Whatever Happened to the Bands From Warped Tour’s First Lineup?

The year was 1995. Lollapalooza was already ruling the roost as a major touring festival capitalizing on the popularity of the alternative music scene at the time. The H.O.R.D.E. tour had also found some success focusing on a more roots-based lineup of acts since starting in 1992. And Ozzfest was still a year away from happening. But there was a new tour ready to get underway, one that focused on a more underground lineup of acts: The Warped Tour.

Concert promoter Kevin Lyman worked in connection with Ray Woodbury, Warp Magazine and CAA to develop the festival that was initially aimed at targeting punk music fans and tying in with skateboarding and extreme sports culture.

The first Warped Tour kicked off June 21, 1995 in Boise, Idaho, wrapping just shy of two months later on Aug. 18, 1995 in Detroit, Michigan. It would not only feature punk acts, but also included acts with hardcore, reggae, ska and grunge roots, with a few big name acts using the festival as a springboard into a bigger career. Fans were also treated to pro skating, boarding and biking exhibitions with a monster halfpipe, a giant climbing wall and other forms of entertainment.

So who rocked the initial Warped Tour, helping to launch the “punk rock summer camp” tradition? Find out what happened to the bands from the first Warped Tour lineup below.

Quicksand

Where Were Quicksand Before Warped Tour? 

The four-piece of Walter Schreifels, Tom Capone, Sergio Vega and Alan Cage were one of the buzziest bands on the Warped Tour, turning heads with their post-hardcore gem Slip in 1993. With a new album just released in February 1995, the Warped Tour offered them a chance to grow their audience and turn people on to the Manic Compression album, sometimes as the top billed act on the tour.

Where Were Quicksand After?

Sadly, for fans of the band, Quicksand’s run ended shortly after the Warped Tour concluded. The group split in October of 1995 while dealing with internal conflict in the band. Oddly enough, the Warped Tour provided a landing point for a few of the members with Schreifels producing music for Warped mates CIV and Cage joining another Warped act Seaweed. Years later, Vega would play bass for another inaugural Warped act, Deftones.

A reunion would follow in 1998 with an attempt at a new album, but tensions arose again with the group once again splitting before any material was released.

A decade would pass before Quicksand would enter the conversation again, this time reuniting for a Revelation Records 25th anniversary show in 2012. More shows followed, then a full-fledged tour, and by 2017 they were once again working on new material. The 2017 album Interiors and its 2021 follow-up Distant Populations were both critically praised efforts.

L7

Where Were L7 Before Warped Tour?

At the time the Warped Tour arrived, they might have been the most recognizable band on the bill. L7 kicked off their career with 1988’s self-titled album and 1990’s Smell the Magic, but really saw their career take off with alt-rock’s emergence and their 1992 Bricks are Heavy album, featuring the breakout single “Pretend We’re Dead.” They issued the critically hailed follow-up Hungry for Stink in 1994 and were over a year into touring the record when Warped began.

Where Were L7 After?

The band’s fortunes started to fade as the grunge era came to its conclusion. L7 issued The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum in 1997 and Slap-Happy in 1999 to diminishing returns. In 2001, they announced their “indefinite hiatus,” with the members splintering off into other projects. But in 2014, they reformed with the core ‘90s lineup of Donita Sparks, Suzi Gardner, Jennifer Finch and Demetra Plakas. By 2019, a new album was issued titled Scatter the Rats. They remain active, having played a 30th anniversary tour in support of Bricks Are Heavy in 2022.

No Use for a Name

Where Were No Use for a Name Before Warped Tour?

After releasingIncognito in 1990 and Don’t Miss the Train in 1992, No Use for a Name dropped Leche Con Carne in February. An opening slot on The Offspring’s Smash tour and the Warped Tour invite helped to raise their profile at the time.

Where Were No Used for a Name After?

The prolific punk outfit had a wealth of lineup changes over the course of their career, but it never slowed them down. They issued nine albums over an 18-year period, including five after their first Warped Tour run. But the band came to its conclusion in 2012 with the death of longtime guitarist and vocalist Tony Sly. They’ve reunited for two one-off performances since then under the moniker No Use and Friends.

