He looks like he's barely 18, but believe it or not, 22-year-old Cobra Starship drummer Nate Novarro has already been on three Warped Tours. He hit us up about his past experiences, which acts he's amped to see and why Cobra's set will have a hip-hop bent.



¡Viva la Cobra!, the band's second studio album, dropped way back in October, but the group isn't letting it cool off – Gabe Saporta and the gang recently busted out a Spanish-language video for "Guilty Pleasure," the album's first single, after re-recording it. As the band said in a recent interview with Alternative Press, a full-on Spanish-language version of ¡Viva la Cobra! could be on the way, and a dance-oriented remix EP might be coming down the pipe too.

On top of all that, Cobra Starship will be on Warped for the full run – and even playing some bonus off-dates too, in Las Vegas (June 27); New Orleans (July 8); Missoula, Montana (August 7); and Eugene, Oregon (August 11).

We've been sharing with you a slew of pre-Warped interviews (see the big list below), but no one had more to say about the summer slam than Novarro. From what to wear to what to eat, he covered all the bases.

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

Nate Novarro: When I drum-teched for Armor for Sleep, we were somewhere in Florida, and [frontman] Ben [Jorgensen] asked everyone to pick up a piece of trash off the ground ([it sounded] like he [was] just trying to clean up the place). Then I'm pretty sure he asked everyone to throw the garbage up in the air or onstage or something once the song had kicked in. Anyways, it was absolutely insane! All hell broke loose once the next song came in. I don't think they were allowed to do that again.

The same year, we sent our formal invites to all of the ladies in production. I don't think they thought we were serious, but when they showed up on the bus, we had ... lined ... the window seals with candles. (Dangerous ... but whatever, it looked great!) There were rose petals all over the seats and floor, wine and champagne on ice. To top it off, we all got cleaned up, put on some button-down shirts and ties. It was pretty crazy.

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

Novarro: There are so many great bands this summer. A lot of old bands that I haven't seen in a long time which I'm really stoked to see. The Vandals always put on an amazing show. Bouncing Souls, Pennywise, Four Year Strong, Every Time I Die, and of course our friends The Academy Is ..., All Time Low, We the Kings, Gym Class Heroes ... my list goes on and on. Like I said, it's a great year.

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

Novarro: This will involve a lot of video games. We usually link up Xboxes and geek out. Play "Halo 3" until 6 in the morning. We're going to try and park next to our friends every day just so we can link up and yell at each other from bus to bus. There will be a lot of songwriting going on in the back lounge. We all have our sweet new computers now, with all the sweet, awesome programs, along with our awesome, great imaginations. Haha, yea ... my personal favorite thing to do is sleep. I will be sleeping a lot, so hopefully we don't play first every day. The sun can really take a toll on you.

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

Novarro: Well, I've been on '04, '05 and '06 Warped Tours, and they started doing canned waters. As weird as that sounds, they are actually pretty awesome. I've saved one from each year just for souvenirs. I know that you bring a lot of money to buy your favorite bands' T-shirts, but make sure you don't waste it all. You're going to want plenty of water. Another thing to do is limit the clothing. I'm not saying come half-naked, but don't wear layers when you know it's going to be like 100 degrees. My attire is usually soccer shorts and flip-flops. So I stay remotely cool and I get a sweet tan!

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

Novarro: Well, I started going to Warped in 2000. I really don't remember that much about it, but I do remember the extreme sports like BMX [racing] and skateboarding was a much bigger deal. I was huge into skateboarding, so I looked forward to go watching these guys shred. I feel like it's not as big of a deal as it used to be. Oh, and I haven't seen Yoo-Hoo in a few years either! All you veterans know what I mean!

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

Novarro: Our beloved uncut cucumber that we always get. To be honest, I'm actually looking forward to not getting chips and salsa. We'll probably only get water and beer, and then just eat the catering. That's one thing that amazes me about Warped Tour catering, is how they cook every single day and it's really good food. So not getting a rider doesn't bother me.

