So I guess the title really could have been:
"The time I drove 6 HOURS and THEN missed Strung Out"
In 2017, I got unusually excited about the warped tour. I say unusually because let's face it, by 2017 the Warped Tour was kind of a shell of it's former self. But at least that year it was touring. And the line-up that year was pretty damn good: Strung Out, Sick of it All, War on Women, CKY, and Save Ferris. Not half bad!
[Author's note: while researching this I discovered that 2018 also had a BA lineup. Why didn't I go to that?]
So anyway, my sister went to the Warped Tour in Orlando, but due to work I had to go to the event the next day in Tampa. My sister (who is Awesome!) sent me a photo of the line-up. Strung Out was closing: Sweet! No need to get on the road early. No need to sit through a lot of opening bands. I mean, I like openers, but Warped Tour could be a long day when bottled water is $5.
So I got my happy ass in the car the morning of the show and headed to Tampa. It is about 4-5 hours from Jacksonville if the traffic gods are with you. They rarely are. I got to the show a little past noon and when I got in, I checked the big, inflatable schedule board...
AND MY HEART FRAKKIN SANK...
Some of you might already know this, but the Warped Tour rotates their setlists. Apparently the band that CLOSED the night before OPENS the next day. I blew it and totally missed Strung Out. By all of about 7 and a half minutes. I also discovered that the only thing worse than watching the openers while waiting for your favorite band, is watching the openers AFTER MISSING your favorite band.
But all was not lost, because I got this sweet t-shirt in the $5 bin at their merch table. Which is probably why it is a size to small and says 2016 instead of 2017. The lolz.
Tune In to Part Two of the Story Where we Visit "Fat Mike's Sports Bar"