Surrounded by colorful hairstyles, leather clothing, piercings and tattoos could only mean one thing. The day had come. Not just any day, but The Day. The day that many awaited all year. The day others could only dream about. The day that changed lives. The day that made me realize Warped Tour is not for me.

Standing in a two-hour line that spanned the length of several parking lots in the Pepsi Center of Denver, Colorado was definitely my idea of a good time… (I hope you sensed my sarcasm there.) The sun either made its debut to scorch the skin of fans eagerly waiting, or disappeared altogether to leave those who wore a crop top–like me, shivering.

You know what they say… third time’s the charm. Unfortunately my third time attending Vans Warped Tour did not hold the same amount of appeal that it did one year ago– or even five. Although I got to see a few bands I really enjoyed, the atmosphere of this heavy rock music festival left me feeling dizzy, dirty, and disgusted.

It wasn’t anything against the music scene itself. From a critic’s perspective, getting to see 70 bands play live is quite the bargain. With plenty of vendors to provide fans with merch, meet-up opportunities, and signings the service is decent as far as outdoor music festivals go.

As for the tour, they at least had a plan for anticipated hiccups, like the angsty tween who dragged their parent to the festival. Not only do parents get in free, but there is an organized hot spot for them to sit and mingle called Reverse Daycare. Plenty of refreshment vendors stood on hand to offer beverages to those wanting to pay and free water stations were ready to use by those who brought bottles and thermos. Finally, Warped Tour had several phone charging stations, to make sure fans didn’t miss their chance of a photo-op with Piercing Veil or Knuckle Punk. How wonderful.

From an attendee’s perspective, Warped is a giant money trap for emo kids. They are the only music festival I know that charges extra to get a glimpse at the band’s playing schedule. The food is outrageously overpriced, and the staff showed no hint of professionalism. People are well… comfortable. Within ten minutes of walking through the entrance gates, one of the vendors had thrown a snow cone at me. I think it was his idea of cooling me off when that sun I mentioned was out and about. I, however, was not amused as my new crop top had been quite stained.

The crowds themselves were an entirely new story. People were too friendly. And I don’t mean ‘hi nice to meet you’ friendly, I mean ‘hey want to make out?’ friendly. If you grimaced enough and put on your meanest resting bitch face though, you could drive away the pervs. If I didn’t come across someone who wanted attention, then I encountered the superficial scene kid. As we were packed like sardines in the area x’ed off for the festival it was hard to avoid running into people. Instead of the occasional s’cuse me and sorry I was met with many shoulder shoves or nasty glares. Where did the friendly people go?

When I attended the fest last year, one of the first things that stood out to me was the new signs tacked to each stage that read “you mosh or you crowd surf, you get hurt, we get sued, no more Warped Tour.” This year, the signs stood tall again, warning attendees to be safe. Behind me, I heard a girl explain to another fan the signs were put in place because of a death in a mosh pit. Do you think that stopped fans from moshing and crowd surfing? Absolutely not. Bands were encouraging their fans to “open up the pit” or “surf their heart out.” I was appalled by the lack of concern so many bands had for their loyal fans.

Now, if you know anything about the rock festival, then you might be wondering: what is this chick thinking? This is a music festival for metal heads. The “I don’t give a shit” attitude comes with the territory. Breaking rules is inevitable. Overpriced food takes over every concert. This “kind of music” attracts weirdos. Maybe that’s true. This isn’t anything new. My experience at Warped was virtually the same each time I went. The difference this year was my perspective… and my age. As I sat back observing the sea of angsty tweens whose parents grudgingly followed them, I realized Vans Warped Tour is geared towards just that: the angsty tween. Perhaps all the weed just made me delusional.

Overall, I think Warped Tour is something I’ve outgrown. Unless you’re dying to see the punk rock version of One Direction decked out in Marilyn Manson costume wear then Warped tour might not be for you either. Regardless of the crowd and the atmosphere, at least one thing remains the same. My ability to love rock n roll music. Index finger and pinkies up. Thumbs out. Proceed to head bang.