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

Novarro: We have a little something up our sleeve. We're going for a more hip-hop style of putting our set list together. This way we get more music in a short amount of time. If you don't understand what I'm saying, just come out to the show and check it out. I'm sure we'll have our regular guest performances.

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

Novarro: We have some awesome scrims [lighting devices]. Too bad the sun is always out when we're playing, because we have a pretty sweet light show. If any ladies want to get onstage and shake what your mama gave ya, let us know!

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

Novarro: Well, this is going to be my first year playing, even though I've worked on the tour for three years. That's probably why I'm so excited for this summer. I know that some of the most fun that you have is after the show is over. There's a BBQ and everyone just hangs out. It really is a punk-rock summer camp. Ever since I was little, I always wanted to play Warped Tour. Cannot wait!

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

Novarro: Get up early, eat some food (you don't want to go there on an empty stomach). Drink plenty of water. That's the biggest thing, you can never drink enough water. There's nothing worse than spending $40 on a ticket and then having the day ruined because you didn't hydrate yourself. Be ready to make some sacrifices, there could be two of your favorite bands playing at the same time, and you might want to narrow down who you really want to see. Oh, and go to our merch tent and tell Danny that he rules ... or call him names ... but then you have to tip him.

Don't miss our nonstop Warped Tour 2008 coverage:

"Warped Tour '08: Nonprofits - Another Great Reason to Spend Money on a Ticket"
"Jeffree Star: I Don't Need Any Distractions From ME: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour Founder Kevin Lyman: 'I'll Make Less Money' This Year"
"Classic Crime Promise 'Pyrotechnics': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Relient K Guitarist Recalls Seeing Blink-182, Eminem: Warped Tour"
"Warped Tour '08: The 411 on Four Year Strong, Against Me!, Every Avenue, The A.K.A.s"
"As I Lay Dying Guitarist: Don't Wear Black Clothes - Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: Who Are You Most Excited to See?"
"Warped Tour '08: A to Z"
"Warped Tour '08: Hip-Hop Acts Might Give You a Reason to Leave Emo Alone"
"Norma Jean Considering Nirvana Cover, Fireball Dance: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Fall Out Boy's Andy Hurley Unveils Clothing Line; Plans For Warped Tour Booth"
"We the Kings Singer Saved Drummer's Life at Summer Fest: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: The 411 on Angels & Airwaves, Bouncing Souls, 1997, Devil Wears Prada"
"Angels & Airwaves Ditching Lasers This Time Around: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Race Through the Aisles of Virgin Megastore Phoenix With As I Lay Dying, Protest the Hero"
"From First to Last Call Themselves 'Romantics,' 'Fatties': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Midnight to Twelve Want Some McLovin: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Motion City Soundtrack Extend Warped Stay; Fear Just on for One-Night Stand"
"Academy Is ... Bassist Prefers Leap Frog Over 'Halo': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"All-American Rejects Drop Off Warped Tour"
"Warped Tour '07 Retrospective"
"Be Your Own Pet Talk Trash About Warped Tour: 'It's Like the New Hair Metal' "
"Every Time I Die on 'Punkguins,' GCH and Sitting in Pee: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: How to Meet the Bands"
"The Audition Buffing Up for This Summer: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Maylene and the Sons of Disaster Writing New LP on the Road: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: Last Chance to Be a Pit Reporter and Get the VIP Treatment"
"Pennywise Can't Get Enough of Warped Tour, Add More Dates"
"A.K.A.s to Be Joined Onstage by Gym Class Heroes? Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Forever the Sickest Kids Want 'A Monkey at Every Show': Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: Roll Call - and Dos and Don'ts"
"Charlotte Sometimes Wonders if She'll Blow Up This Summer: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: A Guide to Pit Etiquette"
"1997 Keyboardist Longs for the Slip-N-Slide: Warped Tour Warm-Up"
"Warped Tour '08: The VIP Guide"
"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:


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


[Click on picture to view the rest.]

Check out these bands that will be playing Warped 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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