I was lucky enough to attend the very first weekend of the new revamped Vans Warped Tour in Washington D.C. It was two days full of non-stop music from both Warped Tour veterans and rookies. 

With six stages and a totally stacked line-up, trying to see every artist you want to see is impossible. So, even though you have a list of every band you want to see, you are going to have to make some cuts once you get there and see the schedule. That may include only watching half of some sets, or prioritizing acts you haven’t seen before or haven’t seen in a while.  

I definitely had to make some hard cuts while deciding my plan for each day of Warped Tour, especially on Sunday. That day in particular had so many bands I wanted to see. Let’s just say, I didn’t have many breaks. 

Check out my ranking of every set I saw at Warped Tour D.C. Now, keep in mind every set I saw was fantastic. Not one disappointed me. This was a hard ranking and it is based on my weekend as a whole. I would recommend you go see any of the artists on this list. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The first honorable mention is Sueco. We had plans to watch the majority of his set but we only ended up watching the intro and about two songs. We left earlier than we planned to go get in line for Scene Queen’s signing that was scheduled to happen shortly after his set. And good thing we left when we did because the line ended up getting extremely long and may have not been able to get in if we waited until the end of his set. His intro of being brought on stage in a coffin was so sick and he sounded great from what we did hear.

The next honorable mention is Memphis Mayfire. They played while we were waiting for Yung Gravy. I listened in and sort of paid attention. However, the rain and trying to find a position that caused my feet to not be in pain caused me to fully take in their set. What I did take in was great. They have been around forever and are definitely Warped veterans.

16. RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus were not a band set in any means. I just got to the set late and the only song I knew was “Face Down” which I screamed at the top of my lungs. I just did not know enough of the set to rank it higher. 

15. YUNG GRAVY

When I saw Yung Gravy on the line-up I was a little shocked. I definitely did not feel like he fit the vibe of the rest of the acts playing the weekend. But I decided to check out his set. We caught about half of his set in the rain Sunday night before heading out to get a good spot for the last act of the weekend. He had good energy and I knew most of the songs. I was overall just not totally into his set and the biggest fan of his music.

14. MILLIONAIRES

Another Warped Tour veteran group, Millionaires kicked off my Sunday. Their set was fun and had me starting off my day dancing and singing along. I did not know the majority of their songs, which knocked them down some spots on my ranking. However, I did have fun and got my blood flowing for the jam packed day. I however was not fully awake and was still getting my game plan for the day during the performance. So, I couldn’t rank them higher. However, I would check out a future set of theirs and be fully invested. 

13. CARTEL

Now, Cartel has been around forever but I was not familiar with them until they were on the line-up. I had heard of the name and had heard a song here and there, but did not do a deep dive until I was preparing for Warped Tour. Don’t hate me, I was late to the emo scene okay. I listened to their set while I was camping out for The Maine, and really enjoyed their set. I was jamming along and will definitely be listening to more of Cartel’s music.

12. RAIN CITY DRIVE

This was the first set we actually watched of the weekend. We sat down and were waiting for Fever 333 and Rain City Drive was playing on the stage before them. They sounded fantastic, and commanded the crowd. It seemed like many people knew their music and were excited to see them play. I enjoyed their set and am for sure looking forward to seeing them again on The Summer School Tour and getting more into their music. 

11. NOTHING, NOWHERE

This was a bit of a last minute set for me. I was not quite sure if I was going to make it to his set, but I managed to make it fit into my schedule and was so excited. I wanted to see him when he was in Cleveland earlier this year, but did not manage to make it to the show. He sounded amazing, the crowd was huge, moshing, and crowd surfing. He commanded the stage and got my body moving and ready for the second half of the day. Even though the rain started to come down, that did not stop him. I definitely need to see him the next time he comes into town, because I went from a casual fan, to a full blown fan. 

10. POINT NORTH

These guys were up right after Nothing, Nowhere and the rain was fully coming down. But that did not prevent this duo from killing it. Their energy was high from the moment they stepped foot on stage. People had the mosh pit moving and crowd surfers going. I knew a handful of songs and when they played “Into The Dark” I got transported back to college and blasting that song walking to class. I pulled the lyrics from the back of my mind. I had my poncho on and was headbanging and rocking out the whole time. And I met them earlier in the day and they were super sweet. So, that was also a bonus. More of their music is being added to my playlist as we speak. 

9. SOPHIE POWERS

If you haven’t checked out Sophie Powers, you might want to get on that. She mixes hyperpop and rock music to create her own unique sound. Her songs constantly get stuck in my head and are my go to for singing in the car, the shower, and anywhere I can. This was my third time seeing her, and she just keeps getting better. She is getting more comfortable on stage, and knows how to get the crowd going. Her set was so fun and I did not want it to end. Her crowd was smaller, but she had every single person with her and ready to have fun. When she played “U Love It”, “Obsessed”, and “Better On Mute” I was screaming the lyrics. And she debuted her new song “head empty, no thoughts” which got me so excited for its release. I cannot wait to see what else she has she does and am ready to see her at a headline show. 

