Event Preview: Vans Warped Tour '07 PARK PLACE, BARRIE, ONTARIO - AUGUST 11 - by Peter Bremner - Since 1995, Vans has sponsored the Warped Tour, which has graced Southern Ontario with its presence every summer since. For its 12th installment, Warped is again stopping in Barrie to provide, for what will undoubtedly be a sizeable chunk of humanity, a full day of post-punk mayhem, with some nice surprises, twists and turns. Here's what to expect this Saturday, both musically and otherwise: For those making the trip to Park Place (formerly Molson Park — memories) for the first time, wear comfortable shoes. And aside from fluttering between stages, vendors and the like, in this vast natural expanse you're probably going to lose your party at some point. Don't worry though, you'll meet lots of cool people and find your friends eventually, more than likely where you left them. Be prepared to move around a lot. Musically, this year brings an interesting mix of diverse talent ranging from the seasoned to the fresh. On the familiar end, Brett Gurewitz (founder of Epitaph Records) is back with headliners Bad Religion (Pictured), who bring with them many years of solid punk-rock. They've been underground, they've been mainstream and they've been around. The great thing about Warped is the fact that, as a festival, it makes a reasonable attempt at diversifying things, mixing things up enough to keep people interested. For instance, in 1999, Ice-T, Eminem and The Black Eyed Peas were on the bill. For 2007, K-OS and his brand of fused, thoughtful hip-hop, finds its way onto the stage. Following in the wake of last year's release, Atlantis, the Whitby native will bring his familiarity with rock 'n' roll and punk to his live show. The Warped Tour has certainly pulled off mixing things up like this in the past, and evidently will continue to do so. For the first timers at Warped, the festival should satisfy your need for release, with varying degrees of energy stemming from different genres music. And with a host of fresh, local bands playing over the course of the day, there will most definitely be something for everyone. Just be careful in the pit.