LAS VEGAS, (July 3, 2014) -- It's true! Warped Tour, the longest running traveling alternative music festival in the country, draws a crowd of individuals with multiple tattoos and body piercings and florescent colored hair. But the concerts also draw crowds of music fans like 18-year Austin Pryor, a high school senior from Bullhead City, Ariz.
Sporting a military style haircut at the festival in Las Vegas June 19, Pryor described himself as clean cut. "I don't have any tattoos, don't do any drugs, nothing - I'm just that way."
In fact, there are a lot of young men and women like Pryor who attend these concerts around the country, said Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Staudacher, NCOIC for Recruiting Command's Musical Outreach Team. According to Staudacher, most of the attendees at these concerts are no different than the teens the team engages at the high schools they visit around the country.
"Each concert will draw on average about 15,000 fans -- with a large percentage being kids who fall in our target market. They're between the ages of 15 and 24, they're in shape and probably only about 10 percent would be disqualified for tattoos and body piercings," said Staudacher.
That's why, for the first time, USAREC's musical outreach team, featuring singer Sgt. Corrin Campbell, is performing at the concerts -- all 44 of them. From now until Aug. 3 there will be a Warped Tour performance every couple of days somewhere in the country.
Battalions are encouraged to send recruiters to support the Army booth set up by the Musical Outreach Team. Attendees sign a lead card to get a free CD of Campbell's music and take the pushup challenge to win Army branded PPIs.
Pryor, who plans on joining the Army to become a helicopter pilot after college, did 50 pushups -- the minimum amount necessary to walk away with an Army backpack.
"I've been interested in the military for as long as I can remember," said Pryor. "I like all the discipline, respect and other values that the military promotes."
Jonathan a 19-year-old firefighter from Los Angeles, Calif., who didn't want to give his last name, took the pushup challenge as well. Due to a sprained wrist, he said he was only able to pump out 48. Already resembling a Soldier with his short cropped hair, Jonathan said he too didn't indulge in alcohol or drugs and would like to join the Army.
"The level of interest in what the Army had to offer, among the people we talked too, was very high," said Staudacher. "A couple of them were ready to join."
The team collected 210 leads in Las Vegas, including the two hard leads. Staudacher said they normally collect more than twice that many when they have recruiter support.
To find out when the Warped Tour will be in your area go to http://vanswarpedtour.com/dates. You can also contact Sgt. 1st Class Staudacher at 502-472-0911, 719-502-9808, timothy.j.staudacher@mail.mil, to coordinate support.
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