8. HEART ATTACK MAN

You know I had to support my fellow Clevelanders. Heart Attack Man has been a band I have been following for years and to see their growth has been crazy. Whenever I have the chance to see them, I have to catch their set. They always kill it. Their classic pop punk energy is exactly what the crowd needs to get moving and ready for the day. And seeing how big of a crowd they got was crazy. It warmed my little Cleveland heart. I was dancing, doing the classic pop punk finger point as I sang, and just took it all in. Their energy screamed Warped Tour. Heart Attack Mans brings the classic pop punk sound, but makes it feel more modern. Which is exactly what this new version of Warped Tour is. It brings the classic Warped Tour energy, but makes it fit into 2025. If these guys aren’t on your radar, definitely give them a listen. 

7. MAGNOLIA PARK

Magnolia Park closed out the Arrow Stage Saturday night and they always kill it. The minute they walk on stage they are calling for a circle pit and don’t let anyone stand still. They played “Omen”, “Animal”, and “Misfit” which are some of my favorites. The drums, guitar riffs, and screams all sounded amazing. I just saw these guys play a sold out show in Cleveland so not getting the perfect view and missing the end of their set was alright. But if you get the chance to see them at Long Beach or Orlando Warped stops, definitely check them out. 

6. ICE NINE KILLS

This band has been on my bucket list to see for a while. So, when they were announced to be playing I knew I had to make it to their set. Now, I do not know all their songs, but seeing clips of their shows online, I knew it would be a crazy set. And they definitely did not disappoint. Seeing all the theatrics with the vocals, actors, and effects was so cool to see; and I am not even a horror movie fan. I just got to chill in the back and observe the whole set and take it all in. It was cool to see all the longtime fans get into the set and sing along to all their lyrics. As someone who is usually a dedicated fan, I don’t often get to observe, so that was definitely fun to be on the other side. Plus, their set was different from the others I saw, so it deserves this high spot on my ranking. 

5. STATE CHAMPS

I couldn’t go to Warped Tour and not see State Champs. I have been a fan of this band for almost 10 years and they never disappoint. Everytime I see them, they always kill it. I jam out to all of the 2010’s pop punk classics like “Elevated” and “All You Are Is History” and their newer songs like “Silver Cloud” and “Everybody But You”. State Champs was also the very first band I saw play at the only Warped Tour I went to in 2018; so it was a no-brainer to bring it full circle and see them play the Warped Tour revival. Plus, they brought out Greg James from Boys Like Girls, so that was pretty cool. So, if you are looking for a solid, fun set at the next two weekends, add them to your list. 

4. BOYS LIKE GIRLS

This set was all about nostalgia for me. I have never seen Boys Like Girls, and I was not going to miss them. Screaming along to “The Great Escape”, “Love Drunk” , and “Two is Better Than One” was a dream come true. Those songs were staples of my early teen years and are ingrained into my brain. Skylar and I stood towards the back of the VIP viewing area, danced like maniacs and sang our hearts out. Plus, they brought out Brendan Abernathy to play “Married In A Year” that had been going viral on Tiktok, then they played “The Great Escape” together. What a shocking guest to wrap up another bucket list set. 

3. FEVER 333

If there was any set that was perfect to see this weekend, this was it. Not only because it was in Washington D.C., it was also the same weekend as Trump’s birthday and military parade. And if you are not familiar with Fever 333, their music is heavily focused around social and political issues the world is facing. Their set was the first full set of the weekend I watched and it got me raging in and psyched for the rest of the acts. Screaming along to every song let me release all my bent up anger surrounded by others who had the same anger. Plus, seeing Jason Butler climb up the speaker, rip off his shirt and run along the barricade was pretty cool. Their set exceeded my expectations and was the perfect start to my weekend. 

2. THE MAINE

The Maine will always hold a special place in my heart. When I listen to their music, I am taken back to a time when I first heard the songs for the first time. In particular their albums American Candy, Lovely Little Lonely, and You Are OK. So, seeing their set was an emotional one for me. I snagged a spot on the barricade and probably lost my voice singing along to every song. They sang all my favorites like “Am I Pretty”, “Loved You A Little”, “Touch” and “Black Butterflies and Deja Vu”.  I was locked in to their entire set and did not want it to end. They are a veteran act that are made for the Warped Tour stage.. Everyone in the audience was singing, dancing and was totally in the moment. I cannot wait to see them again. And I may have cried a little bit. Maybe I didn’t. You will never know. 

1. SCENE QUEEN

To be honest, I kind of knew she would be my number one from the start. Scene Queen was number one on my must-see sets of the weekend. And she definitely lived up to my expectations. It was the very last set of the weekend, and it was the perfect way to end it. There was something beautiful about the very last song played at Warped Tour being “18+” and having a crowd of people scream about the scene taking advantage of young girls. Her set was cut short due to technical difficulties, but she packed in all the hits like “Pink Barbie Band-Aid”, “Pink Rover”, “Pink Panther” and “Finger”. It was downpouring, people were crowd surfing, the twerkle pit was open, and the crowd was loud. Being barricade for one of my favorite artists was just what I needed to close the weekend. Plus, I met her earlier in the day and she is so sweet and a fellow North East Ohio native, so that is the cherry on top. 

Every set was amazing and I got to see so many amazing bands, while also making some cuts. Trust me, there were so many other sets I wanted to see but could not fit into my schedule. It was tough to narrow it down to just these 16. 

If you were also at Warped Tour D.C., let us know your favorite sets of the weekend. And if you are going to Long Beach or Orlando, let us know what sets you are most excited for. 

Curious about my overall thoughts on the whole weekend? Check out my full review here.