Kevin Lyman On Making Warped Tour The Entry Point For A New Generation Of Festivalgoers

Kevin Lyman has ever lived life connected nan move. For years it was a denotation of moving to support up with Warped Tour, a punk stone circus connected wheels. Since bringing nan show backmost past twelvemonth to observe its 30-year anniversary, he’s switched his mode of carrier from buses to planes. What started arsenic a two-month circuit crossed nan U.S. and parts of Canada is now a strategically placed, five-date extravaganza starting this play successful Long Beach. With stops successful Montreal, Mexico City, Orlando and Washington, nan circuit has gotten bigger pinch nan business of EDM promoter Insomniac but Lyman insists that nan psyche of it remains nan same.

Thriving connected a operation of punk, emo, ska, hardcore, metallic and action sports, Warped has go an introduction constituent to show civilization for a caller procreation of fans, requiring Lyman to ever move guardant successful his philharmonic tastes while still trying to enactment existent to nan principle of what made Warped much of a organization than conscionable an yearly event.

Recently he chatted pinch The Times to talk nan process of continuing nan fest’s revival and why it’s still a captious portion of nan summertime show ecosystem.

What were your first thoughts aft Warped Tour’s large comeback successful Long Beach past year?

I was really nervous. To beryllium honest, I knew I had 1 changeable astatine getting it right. I knew location were going to beryllium bigger stages, we were going to person video and lights, but I besides knew that I had to make it consciousness for illustration Warped Tour betwixt nan performances. So that small spot of controlled chaos we had betwixt nan stages — nan merch tents, each nan sponsorship booths, nan skate ramps, nan surprises we threw retired each time — I deliberation it was ngo accomplished. The feedback wide has been awesome from nan fans. For immoderate group person to my property demo, possibly it was a small excessively overmuch — their feet hurt. But Warped came backmost strong, we went backmost connected waste [for 2026] reasonably quickly, and to still person 50% of nan group bargain nan tickets correct distant without knowing a set connected nan measure yet was great.

Jimmy Eat World is doing for illustration their 25th day of “Bleed American” astatine nan fest this year. What does it mean to you to person immoderate of those early Warped Tour bands for illustration that connected nan measure again?

It felt bully to person a batch of those bands. For me, 1 of nan much affectional ones past twelvemonth was Rise Against. They had specified a large moment. They were specified a portion of Warped Tour, and you get them to travel backmost and past watch that crowd, each telephone went up successful nan crowd, and astir apt 50% of nan group location had ne'er seen them before.

“I’ve been a disruptor, and nan disruption I’ve caused has attracted capable people. Now we’re a niche of people,” Lyman says. “Warped is simply a awesome niche.”

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You’ve ever had your ain measurement of doing things that created nan civilization of Warped Tour. Why do you consciousness it is still truthful captious successful nan show ecosystem today?

I had to carve a niche retired for myself successful nan industry. I was ne'er going to really rather conform. I benignant of came from that rebellious tone that Goldenvoice instilled successful maine backmost successful nan ‘80s erstwhile I worked for them, and Gary Tovar was rebellious. So I’ve ever benignant of had that mentality of, “Hey, let’s spell against nan norm. Let’s make it thing our own.” And moreover erstwhile I’m school astatine USC now, I opportunity you person to study nan foundations of each business. And those foundations, to me, were moving 12 years successful nan clubs of L.A., 320 nights a year, and past you person to make thing your own. I ever opportunity erstwhile you determine to spell for it — spell for it. And I did, and it seemed to link pinch capable group and resonated pinch capable group that I’d been astir that said, “Wow, this is different. He needs to activity connected it. But alternatively of knocking him down, let’s support him.”... I’ve been a disruptor, and nan disruption I’ve caused has attracted capable people. Now we’re a niche of people. Warped is simply a awesome niche.

How did you support Warped connected people’s minds year-round while you were readying it retired this year?

That was a situation because earlier we utilized to person nan two-month tour, truthful we were capable to build organization to support nan speech going. Community is simply a large driver for me. Everything we’re doing now is investing successful nan community, and I deliberation it’s working. [In January] we had a downtown Long Beach arena pinch nan set Holy Wars, we had an arena successful Orlando. We had 1 arena successful a fraternity location backyard successful Virginia, we had events successful Mexico City and Montreal … canned nutrient drives, humor drives or, you know, registry to vote. We’ll driblet those benignant of events truthful we’re perpetually successful everyone’s mindset. And it’s not astir monetizing. I deliberation group are ever asking “How do you monetize nan superfan?” I’m like, “How do you reward them?” Giving group a free Sunday day arena successful Long Beach, that’s a convey you. Those are nan group that are going to dispersed nan connection erstwhile you station a video, they’re going to stock it pinch each their friends, and past they’re going to beryllium telling kids astatine their schools. A 3rd of nan group going to Warped had ne'er been to a show aliases moreover a performance before, truthful we request to prosecute them successful a different way.

What are your ways of scouting retired bands you want to return a chance connected erstwhile booking nan festival?

Well, I person a awesome booker named Amanda Phelan. She books pinch me, truthful she’s benignant of that connected nan crushed talking to nan agents and things. I don’t needfully do that overmuch anymore. I talk to them, but my portion is much like, “Oh, I want to spot what bands different bands are talking about, aliases young group are talking about.” And past I’m besides talking to tons of nan independent promoters retired location that you cognize I utilized to activity with.

Why do you deliberation younger procreation of fest goers will support discovering Warped Tour?

We utilized to beryllium that show wherever you cognize it was complete by sunset, your mom could prime you up astatine nan curb aliases you could get location by dark, and past you went disconnected to different festivals. We were your introduction constituent to festivals. We whitethorn beryllium that introduction constituent again, but a batch of it now will travel down to value point. We cognize nan economics of Warped Tour are conducive for group that want to spell connected 2 levels: ones that want to travel and research a festival, and different ones, possibly immoderate of your peers, who don’t get to spell retired each nighttime and spot bands anymore because they each person existent jobs and things. But they tin spell for 1 for 2 days and drawback up connected each music, which makes you consciousness for illustration you’re staying young.