The Offspring is the latest act to sign on for the 2005 Vans Warped Tour. Beyond the California rock act, which is making its first Warped appearance, the 11th annual trek will also feature the Transplants, Thrice, My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy. Dates and venues will be unveiled next month.
It is unknown if the Offspring will be touring in support of a new studio album. The group’s most recent was 2003’s “Conspiracy of One,” which debuted at No. 9 on The Billboard 200.
Warped, which claims to be the longest-running music and extreme sports festival in the world, celebrated its most successful year in 2004. Attendance was 652,000, up 26% from 2003.
“We’ve learned not to mess with the brand too much,” tour founder Kevin Lyman said in October at the What Teens Want Conference in Los Angeles. “The formula when we started was to have a backyard party, and that’s what this tour is all about. After 10 years we’ve kept that same atmosphere.”
Lyman said the 2005 tour will include a Samsung-sponsored Adult Day Care area, where kids can drop off parents and have fun on their own. But he notes he has also added a stroller section.
The goal for this year, he said, is to expand the appeal to the third generation. “Live touring and events are in a bad state right now. If we can get 11-year-olds in the trend of going to shows, we’ll be in better shape in the future.”
Source billboard.com.
