All Time Low turned up the volume on Pride and punk this weekend, making a powerful statement with drums, pom-poms and rainbow spirit at the Vans Warped Tour’s epic 30th anniversary return. During their headlining set at the RFK Festival Grounds on Saturday, June 14, the pop-punk legends teamed up with two Washington, D.C.-based groups: the American University Cheer Squad and DC’s Different Drummers, a nonprofit LGBTQ+ marching band. It was a high-octane, high-emotion performance that blended music, movement, and meaningful allyship.
A Pride Month Surprise to Remember
Known for their anthemic hits and devoted fan base, All Time Low didn’t just perform, they transformed the stage into a visual and sonic celebration of love, inclusion, and queer joy. With the cheer squad hyping up the crowd and DCDD’s drumline and color guard powering through choreographed routines, the band’s 14-song setlist, including hits like “Dear Maria, Count Me In,” “Weightless” and “Monsters,” became more than a show. It was a Pride Month moment that demanded to be felt.
“When we started planning out the set, we threw out the idea, how cool would it be to have a marching band join us on stage?” frontman Alex Gaskarth told the crowd. “Once we connected with DC’s Different Drummers, it instantly felt right. With it being Pride Month, and with everything happening politically in D.C. and across the country, this just felt unbelievably appropriate.”
Music as a Beacon of Visibility
With anti-LGBTQ+ legislation continuing to mount across the country, the decision to feature queer performers during one of the biggest sets of the festival wasn’t just thoughtful, it was bold. By sharing the stage and the spotlight, All Time Low used their platform to amplify queer voices in a city at the heart of so much political tension.
“There are so many people right now who feel alienated or like they don’t belong, and that’s a horrible way for anyone to feel,” Gaskarth said. “This was our way of showing support and uplifting a community that’s supported us for so many years.”
The performance was both a call to action and a celebration, proving that joy can be resistance and music can be a megaphone for unity.
Warped Tour’s Legacy of Loud, Proud Rebellion
This year’s D.C. stop marked a milestone for the Vans Warped Tour, which originally launched in 1995 and quickly grew into the largest traveling music festival in North America. The tour has long served as a launchpad for emerging acts and a hub for progressive causes, including LGBTQ+ visibility and youth mental health.
Over the decades, Warped Tour hosted acts from Blink-182 and No Doubt to Eminem and Katy Perry. It wasn’t just about the music, it was about building a culture where self-expression and community came first. And in that spirit, All Time Low’s Pride performance felt like a homecoming for the kind of inclusivity the tour helped foster.
Whether you were there moshing at the barricade or cheering from the back, Saturday night’s set was a reminder: punk isn’t dead, and neither is hope.
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