Review: Breathe Carolina at Vans Warped Tour, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, 6/17/12

It was fun to watch the crowd go nuts for Breathe Carolina on the Kia stage just after 4 p.m. As soon as the first few notes of "Hello Fascination" hit, everyone was in synch and knew all the words. The crowd was so boisterous, in fact, Kyle Even and David Schmitt could have just sat down for the entire set, left stage or grabbed a burger and the crowd could've easily carried the rest of the show. As always, the pair brought an intense energy with both guys playing each side of the stage and amping the crowd up even more.

While Schmitt played guitar a little more this time around, the guys really haven't strayed too far from their earlier MySpace roots. They've certainly found their niche, and damn if it isn't working. It's been a wild year for the Breathe Carolina boys, as their renown continues to grow, thanks no doubt in part to the breakout hit, "Blackout." That song made an appearance in the eight song set -- closing things out, actually -- as did "Hit and Run," the new single, which the group worked early into the setlist.

These days, the Breathe Carolina crew rarely gets to be back home in Denver -- whenever the guys aren't touring they're in L.A. Just the same, you can tell that they have clearly not forgotten where they came from, and they've still got plenty of Denver love, as evidenced by Even's old school Jalen Rose Nuggets jersey and his bright orange Broncos hat.

The unfortunate thing about Warped Tour set lists is that they're abbreviated. With so many bands on the bill, it's rare that any band gets to play a set that lasts longer than a half hour, and that even includes a hometown set from Breathe Carolina. Even though Breathe was one the biggest draws of the day, after eight songs, the guys were done, and when the group finished, it was clear the crowd wanted more.