The main stage at the Vans Warped Tour does not ease you in.
One minute there’s just a huge stage with a couple of people on it, waiting. The next, the barricades open, and a wall of people pours forward — ten thousand of them streaming toward the front.
If you’re standing on that stage and staring at the horizon, you can’t see the end of the crowd.
“And in that moment, your brain doesn’t really think with words,” said Jimmy Kildea, vocalist and guitarist of Walking Blue, reflecting on being the opening act of the festival on its 30th anniversary. “It just thinks with emotions.”
But how did they get to that point?
It started on the night of Sept. 18, 2022.
The members of what would become Walking Blue were gathered at their usual spot — a gazebo behind the Rollins Museum of Art, overlooking Lake Virginia — when something suddenly lit up the sky, burning bright before fading into the atmosphere.
At the time, they had no idea what they were seeing.
“We kinda thought we were going to die,” Kildea said, laughing. “And then it just disappeared.”
Later, they discovered the glowing streak had been the launch of SpaceX’s BlueWalker 3 satellite. The relief was immediate — and so was the inspiration. “We felt very lucky to be alive,” Kildea said. That shared moment of wonder solidified something between them. They named themselves Walking Blue and by August 2023, they played their first show.
Flower Rock and Pajama Pants
Walking Blue calls their sound “flower rock,” a self-assigned term that captures the band’s mix of punk energy and upbeat spirit.
“We’re young and we like to have fun,” Kildea explained. “It’s punk music, but it’s danceable. No scary music.” Moshing and crowd surfing are staples of their performances, but there’s also an earnest, playful energy that keeps the atmosphere light.
The four-piece group — Kildea on guitar and vocals, Sean Ling on bass, James Thome on drums, and Lucca Coluccielo on guitar — built their following the “old-fashioned” way: by showing up in the local scene and earning it.
Within a year of their first show, they started to notice a change.
“We started having shows where it was completely packed, and people were singing the lyrics,” Kildea said. “People were coming because they genuinely liked us— and then they started buying merch, then, we started making money. And that’s when I was like, ‘Hey, look at what we’re doing.’”
The Warped Tour Dream
The band decided to enter the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands, a national competition that gives unsigned artists a chance to perform on the Warped Tour main stage.
For Kildea, this was a personal goal. “It is a legendary festival,” he said. “I went to the last one when I was 13, my sister took me. It’s a core memory for me, and for my music.” He paused. “Just being there, watching those guys play, thinking: I wish I could do that someday.”
And that wish came true.
Walking Blue won the competition and was announced as the opening act for the Orlando stop of the Warped Tour’s 30th anniversary.
The Rollins Factor
Kildea mentioned how the school’s culture gave room for him and the band to grow.
With two members attending Rollins, one living locally, and another studying at UCF, flexibility is essential. But the culture around music at Rollins has been encouraging.
Growing up in New Jersey, Kildea often heard a familiar warning: “Music is cool, but what are you going to do for work?”
At Rollins, the conversation felt different.
“Once I got here, it was like, ‘Okay, cool — so how are you going to make music work?’’ he said. “It’s a different mentality entirely. They’ve given me a lot of flexibility. I’m very grateful.”
What Comes Next
The band is currently finishing their sophomore LP and plans to tour over the summer after graduation — their first real push beyond Florida. New dates are coming.
For students hoping to follow a similar path, Kildea’s advice is simple.
“Just get yourself into the scene,” he said. “Go to local shows. Watch the bands you like. Approach people, talk to them, express interest. Meet people organically and build connections.”
It’s the same advice he would’ve given himself at 15, when he first started writing songs.
It’s also exactly what he did.
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