Boardwalk Rock Festival: Day 2

OCS
2 hours ago
3 min read

The second day of the first-ever Boardwalk Rock Festival in Ocean City, MD was nothing short of spectacular. Produced by the same team that brings us Oceans Calling in September and Country Calling in October, this new addition to the resort town’s event calendar proved to be an instant classic. With 55,000 tickets completely sold-out, the beach was packed with rock fans from all over.

Beyond the music, the festival made a significant economic impact on the town. Local hotels were booked solid, restaurants saw long lines and booming sales, and shops along the Boardwalk reported one of their busiest weekends of the year. An event of this scale right before the official summer season provides a powerful boost to Ocean City's economy and supports countless small businesses that rely on high-volume weekends to thrive. Thanks to beautiful weather and flawless coordination by the Town of Ocean City and the festival organizers, transportation and logistics were handled smoothly despite the massive turnout.

Musically, the day kicked off strong at 12:30 PM with Tim Montana, who brought raw, high-energy rock to open the stage and get the early crowd engaged. At 1:15 PM, fans were treated to simultaneous sets from Saliva and Black Stone Cherry, both of which fueled the growing excitement with their hard-hitting, Southern-influenced rock.

At 2:00 PM, Lit amped up the nostalgia with a set packed full of 90s and 2000s alt-rock hits. Shortly after, Fuel and Crossfade delivered back-to-back crowd-pleasers with powerful vocals and gritty guitar work from 2:45 to 3:45 PM, keeping the energy high throughout the afternoon.

Dorothy followed with a soulful and commanding performance from 3:45 to 4:30 PM. Her set stood out with powerhouse vocals and a magnetic stage presence that captured both longtime fans and new listeners.

By 5:00 PM, the festival was in full swing with Candlebox and Night Ranger performing simultaneously. Both bands brought decades of hits to life with a rawness and polish that showcased why they're still relevant rock icons.

One of the day’s major highlights came at 5:45 PM when Alice Cooper took the stage. With his signature shock rock theatrics and legendary presence, Cooper gave a performance that was both nostalgic and theatrical—made even more inclusive thanks to ASL interpretation for fans in attendance.

At 6:45 PM, Bret Michaels hit the stage with a set that turned into an unforgettable moment for Boardwalk Rock history. During his performance of “Sweet Home Alabama,” Michaels invited members of Lit , Fuel , Five Finger Death Punch, Crossfade, Saliva and Night Ranger to join him on stage, creating an epic sing-along that united the crowd. To top it off, he brought out local guitarist Gavin Hades and Gavin Evick , lead singer of the Gavin Evick Band from nearby Manassas, VA, during “Nothin’ But A Good Time.” It was a heartwarming moment of local pride that lit up social media and won the hearts of fans.

Shinedown took over at 6:45 PM with a powerful set that had the entire beach on their feet, followed by Three Days Grace from 8:15 to 9:30 PM, who kept the intensity soaring into the night.

The grand finale came with Nickelback , who played a 90-minute headlining set from 9:30 to 11:00 PM, delivering hit after hit to a roaring crowd and bringing an electrifying close to the weekend.

The inaugural Boardwalk Rock Festival brought an electric start to the summer season and proved that Ocean City is fast becoming a major player on the national live music scene.