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Sum 41, Reel Big Fish headline 3rd Road to Warped Tour stop in Anchorage

For the third year in a row Anchorage will host the Road to Vans Warped Tour, a daylong celebration of rock, punk, hardcore and metal on two outdoor stages at the Sullivan Arena. Headliners include scene veterans Sum 41 and Reel Big Fish, with fresh-faced national bands and several lucky local ensembles rounding out the lineup.

Sum 41 — Pop-punk outfit Sum 41 put out their massively successful debut album "All Killer No Filler" (with their top single to date, "Fat Lip") in 2001. Since then, the band has grown up, and evolved a heavier, more sonically complex sound, with a new album due out in 2016.

Reel Big Fish  Reel Big Fish combines funky ska influences with pop punk, a formula that has earned the group a bevy of underground fans over the past two decades. Although the band's major hit, "Sell Out," likely shares a birth year with many Warped Tour attendees (1997), the group has stuck to a rigorous touring schedule and show no signs of slowing down.

Crown the Empire — Formed in 2010 by four high school friends, Dallas-based Crown the Empire combines melodic vocals with heavy instrumental breakdowns. Despite being relatively new compared to their headlining compatriots Sum 41 and Reel Big Fish, Crown the Empire can certainly hold their own with more than a million Facebook fans and a new album, "Retrograde," due out this July.

Sleeping with Sirens — Originally hailing from Orlando, Florida, Sleeping with Sirens has a classic emo sound, with vocalist Kellin Quinn's raw vocals dominating their tracks. The band's 2010 debut album, "With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear," kicked off a successful commercial career for the group, with a "Live and Unplugged" album as the band's most recent offering.

Behind the Façade — Fronted by lead singer Danielle Minch, Behind the Façade pairs Minch's bright vocals with spunky punk-pop sensibilities. Based out of Queens, New York, Behind the Façade is one of the freshest faces on the national scene and their Anchorage performance will mark their first Warped Tour. The band self-released their debut album last March, titled "Bitter and Better."

Vanilla Sugar — In spite of their name, Vanilla Sugar is not a saccharine band. Comprising vocalist Jessica Perry and guitarist Vanessa Vallejo, the pair blends the electronic and hardcore genres to create something heavy and original. Based out of Houston, Texas, the scene newcomers have already garnered a lot attention in their home state, and join the Warped Tour for the first time this year.

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State Champs — State Champs formed in 2010, but their hits sound as though they were pulled straight from the charts of the mid-aughts — precisely what you want if you're a pop-punk group. "Around the World," the band's second studio album, came out in 2015 to critical acclaim.

We Are the Movies — Based out of Columbus, Ohio, We Are the Movies is another band full of fresh faces. Fronted by Anchorage-born singer Tim Waters*, We Are the Movies brings speedy, melodic punk to the tour stage. The band's most recent EP release, "Get Busy Living," came out this year (available for free download at wearethemoviesband.com/alaska).

Sovereign Shadows — Sovereign Shadows, an Anchorage-based band since 2006, brings a mix of melodic, thrash and metalcore to the Warped stage. The local quintet features lead guitarist Anthony Pfeifer, rhythm guitarist Sean O'Toole, vocalist Roger Druin II, drummer Vincent Kocinski and bassist Zakk Chapman.

Zombie Unicorn with Artistic Drift — Zombie Unicorn is the solo project of Anchorage's Adam Hulin. The project's irreverent name fits well with the Hulin's attitude-heavy mix of rock and electronic influences, as well as his unorthodox performance costuming. Listeners will find a mix of vocal and instrumental tracks, with some incorporating old film sound clips. Zombie Unicorn's Warped Tour performance will also feature local hip-hop dance troupe Artistic Drift.

Noise Brigade — Local favorite Noise Brigade will bring their energetic mix of pop and rock to the local Warped Tour stage. Featuring Doug Jones and Nathan Nelson on vocals and guitars, bassist Luc Atencio and drummer and vocalist Elias Cobb, the band released their most recent album, "From the Mountains to the Sea" last February.

Old Hounds — Formerly known as Harlequin State, the local four-piece band offers up fast, in-your-face metal. Old Hounds is made up of vocalist Alberto Alcala, lead guitarist Argel Isaguirre, guitarist Joshua Springer, bassist Toph Sapp and drummer Mac Holtan.

City in Ashes — Another Anchorage scene staple, City in Ashes has been bringing melodic metal to fans since 2006. Currently, the band consists of local guitarist/vocalist Matt Dumalo, guitarist Mason Venhaus, bassist Christian Woods, vocalist Corey Hagedon and drummer Dustin Murr.

Ships Without Harbor — Ships without Harbor is one of the newer groups in Anchorage, having formed in 2013 and performing a handful of times each year. Ships Without Harbor delivers a blend of alt-rock and indie pop, with Kenneth Clark on bass, Nick Vasquez on drums, Jess Barfield on vocals and keyboard and Andy Ball and Ronnie Barfield on guitar and vocals.

Bulletproof Jay — Hailing from Palmer, the members of Bulletproof Jay play a little bit of everything, including metal, rock and punk. Band members include lead guitarist and vocalist Colin Maslanka, rhythm guitarist and vocalist Warren McFarland, bassist Dylan Marshall and drummer Patrick McFarland.

Atlas — Metalcore band Atlas is another newer band in the local metal scene, forming in 2013. The five-piece features vocalist Dylan Palmer, lead guitarist Cade Midyett, rhythm guitarist Markus Ulin, bassist Taylor Rofidal and drummer Ben Wiggins.

Brothers in Arms — With origins in Palmer, Brothers in Arms has been bringing its take on alternative rock to local stages since 2012. The four-piece outfit cites influences such as Coldplay, Imagine Dragons and Switchfoot and features lead singer and guitarist Andrew Toro, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Ehlo Adkins, bassist Seth McClure and drummer Hunter Sullivan.

Transitions — Transitions hails from Wasilla and blends prog rock, death and jazz, to name a few of the group's very unique inspirations. In any case, they'll probably be the only band at Warped that features a saxophone. Transitions features Tom Baker on vocals, Dustin Gibbs on guitar, Kayla Baker on saxophone, Russell Steele on guitar and Dalton Mullinax on drums.

Olio — Hailing from Los Angeles, energetic pop trio Olio has been playing in their current iteration since 1998. Current band members include Arif Hodzic on guitar, keys, and vocals; DeHaven Carrington on drums and vocals; and Kelley Hill on bass, guitar and vocals. The band's most recent album, "Untitled," was released in 2014.

The Road to Vans Warped Tour 2016

Where: Sullivan Arena parking lot on two stages; nine bands on each stage (lineup will be announced the morning of the show)

When: 2-10 p.m. Wednesday, June 22

How much: $49 plus fees at TicketMaster

*Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Tim Waters' last name. 

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