Pittsburgh will play host to what is being called the replacement to Warped Tour. This “replacement”, is Sad Summer Fest. Contrary to the tour’s name, Sad Summer Fest is here to give a day long festival of music that will bring a lot of fun and entertainment to anyone is attendance. Some artists that featured are: Neck Deep, Waterparks, Mayday Parade, State Champs and more. The event kicks off July 19th 2022, at 1:30pm and runs throughout the day.
Formed in 2019, Sad Summer Fest is a nationwide touring festival presented by Journeys, that travels throughout the summer months to give rock, emo and pop punk music listeners a day to rock out and enjoy great music. Tickets range from $45-$55 for general admission and the location is set at the outdoor venue of Stage AE in Pittsburgh. The event is packed with variations of alternative and emo music, bringing in a stacked lineup that no one will want to miss out on. If you don’t want to believe us, just check out the reviews from previous years! Sad Summer Fest is also once again partnering with several non-profits – including Reverb (an eco-focused group working to improve sustainability within live music), HeadCount (a nonpartisan charity encouraging young people to vote), Our Music My Body (a music festival resource working to create Safer Spaces and prevent sexual assaults), and Can’d Aid (an organization connecting volunteers with communities in need).
Some info on some of the bands touring this year are as followed:
Neck Deep are a Welsh pop punk band from Wrexham, Wales formed in 2012. The band was founded after vocalist Ben Barlow met former lead guitarist Lloyd Roberts. It was announced earlier this year that they have gone as an independent, unsigned music group and have a new single out called ‘STFU’.
Waterparks is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas in 2011. The group currently consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Awsten Knight, backing vocalist and lead guitarist Geoff Wigington, and backing vocalist and drummer Otto Wood. The band signed with Fueled by Ramen in 2022, and have made teasers on an upcoming fifth studio album. On July 5, 2022, the band announced “Self-Sabotage” was to be to be released on July 7. The band also released a portion of a new song “Brainwashed” that the band has been performing on tour.
Mayday Parade is an American rock band from Tallahassee, Florida. Their debut EP Tales Told by Dead Friends was released in 2006, and sold over 50,000 copies without any label support. In July 2007, Mayday Parade released their debut album A Lesson in Romantics. After signing to Fearless in 2006, the band also signed onto a major label with Atlantic in 2009. In April 2018, the band signed to Rise Records and released their sixth studio album Sunnyland on June 15, 2018. Their seventh studio album What It Means To Fall Apart, was released in 2021.
State Champs is an American rock band from Albany, New York, formed in 2010. They are currently signed to Pure Noise Records and have released three EPs and four full-length albums. They released an acoustic EP titled The Acoustic Things in October 2014 and their second full-length album Around the World and Back one year later, in October 2015. On May 13, 2022, the band released their fourth studio album Kings of the New Age.
For more information on this tour, covid protocol, and where to buy tickets, visit www.sadsummerfest.com.
Feature image credit: https://www.last.fm/music/Neck+Deep/+images/a3f58812523fe11e6f5a243262116264
Pittsburgh Music Magazine 