No Doubt

Where Were No Doubt Before Warped Tour?

Wait a minute, weren’t No Doubt a huge band? Not at the time that Warped Tour came about. They struggled out of the gate with 1992’s self-titled debut, enough so that they had to self-record and independently put out their sophomore set, The Beacon Street Collection, in early 1995 just to get Interscope back on board to let them record the Tragic Kingdom< album that would be their commercial breakout. Warped Tour gave them a proving ground, with “Just a Girl” arriving a month after the tour concluded with the Tragic Kingdom album following two months removed from Warped.

Where Were No Doubt After?

Warped definitely provided a springboard for No Doubt, whose Tragic Kingdom album would yield seven big singles over the next three years en route to a diamond certification in the U.S.

The band would score another hit record with 2000’s Return of Saturn album, would have a soundtrack hit with “New” from the movie Go and would lean into dancehall, electro pop and new wave influences on 2001’s Rock Steady album.

With a string of alt-rock and pop crossover hits, No Doubt dropped a greatest hits album in 2003 and took a hiatus in 2004 where singer Gwen Stefani then emerged as a solo star in the pop world. A reunion and work on a new album followed in 2008 with the record titled Push and Shove finally coming to fruition in 2012. Another hiatus followed, with the band playing shows sparingly. Stefani continued her solo career and appeared as a coach on NBC’s The Voice in recent years.  Her No Doubt bandmates formed Dreamcar with AFI’s Davey Havok and recorded an album. At present, No Doubt remains inactive.

Sublime

Where Were Sublime Before Warped Tour?

Sublime had a strong following in their native Southern California and their ska-punk sounds felt like a natural fit for Warped Tour. At this point in their career, they had turned heads with their 1992 debut, 40oz. To Freedom, featuring the songs “Date Rape,” “Badfish” and “Smoke Two Joints.” but their 1994 follow-up Robbin’ the Hood yielded no singles and was largely overlooked.

Where Were Sublime After?

Sublime’s biggest success and biggest tragedy would follow their appearance on the 1995 Warped Tour. With a major label behind them for the first time, they entered the studio in early 1996 to record a self-titled album, but sadly singer Bradley Nowell died of a heroin overdose in May 1996, shortly after recording for the album had been completed and ahead of its scheduled release.

That self-titled album yielded the band’s biggest single, “What I Got,” as well as “Santeria,” “Wrong Way” and “Doin’ Time,” all alt-rock radio hits.

With Nowell’s death, the group essentially disbanded with a number of posthumous releases coming out in the years that followed. Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh formed the Long Beach Dub Allstars in 1997, but the group disbanded in 2002.

In 2009, Wilson and Gaugh reunited for a show with a new vocalist, Rome Ramirez, but a lawsuit was brought by Nowell’s family to prevent the trio’s continued use of the Sublime name. Eventually, the trio continued by calling themselves Sublime With Rome. They’ve since recorded a trio of albums, though Gaugh would leave the group in 2011.

CIV

Where Were CIV Before Warped Tour?

CIV were essentially newcomers in 1995, though Anthony Civarelli, Sammy Siegler and Arthur Smillos had previously played in the band Gorilla Biscuits. Warped Tour gave the band their launching point, with their debut full-length album Set Your Goals arriving two months after Warped finished.

Where Were CIV After?

The band scored their lone hit with “Can’t Wait One Minute More” off the Set Your Goals album when it arrived in October 1995. They returned with 1998’s Thirteen Day Getaway and then disbanded in 2000. A compilation of their music was released in 2009, and they’ve played a few scattered one-off reunion shows in the years since their final studio album.

Deftones

Where Were Deftones Before Warped Tour?

Once again, you think of Deftones being a major rock band, but in 1995, they were truly just starting out. Their debut album, Adrenaline, wouldn’t be released until October 1995, so Warped Tour was their introduction for a lot of fans attending the new festival that year.

Where Were Deftones After?

