Probably because they're not trying to take a pay cut when they can make hella bank on their own headliner.
This is a really good way to put it. Even back when I actually liked Warped Tour (or rather back when I was interested in the bands that would play it) I still always rolled my eyes at how highly they seemed to hold themselves, saying stuff like "it's the one day in the year that kids who are different can go to a place where they fit in" and dumb shit like that
What a weird fucking world when the bro from The Story So Far is making way more sense than Warped Tour/Kevin
I love Warped Tour. Have been going since mid 2000's. Always a fun time in the sun, and always discover new bands. I personally hope they don't do a "greatest hits" line up and just keep doing what they've always been doing. Why try to cater to a bunch of ppl that haven't been supporting it for the last 5-10 years. Stick with the usual formula of newer/mid level bands (Knuckle Puck, Crown The Empire, Dangerous Summer, nothing.nowhere, I See Stars, Wonder Years, etc), and throw in some of the classic throwback bands. Hope they stay true to and keep this one for the REAL fans who have been continuing to support it.
If the brand hadn’t been tarnished in the last few years I’d imagine a few of these bands would make special appearances on select dates. But Lyman gonna Lyman