BY SCOTT DUDELSON

There are many reasons why the Vans Warped Tour has become one of the summer's most enduring and successful annual tours, and much of the credit goes to its promoter Kevin Lyman and his ability to adapt the festival to the times.   At its inception, the tour was designed to give young, tatted punk fans the chance to mosh, crowd-surf, and engage in controlled anarchy while exposing them to a new breed of punk and ska bands.  Fifteen years on, the ethos of the tour remains the same, but as punk has given way to pop, the musical foundation of Warped has evolved and now features as many emo, electro-pop, prog and alternative acts, as it does real old-school punk bands.

Another key reason for Warped Tour's success is the fan friendly atmosphere the event fosters. Bands are encouraged to host meet & greets after their sets and 85% of the acts make themselves available for signings and other one-on-one encounters.  For the $35 ticket price (a hefty tag for a 15 year old), many fans get much more than a days worth of music - they get a once in a lifetime experience.

This year's tour kicked off in Pomona (30 miles east of Los Angeles), and despite scorching 95-degree weather, 15,000+ young punks (average age was well under 18), converged on the fairgrounds to watch 70+ bands perform across the 8 different stages.  While each date on the tour features a different line-up (and ours, sadly, did not feature Shooter Jennings), this kick off show featured a powerful mix of old-school punks with credibility, and some interesting acts that were left of the punk mainstream.

Headlining this date were two old-school legends of the punk - NOFX and Bad Religion.   NOFX (that's frontman Fat Mike at the top of this page) began their set in true NOFX fashion, first mocking the death of Michael Jackson, and then explaining to the crowd that while their performance was going to be a rehearsal, it will probably be "the best fucking thing [the audience] will ever experience."  After plowing through 35 minutes of amazing sing-a-long punk and inspired banter, Fat Mike and Co., ironically (in light of their earlier comments) handed over the stage to Alien Ant Farm for a surprise performance of their hit-version of MJ's "Smooth Criminal."  Bad Religion - on the other hand - kept the talking to a minimum, and focused on tearing shit up.  Their set kicked off with the classic "21^st Century Digital Boy," and followed with the hits "Infected, " "New Dark Ages," and tracks from their last record "New Maps of Hell."  For a bunch of guys nearing fifty, they still go balls out.

Thrice:

30!h3:

Gallows:

Guttermouth:

Although the two headliners dominated this line-up, many left-of-punk acts also drew very sizable crowds. In fact, some - including Meg & Dia, Prog-rockers Thrice, and Boulder, CO based electro-hip hop act 30h!3 - drew a larger and more enthusiastic audiences than the punk mainstays of the tour like Less Than Jake, T.S.O.L, Guttermouth, The Dickies, and Gallows.  This year's most interesting curiosity, however, was transvestite electro-pop singer/MySpace celebrity Jeffree Star (below).  Flanked by two cross-dressing dancers, and supported by a some beat heavy disco jams, Star's performance is undeniably bizarre, but featured some pretty sharp songs that fall somewhere between Peaches and New Order.   If you decide to see Star when the tour hits your city, be advised that his/her set is not for the faint of heart or supporters of the far right.

Check out all the performers at the show closest to you at: www.warpedtour.com