Deftones quickly made a name for themselves with their crushing sounds and ferocious performances. The songs “7 Words” and “Bored” got word of mouth rolling on their debut album. Their 1997 album Around the Fur continued to build the buzz thanks to the hard-hitting singles “My Own Summer (Shove It)” and “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away),” but it was the 2000 White Pony album that truly put them on the map with alt-rock radio.

The band remained a strong presence through the 2000s with a self-titled album and Saturday Night Wrist but tragedy struck in 2008 as bassist Chi Cheng suffered a brain injury following a car accident. The band shelved their Eros record they had been working on, while Cheng remained in a minimally conscious state for several years. The bassist would eventually die in 2013 after falling into cardiac arrest.

Eventually deciding to move forward, the band recruited Quicksand’s Sergio Vega to fill in for Cheng, and they released one of their most powerful albums to date with 2010’s Diamond Eyes. The 2010s were a particularly epic period for the band, finding success with Koi No Yokan, Gore and 2020’s Ohms albums. They remain one of hard rock’s top bands.

READ MORE: Whatever Happened to the Acts From Ozzfest's First Lineup?

Face to Face

Where Were Face to Face Before Warped Tour?

Face to Face were still on the rise when the Warped Tour arrived in 1995. Their 1992 debut album, Don’t Turn Away, garnered the attention of Fat Wreck Chords, who re-released it a year later. They went through a similar situation with their sophomore set, 1995’s Big Choice, which was initially released by Victory Records before A&M picked it up for a re-release. Both their first two albums featured the standout song “Disconnected,” which started to garner radio play giving them some recognition leading into the festival.

Where Were Face to Face After?

The band never quite hit it big, but remained a prolific recording act with a strong live show in the years after the Warped Tour. They recorded five more albums before going on hiatus in 2003 and disbanding a year later after announcing a farewell tour.

The split wouldn’t be forever though, as the group reunited in 2008 and have released five more records in the years since.

Good Riddance

Where Were Good Riddance Before Warped Tour?

The Santa Cruz-based hardcore punk outfit were new to the scene in 1995, having just released their debut album, For God and Country, in February of 1995 with Fat Mike of NOFX and the head of their label Fat Wreck Chords serving as one of the producers.

Where Were Good Riddance After?

Good Riddance have endured through a pretty steady career. They’ve recorded nine studio albums total, including that 1995 debut album. There have been a handful of lineup changes over the years, and the group actually split in 2007 before deciding to reunite five years later in 2012 and record two more albums in the years since they got back together.

Guttermouth

Where Were Guttermouth Before Warped Tour?

Guttermouth had already established themselves as a raucous and often outrageous act by the time they reached the Warped Tour in 1995. They were two albums into their career, currently touring off of 1994’s Friendly People sophomore set.

Where Were Guttermouth After?

Guttermouth recorded seven more studio albums after their inaugural Warped Tour run in 1995, though their last release was 2006’s Shave the Planet record. They continued to tour in the years since, taking a hiatus in 2013, but returning with a reformed lineup in 2015.

The band did have some issues with Warped Tour in 2004, insulting some of the other acts on the bill and openly mocking what they viewed as uniformed political commentary from some acts. After several weeks they were asked to leave the tour. Singer Mark Adkins issued a statement apologizing to Kevin Lyman and revealing they had left the tour voluntarily, admitting his distaste for the political atmosphere surrounding the festival.

Sick of It All

Where Were Sick of It All Before Warped Tour?

The New York-based hardcore act Sick of It All had three albums under their belt in 1995, the most recent being the aggressive 1994 effort Scratch the Surface, featuring the title track and “Step Down.”

Where Were Sick of It All After?

Over time, Sick of It All earned a reputation as one of the most respected hardcore acts going. They’ve recorded nine more studio albums since that Warped Tour appearance in 1995, with the most recent being 2018’s Wake the Sleeping Dragon. They are the rare act that hasn’t split or endured a long hiatus at any point over the course of their career.

Tilt

Where Were Tilt Before Warped Tour?

