Several artists from this year’s Vans Warped Tour lineup gave passengers an unexpected in-flight concert en route to Orlando, Florida.
On Friday (Nov. 13), Simple Plan, Hoobastank, The Used and LØLØ performed aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Orlando as an FAA ground stop halted departures across the country. The musicians were headed to the city for Warped Tour’s Saturday (Nov. 14) date at Camping World Stadium.
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Videos shared by passengers captured Hoobastank frontman Doug Robb performing an acoustic version of the band’s hit “The Reason,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004.
“I’ve always said @hoobastank is one of the best live acts on the planet,” one person wrote over a clip on Instagram. “This is what they sound like over airplane speakers. Insane!”
Simple Plan frontman Pierre Bouvier also performed acoustic versions of “Perfect” and “I’m Just a Kid.” And The Used played “The Taste of Ink,” while LØLØ performed her track “hot girls in hell.”
Southwest shared several clips from the performance on its Instagram Stories. The concert was part of the airline’s Live at 35 series, which brings surprise live musical performances to passengers at a cruising altitude of approximately 35,000 feet.
“Group therapy but it’s just singing perfect with Simple Plan on a plane,” another person wrote over a video of the band’s performance on Instagram, adding the caption, “Live at 35 is the best kind of therapy.”
An influencer’s video also showed some of the activities passengers enjoyed before boarding, including airport photo opportunities, karaoke and meet-and-greets at the gate. Warped Tour-branded goodie bags were waiting on passengers’ seats before the surprise performances began.
Since launching in 2011, Southwest’s Live at 35 series has featured notable acts including Imagine Dragons, Barenaked Ladies, Plain White T’s, NEEDTOBREATHE, O.A.R. and Better Than Ezra.
The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop Friday, grounding flights for more than four hours and contributing to more than 12,500 cancellations across Friday and Saturday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the disruption to outdated air traffic control technology and overloaded equipment, according to ABC News.
Vans Warped Tour Orlando is scheduled for Saturday, with performances by Simple Plan, Sublime, Third Eye Blind, 311, Hoobastank and others. Sunday’s lineup includes Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, New Found Glory, The Used and Motion City Soundtrack.
On Saturday morning, Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman shared a video on Instagram discussing how the FAA ground stop could impact the festival weekend.
“We will have a few bands canceling and we will be updating you on that,” Lyman said. “Not as many as we thought, because the bands are working hard to change their flights. Some bands have jumped in vans and [are] driving from as far away as Chicago and Houston.
He continued, “We’re going to push some bands that were playing today, [they] will be playing on Sunday. We’ve extended the sets out and giving bands more time to play. Bear with us. We’re all working hard.”
