Warped Tour 2009 Chicago

So Warped Tour made its way to Chicago, celebrating its 15th year plowing through the country.

I have to begin this entry by saying Gallows is my new favorite hardcore band. Not only because they put on a stellar performance, but also because they encapsulated pretty much everything hardcore stands for, and everything that Van's Warped Tour evokes. By that, I mean they applauded veteran bands and gave respect to the Tour's original purpose of supporting punk culture, but jeered its blatant commercialism and put to shame its exploitation of teenagerism.

All this while performing in the midst of the biggest circle pit I have ever seen. So very... hardcore.
Lead singer Frank Carter even said I "must be out of [my] fucking mind" to keep shooting in the midst of all the swirling chaos:

Also notable were Bad Religion for going strong longer than Warped Tour has, Anti-Flag who were probably my first political-punk band ever, Chiodos for possibly being the loudest, 3Oh!3 for being very energetic and pulling the largest crowd. Congrats to local 8-bit pop punk band I Fight Dragons, whom I covered at I AM Fest, and thanks to Scary Kids Scaring Kids for getting me the press pass and putting on a great set.

I just now learned the all-time record was broke for largest attendance in Warped Tour history with 23,000.
If you weren't there, click any photo to see the full set of what you missed.