More Than Words: Extreme Delivers the funk to Boardwalk Rock in Ocean City

by Dave Parsons

Boardwalk Rock is no ordinary festival, as it bleeds character. Stages set up on either end of the inlet, with a third stage facing the ocean, it mixes Ferris wheels and French fries with rock and roll from 5 decades. Close to 50,000 souls filled the grounds over the weekend, and the one constant was bands that promised incredible live performances.

Somewhere in the opening day schedule, among the huge legendary names to come later in the evening, was a band that resided in the back of our minds, brought to the forefront every time the oldie radio station played one of their hits.

Extreme came on the scene in 1985 in Boston, bringing a blend of funk, metal, and glam, and setting themselves apart from the cookie-cutter hair bands that filled that time zone. They had huge albums like Extreme and Pornograffitti and hits like Get the Funk Out and More Than Words.  Though they disbanded in 1996, they had left a footprint of furious riffing and heartfelt lyrics. They took a 17-year hiatus, coming back in 2007, and combining a mix of nostalgia and forward direction.  They released Six in 2024 and kept the ball rolling.

So the questions remained as Extreme took the stage in the mid-afternoon of May 17, as a very large crowd chose them over the band playing on the opposite end of the boardwalk.  Extreme took the stage and immediately Nuno Bettencourt, the legendary guitarist, launched into the opener, (It’s a Monster).  Wearing jeans and a tank showcasing a tattoo sleeve, his fingers never stopped.

Meanwhile, vocalist Gary Cherone worked the microphone stand like a conductor’s baton. On Decadence Dance, he worked the stage with punk swagger. He locked eyes with crowd members, some of whom first locked eyes with him in the 1980s.  His command, both visual and vocal, made even new songs feel like greatest hits.

Rounding out this lineup is bass man Pat Badger, who was the calmest one in the band, offering solid bass runs in place of flashy flourishes. Behind the drum kit, Kevin Figueiredo played with intent and precise energy. On Hole Hearted, he laid back and filled in between delicate pick work, and on Play with Me, his fills were furious. Though he never tried to upstage their sound, there was a mid-set, stripped-down solo. It was a class in veteran restraint and showmanship.

Extreme shifted into Hole Hearted. Nuno’s guitar twined with Cherone’s voice, producing the confession: On a path meant for no way, on a road to let me stay, had the audience singing along softly, thousands of voices, creating a lullaby.

Then came More Than Words.  Rossdale embraced the lyric, “More than words is all you have to do to make it real,” and the mass gathered sang as one. Despite the sun directly above their head, some folks would not be denied their phone light moment and did it anyway. Others closed their eyes, clutching each other in an embrace that transported them back to the first time they danced to this song, moving them back to the 1980s, and it was literally more than words could describe.

Heading for the finish line in their allotted time, Get the Funk Out brought those out of the ballad into a full funk breakout.  The band collectively laughed at the sudden change and atmosphere shift.  They shifted again for the set closer, Rise, leaving no doubt that they are still a force to be reckoned with.

They also seemed to establish a basis for what Boardwalk Rock as a festival was aiming to do.  To mesh bands from different decades, even different centuries!, and have the bands craft moments, and not just playing sets. Extreme gave the Boardwalk Rock crowd plenty of moments to lock away and take with them.

Extreme Setlist Boardwalk Rock, Ocean City, MD

1. (It’s a Monster)
2. Decadence Dance
3. #REBEL
4. Kid Ego
5. We Will Rock You / Play With Me
6. Am I Ever Gonna Change
7. Guitar Solo
8. Hole Hearted
9. More Than Words
10. Get the Funk Out
11. Rise