Review/Photos: Johnnie “Crow” Vrana
The inaugural Boardwalk Rock music festival filled the popular boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland on May 17 & 18, 2025. It was a beautiful beach weekend and the sold out event did not disappoint.
This festival setup was unique, in that it was placed directly on the beach, with all of the usual shops, restaurants, bars, games and rides contained within the event area. The main stage was on the north side of the beach, with a massive VIP section close to the shops, and the general area was massive. The spaces further from the stage were filled with towels and blankets, and many creative fans dug seating into the sand, which let them recline and watch the numerous video screens.
The other two stages were on the complete opposite side of the Jolly Roger At The Pier. It was a good 15-20 minute walk between stages, much of it on the sand, which made it seem like a mile. The south side had its own main stage, and the third stage gave fans options if they did not want to make the trek to the main stage.
Sunday’s show was another spectacular combination of powerful rock acts from the past six decades. The 70’s and 80’s were well represented by Alice Cooper, Bret Michaels of Poison and Night Ranger. The gritty 90’s sounds were provided by Candlebox, Lit, Saliva and Fuel. 2000’s mega stars closed things out, featuring Nickelback, Shinedown and Three Days Grace. Black Stone Cherry, Dorothy and Tim Montana brought their contemporary sounds, proving that rock and roll is alive and thriving in 2025.
Day 2 of Boardwalk Rock felt a lot like a family reunion for the long time fans in attendance. Adam Gontier is back with Three Days Grace, performing alongside his replacement Matt Walst. They traded vocals throughout the outstanding set, with both also playing guitar at times. Their new single “Mayday” sounded fantastic, and everyone is looking forward to the upcoming album.
Guitar virtuoso Nita Strauss is back with Alice Cooper, after taking time off to release a solo album and tour.
Crossfade returned to the stage after 14 years away, and they were incredible.
Candlebox surprised many as original guitarist Peter Klett has rejoined the band after a decade away. This hopefully will spark the band to continue recording and touring, as they had announced in 2023 that they would be finished with both. They are still going strong and sounding as great as ever.
While Saliva no longer has any original members, they still delivered an early powerhouse show, opening the main stage. The crowd was intense, screaming along and crowd surfing the early afternoon away. Their bass player, Brad Stewart, was the original bass player in Shinedown. When Shinedown played that same stage as the sun was setting, they thrilled their long time fans by inviting Brad out to play bass on their first hit single “Fly From The Inside”. It was a magical moment, and all members of the band could be seen enjoying it together.
Other notable performances were turned in by Black Stone Cherry, who never disappoints with their boundless energy and huge catalog of bangers, Lit who always threaten you with a good time, and Bret Michaels of Poison who remains the consummate professional entertainer. Dorothy continues to grow as a songwriter and performer, and her voice is outstanding.
Three Doors Down was scheduled to play this event, but recently had to cancel all touring due to lead vocalist Brad Arnold’s battle with cancer. Most of the artists performing have been friends with Brad going back to 2000, and several made emotional speeches in support. Shinedown played “Kryptonite” as a lead in to “Simple Man”. Candlebox delivered a powerful rendition of “It’s Not My Time”. Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace led the crowd in a stunning version of “Away From The Sun”. Everyone was feeling and sharing the love, and hopefully Brad can recover and return to the stage where he has helped so many people navigate this life.
For all information, see https://boardwalkrockfest.com
