Sand, Sounds and Rock and Roll: Ocean City’s Boardwalk Rock Day 1 delivers

by Dave Parsons

The streets surrounding Ocean City’s Inlet Beach saw lines of people going on for blocks in the morning hours of Friday, May 17, 2025.  Ocean City is accustomed to scenes like this in the fall for music festivals the inaugural Boardwalk Rock festival, complete with inclusions of a stacked array of foods in the festival as well as the boardwalk fare, a sweet carnival at your will, and modern titans of rock holding court on three sandy stages, it was as if the rock God’s had finally answered the prayers of each decade’s rebellious souls.

This first go round was not without glitches. Originally, Mötley Crüe was set to headline Friday night, but fate had other ideas as Vince Neil’s medical complications led to their cancellation, followed by Alice in Chains stepping up to fill their boots. But as fate would have it, they too had to bow out due to drummer Sean Kinney’s sudden health concerns. That left the festival scrambling until Rob Zombie swept in, resurrecting the lineup on the headline end, and the festival’s heart never missed a beat.

The setting itself was pure rock-and-roll Americana. As the crowd made it’s way through security and onto the beach to stake their spot at the barricades of one of the three massive stages, the anticipation and energy continued to swell. For those there to take in the festival on the whole, there were vendors lined up with everything from smoked turkey legs and bacon-on-a-stick to custom leather bracelets and vintage band tees. 

Legendary boardwalk staples, usually closed for a few more weekends, sprang to life for this weekend, and suddenly, the boardwalk was filled with thousands of people.  The beach itself was calm under the blue, if sometimes hidden, skies and, for those about to rock, they didn’t have to wait long.

Royale Lynn started the day at 12:30 on the Bolt Stage. She brought a different texture—country grit wrapped in arena ambition. Singing songs that walked the line between heartache and hope, she offered a grounded set that reminded festivalgoers of rock’s Southern roots.  Her stage banter was warm and down-to-earth, and she expressed gratitude, which went over well with the early revelers, who didn’t want to miss a minute of the event.  She was a great balance of all things to come to kick off the day.

Kicking off the festival on the Thunder Stage at 1:15 p.m., Kat Von D emerged in goth-glam mystique. Known to many as a tattoo artist and makeup mogul, her voice was haunting, as was her flowing black outfit.  She brought a moody atmosphere to her set, with a synth-driven gothic pop, which actually worked better than it had any right to, given the settings. 

By the time she finished, Kat had won over the skeptics.  The crowd was a strange mix of age and dynamics that early in the day, and they all seemed to be mesmerized. This was not just a warm-up set, but an invitation into the eclectic mix of every corner of rock and roll that would become the overview of the Boardwalk Rock Festival.

Puddle of Mudd reclaimed their roots in the alt-rock world.  Confessing the oddity of the early hour for their usual show, Wes Scantlin, ever the grunge cowboy, led the charge on the Bolt Stage. She Hates Me became an anthem for a generation of rockers turned parents, many of whom were there early, with their kids.  For a rock festival, there were quite a few groups of generational fans enjoying it together.

Blurry hit hard, the ache emphasized by the endless horizon of sea and sky to the right. Puddle of Mudd’s sound was once written off as post-grunge filler.  On this day, it felt loved and appreciated in this setting. They weren’t trying to be cool; they were being real, and the crowd responded in kind.

Nuno Bettencourt’s fingers danced on his guitar strings as Extreme took over the Lightning Stage in the afternoon sun. Get the Funk Out and Decadence Dance raised the energy level, but it was More Than Words that brought the nostalgia to the crowd. Couples slow danced, some probably remembering the first time they danced to that song, and for a moment, the world seemed to slow down. 

Gary Cherone’s vocals were as clean and cutting as ever, and the walk back in rock’s catalog shifted the energy again, and their blend of funk, glam, and acoustic vulnerability was a perfect match.

Wolfgang Van Halen made it clear that Mammoth WVH isn’t riding legacy coattails. His playing was dead on, and his vocals matched. Songs like Don’t Back Down and Another Celebration at the End of the World pounded across the sand, bringing high energy to the surf.

He was humble and focused, writing his own chapter with sweat, determination, and distortion. He earned the attention he was given as the crowd was getting larger and more and more folks looked for space to set up for the evening ahead.  For those that caught his act, Mammoth WVH felt like a glimpse into rock’s future.

Art Alexakis and Everclear took the Lightning Stage as the sun began to relent on the beach and head west. A perfect setting for songs like Santa Monica, which played like a sacred hymn of the 90s. The audience responded as each memory played.

Everclear’s brand of emotionally honest rock fit the scene like a glove. Art’s voice, slightly weathered by time, only added gravity to lyrics about loss, redemption, and longing. The set felt less like a performance and more a shared memory.

Gavin Rossdale remains a magnetic presence. Opening with Everything Zen, Bush turned the Bolt Stage into a grunge pit.  Rossdale’s rich and wounded voice, conjured the same ache that made the 90’s matter. He made a run into the crowd on the third song and turned the beach into his altar, fans reaching out like crazy just for a touch.

Bush’s set brought on the impromptu mosh pit, and as fans bounced along the outstretched arms of strangers, all standing in the soft Maryland sand, Bush didn’t just play their hits; the band the crowd relived them in real time.

Rob Zombie’s set was gothic pageantry.  Even on short notice, he brought all of the stage props that have made his shows legendary. Demon Speeding ignited the crowd into a frenzy, as the hard-pounding rock festival vibes arrived with reckless abandon

There was blood…and metal…..and monsters.  The one thing Rob Zombie understands is spectacle and connection, and he didn’t disappoint.  Zombie didn’t just fill in, he owned the stage and went way beyond expectations.

At 8:05 p.m., Lzzy Hale strutted onto the Bolt Stage like a woman who meant business. Opening with Fallen Star, her guitar playing was prime, and her band was right up there with her.  Including bangers like Love Bites (So Do I), I Am the Fire, and Everest, Halestorm owned the night.

Lzzy’s power isn’t just in her pipes—it’s in her presence, her swagger, her unapologetic ferocity. Hers was the set that made girls want to start bands and grown men bang their heads like teenagers again. It was the kind of performance you recall decades from now.

And Ocean City? She truly is the perfect hostess: beautiful, welcoming, and in the case of those returning to the boardwalk after the last note…..ready to do it all again tomorrow.

(Due to overlapping stage schedules and/or artists’ preference, in regard to this coverage of the festival, it is acknowledged that Def Leppard, Flyleaf, Chevelle, and the Struts also appeared on Day One of Boardwalk Rock 2025).