Warped Tour and Beatport ink 3-year deal, bridge the gap between punk and rave cultureWarped TOur

Warped Tour and Beatport ink 3-year deal, bridge the gap between punk and rave culture

Earlier this year Beatport announced that it would be hosting a stage at the iconic surf and skate festival, Vans Warped Tour.  The move marked a sharp change for the roaming concert brand that started 20-years ago and while EDM was not a new addition by any means, a stage dedicated to the sound was a clear pivot in the tour’s evolution.

To further bridge the gap between punk culture and dance music, Warped founder Kevin Kyman and Beatport ECD Clark Warner spoke with Billboard about their plans to tailor EDM for a slightly different audience and the 3-year deal both companies just inked for all future iterations of the tour.  Any possible backlash, however, does not seem to be a concern for Kyman; “I think the Warped fans are the most eclectic music fans there are,” he told Billboard. “[And] it just adds to the soundtrack of the day. You have acts like Watsky and Wax this year. The kids want a little break, they can check something out.”

Warner is equally excited about the possibilities in store for both Beatport and Warped Tour’s futures: “[That’s] the similarity I love about Beatport and Warped tour, within a short amount of time you can earn your stripes, get credibility and break out quickly, and that will influence the rest of your career. I just saw Skrillex play in Denver at Red Rocks this weekend, and he won’t forget those years he played that tour.”

Read the full article on Billboard

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