The message he’s bringing to the kids is one of hope, acceptance and perseverance.
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When you think of the Vans Warped Tour, you probably think about deafening punk rock bands more so than motivational speakers.
This year’s tour is different with Jake Ducey in the lineup.
Jake is the first ever inspirational speaker on the tour. The message he’s bringing to the kids is one of hope, acceptance and perseverance.
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And this four letter word…
I was stoked to secure an all access VIP pass to see Jake when the tour came to Portland Oregon. I’m used to seeing him speak in front of high school students or gracing the TEDx stage, but at a punk rock show? This was going to be different.
What I saw during the concert was astonishing. Sure, I saw a bunch of mohawks, colored hair, exotic piercings and padlocks through the nose. But, I also saw a lot of progressive kids educating themselves on core issues. Issues like sustainability, animal rights and loving one another.
The mosh pit was more akin to a hugging festival than it was an old school Black Flag concert with elbows flying. In fact, Van’s clearly posted “No Crowd Surfing” signs everywhere to avoid potential lawsuits.
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Anyhow, when it came time to see Jake in action, it brought a big smile to my face. And it gave my eardrums a break from all the death metal screams.
If you ever see Jake in your town, go give him a listen. I promise it’ll be sweet motivational music to your ears. And you won’t have to deal with all the aggressive distortion blaring out of the concert speakers.
Also, if you’d like to discover more about Jake, I recently did a podcast episode with him which you can listen to by clicking here.
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Photo is author’s own.