Chicago's 1997 have their sights set on the future: The six-member pop-rock collective will only be on the Warped Tour for a short spell (June 20-July 3) but is hoping for big things, as keyboardist Alida Marroni recently told Buzznet.



Often compared to Jimmy Eat World and The Promise Ring, Victory band 1997 – who actually formed in October 2005 – just released their second album, On the Run, in late May. Marroni, who joined the crew for that effort, revealed to Buzznet that the band has some acoustic performances and signings in store for the festival. The keyboardist also admitted that the best shows she's seen have been at Warped, that she's willing to hold your crap if your hands get too full, and more.

Buzznet: Share some highlights, good or bad, of past Warped Tours you've played or attended.

Alida Marroni: I've been going to Warped Tour since I was 14 and have always had the best concert experiences of my life there. From Rufio to Glassjaw, the best shows I've ever seen have always been at Warped. It was always so cool seeing members of my favorite bands casually walking around, willingly taking pictures and signing things for excited kids. One of the best parts of Warped is the headlining band, the last show of the night. It was amazing to be packed in between every person who could survive the entire day, watching the last act of the night. Then, as the crowd cleared, the merch everyone lost was scattered everywhere, which meant tons of free shirts for me!

Buzznet: Which bands are you most looking forward to seeing perform? Who do you think will blow up after Warped?

Marroni: I'm psyched to see A Day To Remember, Against Me! and Norma Jean. To be honest, I think Paramore might really blow up after Warped. You might have heard of them.

Buzznet: What will you be doing to kill time on the tour bus?

Marroni: Unfortunately we'll be touring in a van for this tour and have heard plenty of horror stories about the heat when touring this way. Looks like I'll have to make a bunch of friends with buses :) When I'm not hiding from the heat, I'm going to spend as much time as I can meeting people and hanging out at our merch tent. We've got a lot of acoustic stuff and signings planned too, with the Glamour Kills people and peta2.

Buzznet: What's the best way to cure the heat while touring with Warped?

Marroni: Although I haven't played Warped yet, while attending, the Slip-N-Slide used to be an awesome way to cool down. This year I am going to invest in a little fan that squirts water, if those still exist. Maybe we'll dumpster[-dive for] some Super Soakers or something, too.

Buzznet: How has Warped evolved over the years in your opinion?

Marroni: I don't think Warped has lost sight of what's important to the kids attending at all. I think it's evolved as it should, inviting the bands that are the most sought after for the time. I felt the same rush of excitement every time I walked through the gates at 11 a.m., year after year. Warped always delivered, and kids keep coming back because they know it won't change drastically.

Buzznet: List a few items on your rider that we might not expect.

Marroni: To be honest, we're so low-maintenance that I don't even know if we have an official rider. The boys love their beer, and I love fruit. 'Nuff said.

Buzznet: Do you have anything unusual planned for your set, whether it be cover songs, tracks you normally don't play?

Marroni: I know that we're planning on playing the catchiest, loudest stuff we have so that anyone walking by will want to check us ouuut.

Buzznet: Are you planning any props, backdrops, screens or anything else in terms of stage setup?

Marroni: I don't think we're opposed to the idea of a backdrop, but like I said, we're a pretty low-maintenance bunch. Not many frills, just a lot of sweat and flying water. Perhaps those Super Soakers I mentioned.

Buzznet: What's the best part about playing Warped?

Marroni: n/a

Buzznet: Any tips for people going for the first time?

Marroni: All I regret about Warped is having too much crap to hold while walking around. It's a good idea to wait till the end of the day to stock up on merch, unless you're afraid that your sizes will run out. In that case, maybe find a tree to hide all your stuff in, or find me, and I'll hold all of it for you haha.

Check out our ongoing Warped Tour coverage:

"Protest the Hero Singer Says 'We Don't Roll Like Carrot Top': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Set Your Goals Are Packing Extra Boxers: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: Top 10 Must-Haves"
"Two More Killer Bands Added to Warped Tour Main Stage"

Also, feast your eyes on these pics of Katy Perry, Beat Union and more at the Warped Tour kickoff show on April 11 in West Hollywood, California – click on the image below.



Get psyched for summer with Buzznet's Warped Tour 2008 gallery.

[Click on picture to view the rest.]

See which females will be rocking out on Warped this summer:


[Click on picture to view the rest.]

And see which acts are hopping on the trek for the first time:


[Click on picture to view the rest.]

Find out which Warped artists are out of their twenties:


[Click on picture to view the rest.]

Warped Tour dates:

6.20: Pomona, CA @ Pomona Fairgrounds
6.21: San Francisco, CA @ Pier 30/32
6.22: Ventura, CA @ Seaside Park
6.25: Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion
6.26: Las Cruces, NM @ N.M.S.U. Practice Field
6.28: Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
6.29: Denver, CO @ Invesco Field
7.1: St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.2: Kansas City, KS @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.3: Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center
7.5: San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.6: Houston, TX @ Sam Houston Race Park
7.9: Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater
7.10 : Orlando, FL @ Central Florida Fairgrounds
7.11: Tampa, FL @ Vinoy Park
7.12: Miami, FL @ Bicentennial Park
7.13: Jacksonville, FL @ St. Johns County Fairgrounds
7.14: Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.15: Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7.16: Washington DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
7.17: Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheater at Tower City
7.18: Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
7.19: Toronto, ON @ Downsview Park Allen Road
7.20: Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean Drapeau
7.23: Boston, MA @ Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
7.24: Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
7.25: Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
7.26: Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
7.27: Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion
7.28: Englishtown, NJ @ Raceway Park
7.29: Pittsburgh, PA @ Post Gazette Pavilion
7.30: Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
7.31: Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
8.1: Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre
8.2: Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8.3: Minneapolis, MN @ Canterbury Park
8.5: Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
8.6: Calgary, AB @ Race City Speedway
8.8: Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheatre
8.9: Seattle, WA @ George Amphitheatre
8.10: Portland, OR @ Columbia Meadows
8.13: Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
8.14: San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
8.15: San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
8.16: Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre Lot
8.17: Los Angeles, CA @ Home Depot Center

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