Another Chance to Reach Stardom at Warp Speed

VENTURA —  The sea gulls circling the County Fairgrounds here on Wednesday had to share their air space with flying skateboarders, motorcyclists and even a human cannonball called the Bullet. It’s the norm for the annual Vans Warped Tour’s combination of edgy rock and extreme sports displays.

But on the music side, the launchings people have come to expect are rockets to stardom, especially in the wake of Blink-182, which stepped from unheralded second-stage band to massive success in its three years on previous Warped tours.

Wednesday the bill contained several potential launches among its three dozen acts, notably aggro-rockers Papa Roach (already well on their way), punkster cut-ups NOFX (picking up where Blink left off) and L.A. hip-hop collective Jurassic 5 (a welcome change of pace both for its inventive music and topical rhymes).

There were also a couple of relaunches to be seen Wednesday in Green Day, whose Billie Joe Armstrong was clearly hungry for the concert experience after a two-year layoff, and Weezer, returning to a surprisingly affectionate response for its wry, sad songs after more or less disappearing following its mid-’90s success. Little of it really provided any revelations or was groundbreaking--it was a case of everything old being new again, and vice versa, as the veterans played it safe and the newcomers stuck to tried and true formulas.

Green Day, though hardly the veteran on the bill given the presence of ‘80s-rooted Orange County band TSOL and New York female punk quartet the Lunachicks, nonetheless had the elder statesmen role, played out with a solid set of familiar disaffected-youth anthems. The trio certainly outclassed the several others built in its mold--including MxPx, which followed Green Day and was unable to maintain the momentum. But Green Day didn’t play any songs from the just-completed “Warning” album, due for release in October, and the set was pro forma up to and including drummer Tre Cool’s setting his kit on fire at the conclusion.

For many on hand, Papa Roach was the hot new attraction, and its powerful, aggravated songs were the only things on the bill that fit into the current rock-dominating wave of Limp Bizkit, Korn and Rage Against the Machine. The group, though, has yet to offer something that isn’t being covered by others.

And if anyone is looking for a less-exposed alternative to Blink-182, they could do much worse than NOFX, an L.A. foursome that, like the more famous trio, mixes almost childish goofiness with deceptively smart observations. Green-haired leader Fat Mike winningly addressed topics ranging from drug addiction to parents who smoke pot and hang around with your friends, while bantering nonstop with the fans.

Jurassic 5 provided the day’s sharpest contrast, but also some of its most arresting music. Its four clever and talented rappers are inspired by the old school of hip-hop and eschew the confrontational tone of gangsta rap. Behind them, DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist construct imaginative and highly musical collages from old records on their turntables. As a package the group at once honors the past and moves rap into the future, and it was great to see the young fans abuzz about their set.

Still, the star of Warped is Warped itself. Even after becoming a consistent success where other festivals have faded away, this is still the little tour that could--a few-frills event with a bargain ticket price ($30 for this date) and an egalitarian experience for fans and bands alike. The running order of the acts is determined each day by founder Kevin Lyman’s fiat. And even a nationally known act such as the Mighty Mighty Bosstones can find itself in an early afternoon slot, as it did in Ventura, with relative unknowns coming on later.

Hey, any measure of randomness is a welcome in these days when rock has become so predictable.

* The Vans Warped Tour, today at the Arrowhead Pond parking lot, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, noon. $25. (714) 704-2500.