Tilt enjoyed a solid debut with their 1993 album Play Cell, and they looked primed for a big jump after opening for Green Day on the Dookie Tour in 1994. The sophomore set, Til It Kills, arrived in the spring of 1995, just ahead of the Warped Tour.

Where Were Tilt After?

The band recorded two more studio albums — 1998’s Collect ‘Em All and 1999’s Viewers Like You — for Fat Wreck Chords before calling it quits. A split briefly occurred in 1996, but they reunited in 1997. They’ve since played a pair of reunion shows, one of which was a Fat Wreck Chords 25th anniversary in 2015 and the second came in 2017 at the famous 924 Gilman Street venue in San Francisco where they got their start.

Wizo

Where Were Wizo Before Warped Tour?

Germans do punk too! In fact, Wizo had three studio albums already in their homeland and a fourth, titled Herrenhandtasche set to arrive just after the Warped Tour concluded in 1995.

Where Were Wizo After?

Wizo primarily opted for 7” singles and EP offerings in the years after Warped Tour. They did make a name for themselves in the music industry in 2004 by being the first act to issue a single (known as the Sick EP) on USB flash drive. Later that year they issued the Anderster album, before deciding to call it quits a few months later in early 2005.

They reunited in 2009 and tour in 2010. They’ve since released two more studio albums and issued the single “Grauer Brei" in May of 2023, marking their first new music in five years.

The Ziggens

Where Were The Ziggens Before Warped Tour?

1995 was a big year for self-proclaimed “cowpunksurfabilly” band The Ziggens. After three previous records, the Huntington Beach rockers dropped a pair of albums in 1995 — Chicken Out! and Pit Stop.

Where Were The Ziggens After Warped Tour?

The band kept up a pretty hectic recording schedule into the early 2000s, issuing six more albums before signing off with their 2003 Greatest Zits: 1990-2003 compilation. The group eventually reactivated, returning to the studio and recording their Oregon album in 2021.

Who Else Was on Warped Tour’s Inaugural 1995 Lineup?

As with most years of Warped, there was a wealth of acts participating in the first year and we didn't get to all of them. It would grow even bigger in subsequent years. But some of the other acts who played the inaugural Warped Tour year include Lagwagon, Orange 9mm, Seaweed, Swingin’ Utters, Sense Field, Blue Meanies, The Grabbers, Fluf, Alligator Gun, D.G.T., Dimestore Hoods, Integrity, Into Another, The Lordz of Brooklyn, Mung, Protein, Red Five, Shyster, Supernova, Tree and Your Mom.

The initial Warped also played host to skating and extreme sports exhibitions from Steve Alba, Neil Hendrix, Remy Stratton, Angie Walton and more.

What Happened to Warped Tour After 1995? 

Warped Tour just continued to get bigger and evolve after its initial run. The Vans shoe company would become its major sponsor for the remainder of its run. While punk remained a staple throughout, emo and metalcore acts began to populate the lineup in the early 2000s.

Blink-182, 311, A Day to Remember, AFI, All-American Rejects, All Time Low, Anti-Flag, Bad Religion, Dropkick Murphys, Every Time I Die, Falling in Reverse, Good Charlotte, Less Than Jake, Motionless in White, Motion City Soundtrack, New Found Glory, NOFX, Paramore, Pennywise, Reel Big Fish, Silverstein, Simple Plan, Sleeping With Sirens, Sum 41, Thrice, Underoath, The Used, The Vandals and Yellowcard were among the acts who played the festival the most times.

And where some of the other ‘90s festivals went through dry periods over the next decade, Warped Tour kept it going as a touring festival through 2018. The traveling Warped Tour ended in 2018. The Warped brand also expanded to include tours of Australia and events in Mexico and Japan. Plus there was a Warped Rewind Cruise at Sea in 2017.

After the 2018 tour, Kevin Lyman announced that there would be a 25th Anniversary Warped Tour celebration taking place in three locations — Cleveland, Atlantic City and Mountain View — in 2019. It now holds the record for the longest touring music festival run in U.S. history.