thing and don’t expect anything. Ah man, that’s the best thing about Warped. Bands, playing music. Enjoy it for what it is, because this year is your last chance.
9. Community
Speaking of friends, I think that’s the thing I’m going to miss the most about Warped Tour. We’ve made so many friends during our summers on the road. It’s nice to be among good company no matter where you are in life. I remember back in 2009 when we played on the Monster stage. The stage that year was a pretty heavy lineup and I was nervous going into it that we would be the odd band out. We met lots of great people that year and felt right at home even though we didn’t necessarily fit in. Take advantage of the fact that you’re around some of the most interesting people you may ever meet.
10. Show up and do your part.
This tour is a huge undertaking. The logistics of it are mind boggling. Everybody has a role, and it’s important to recognize that and try to be a part of the solution whenever you can. Somebody is going to tip their merch cart over and they are going to need help picking up boxes and stacking them again. Somebody’s amp will blow a tube. Somebody’s bus will break down. Be responsible for your own role but do not hesitate to help out your fellow human when that time comes. There are a lot of moving pieces but at the end of the day it’s all for the greater good.
Warped Tour has taught us a lot about our career in music and a lot of these lessons that can be applied to your life. If you work hard, respect others, and do what’s right… you will be just fine. Drink some water and have fun this summer!
