Vans Warped Tour has been an annual calendar item for many people over the last 24 years. I have had the privilege of attending the tour the last nine years. We all discovered favorite bands we never would have heard of if it wasn’t for Warped Tour. It was the day where we all came together as a Warped family to sing, dance, mosh, and listen to music. Kevin Lyman made sure to stack the lineup this year and he did not disappoint.

Here are a few of my favorites from Thursday's show:

• WATERPARKS: I started the day watching Waterparks perform. I had been watching them on the come up since they hit the scene and Alternative Press started reporting on them. They were a really fun and lively set to watch. Awsten Knight was very engaging with the crowd for being the first band to perform.

• ISSUES: One of the personal favorites, ISSUES, came out in full energy getting the crowd off their feet. They recently parted with their second vocalist, Michael Bohn, and split his lyrics up between the rest of the band and did very well. This was the first time I’ve seen Tyler Carter scream live and it was actually pretty impressive.

• 3OH!3: I was very excited to see 3OH!3 because everything I had heard about their live performance was very positive. Nathaniel Motte and Sean Foreman definitely brought the energy on stage. From jumping of the railings to doing some interesting poses on stage, they made for a very fun set. They were very aware of the songs the crowd wanted to hear and sing with them. They made for some great photos as well!

• Asking Alexandria: I was fortunate enough to catch Asking Alexandria on one of the few dates they were playing Warped. Danny Worsnop, with his return to Asking Alexandria, gave us a great performance. He always seems to show strong confidence in his performances. I have seen Asking about 6 times and although Denis Stoff was great to watch, Danny has always been the front man I’ve enjoyed watching. I can’t wait to hear the new music they put out soon.

• Simple Plan: I think we can all say that Simple Plan has always been a jam growing up. They played some of their classics such as “Addicted”, “I’m Just A Kid”, and “Perfect”. Everyone in the crowd was screaming the words. At one-point Pierre Bouvier pulled out a super soaker and started spraying the crowd. Needless to say, I got one photo and then ducked. One of the best performances of the day by far.

• State Champs: One of the sets I was most excited for was State Champs. Since their album, The Finer Things, I have been a huge fan of their work. I had seen them twice before and I was super excited to photograph them this time around. Derek DiScanio is one of my favorite vocalists out there right now. Their set brought the heat at the end of the day. It was one of the best ways to end out the day. Very stoked to have seen them headline the tour.

There were so many other great bands that made the day wonderful. Real Friends, Movements, and This Wild Life are a few more that had outstanding performances at Warped this year.

Needless to say, with this being the last cross-country Vans Warped Tour, it was a monumental day for a lot of us. Big shout out to Kevin Lyman and the rest of the Warped Tour team for putting on this tour for the last 24 years. You helped so many people and musicians enjoy music the way it should be enjoyed.

Rock on, my friends!