Should YouTubers be on Warped Tour?

Posted: September 17, 2015 | the scene | Hands Like Houses, Trenton Woodley, Warped Tour, YouTube | 0 Comments

YouTubers are quickly becoming a standard within the scene. They often provide an inside look into the the music industry that is much more fun and relaxed than other forms of media coverage. Fans, especially teens, have become so enamored with YouTubers to the point that YouTubers are “acts” in and of themselves. Most people seem to have accepted this new addition to the scene. However, a little over a week ago, Hands Like Houses’ frontman, Trenton Woodley, expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the YouTuber craze. Woodley was pretty tough on YouTubers, describing their work as journalists or public personalities to be “especially mediocre.”

To be fair, Woodley didn’t randomly go on a highly critical tangent (insert hyperlink here: http://introducedspecies.tumblr.com/post/127431610871/youtubers-on-warped) towards the density of YouTubers at Warped Tour. He was responding to a question that a fan specifically asked, and I think it was admiral that he gave an honest answer, even if it was somewhat negative. With that said, his opinion seems a touch unreasonable because YouTubers often introduce fans to bands in a novel and unique way. By having less than serious interactions with musicians at Warped Tour, YouTubers can show fans that despite being famous, their musical idols are people too. Personalizing musical giants is huge when it comes to building loyal fans. Even more vital is the YouTubers’ ability to introduce bands to their audience base. It is not uncommon for someone to say they become an avid follower of a band through the particular form of media YouTubers provide.

Perhaps for artists like Woodley, who would prefer Warped Tour be more narrowly focused on the art of music, the highly informal and at times even chaotic method YouTubers tend to use when creating their content can be frustrating. However, the first-person view such content gives fans and the relatability that YouTubers have is priceless, especially for those who may not be able to attend Warped Tour and see the bands they adore.

I think most of us can understand some of Woodley’s criticism. Music will always be the heart and soul of the scene, but in today’s highly technological environment, fans are constantly searching for contemporary ways to connect with artists. Maybe YouTubers provide one such way.

Let us know what you guys think in the comments below. Was Trenton Woodley totally out of line, or are YouTubers becoming too disruptive to the scene?

 

Cidnee M. Walker