I spent a lot of this spring networking and talking around, working hard to hopefully get on the entire Vans Warped Tour for this summer, but unfortunately that didn't happen for 2015 (I'm continuing to work hard to make it happen for 2016 though!). However, I did get to shoot five dates of the tour around the Northeast, and I had a blast doing so. I knew I'd be physically exhausted but with so many great bands on the tour, plus so many friends out working on the tour, it was sure to be a great time... and I was right on all accounts!
Warped Tour is obviously mostly known for the various flavors of punk and related genres that tend to fill the stages, but one of the most underrated parts of the tour this year was the EDM and hip-hop acts that performed on the Beatport Stage. One of these is M4SONIC, a.k.a. Australian DJ / producer Nick Boundy. I'd photographed his set in Camden (check that out on Circles & Soundwaves here) and loved the energy he portrayed on stage. Darien Center was my favorite date of Warped- the weather was perfect, no set times overlapped, and the venue (right next to an amusement park!) had plenty of space to explore, making it the perfect setting for portraits. (I also did some portraits of Major League, which will be coming soon.)
For many overseas artists, Warped is their first U.S. tour. Nick is one of them, but the experience was made even more unique for him seeing as he stands out from the rest of the crowd genre-wise. On my last day, in Scranton, we were chatting as The Wonder Years were playing in the distance- he'd never heard them before Warped, but seeing them every day had made him a fan. When doing our portraits, he was eager to find cool spots to shoot and try out some different poses. (Later that day, I shot his set, which you can see on C&S here.)
Check out my other Warped portraits with Bebe Rexha and Trophy Eyes, and see the rest of the portraits of M4SONIC after the break!