The 2001 Warped tour came to a relatively subdued close on Sunday (August 12) in front 15,000 mosh-pit friendly fans at the Phoenix Plaza in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac, Michigan.
Despite trepidation that the hip-hop acts D12 and Esham-booted off the tour a week and a half ago for fighting-might surface at their hometown stop (some D12 stickers were quietly distributed), the show went off peacefully and without a hitch.
Some fans, however, were disappointed that Alien Ant Farm, currently hot thanks to its hit cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” wasn’t on the bill as expected. The group bailed out of the last three Warped stops, including shows in Montreal and Toronto. Some artists and behind-the-scenes workers on the tour claimed the group was unhappy playing on a secondary stage, but tour founder Kevin Lyman told LAUNCH that Alien Ant Farm had “some business to take care of” in Los Angeles before heading off for a European tour.
Warped fans still got their money’s worth, however, and Warped elder statesmen Rancid treated them to a special tour-closing set that included guest appearances by H20’s Toby Morse, the Ataris’ Kris Roe, and, on the song “Rejected,” AFI’s Davey Havok. After Sunday’s show, many of the bands and tour personnel enjoyed a boisterous private party at the nearby Mill Street Entry club.
