While winter maintains its chilly grip on most of the country, dreaming of this summer's Warped Tour should warm the cockles of any skate punk's heart. And with Warped veterans such as Bad Religion, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and NOFX returning to the eight-year-old festival, this year's trek is shaping up to be quite a homecoming.

Those bands, along with New Found Glory, Lagwagon, MxPx, Good Charlotte, Flogging Molly, No Use for a Name, Reel Big Fish, Ozma, Hot Water Music and the two bands favored to be this year's breakout acts, Alkaline Trio and Something Corporate, will participate in the summer outing, according to a tour spokesperson. Additional artists are expected to be added to the bill.

Warped '02 is scheduled to begin June 21, most likely in Boise, Idaho, the spokesperson said. The tour's expected 47 shows will wrap up August 18 in the parking lot of the Pontiac Silverdome at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Multiple stages have become a Warped staple — most years see five — and one of this year's will be something of a private affair. Indie label Drive-Thru Records, home to New Found Glory and Something Corporate, will implement their own stage — the first time a Warped stage has ever been devoted to a single label — to showcase their pop punk roster. While NFG and Something Corporate will stick to the "official" Warped stage, such bands as Home Grown, Allister, the Movielife, Finch, the Starting Line and Rx Bandits will grace the Drive-Thru stage.