Oceans Calling 2024: Day One

Oceans Calling kicked off its second year with 50,000 fans gathered on Ocean City’s notorious boardwalk, ready to dive into a nostalgia-packed lineup of ’90s and 2000s hits. From the sandy stages to the nostalgic pull of the Jolly Roger amusement rides included within the walls of the festival, Friday delivered on its promise of sun-soaked memories—even though rainclouds loomed over the crowd determined to enjoy every last drop of summer.

The festival featured three stages nestled between the waves and the iconic boardwalk.

Fans roamed between sets with a bucket of vinegar soaked Thrasher’s fries in hand, testing their luck at Whac-A-Mole before heading back for an afternoon of live music.

The lineup leaned heavily into Gen X and millennial favorites, with acts like Sugar Ray, The Darkness, and Lisa Loeb who gave a heartfelt acoustic performance that set the perfect nostalgic tone for the day.

As the early sets wrapped up and more families joined, the energy stayed high. Mini music fans rode the shoulder’s of loved ones while sporting noise-canceling headphones, leaving a trail of goldfish to be enjoyed by resident seagulls as their parents, blissfully unaware of the parade behind them as they raced to the next set, eager to relive their teenage memories. The vibe was pure fun—until the evening clouds grew darker, making last year’s shower feel like a nice spray from the sea.

First to take on the weather was 311, the reggae-rock mainstay who pulled fans into a singalong of hits from their 30-year catalog. The rain only fueled their energy as frontman Nick Hexum, undeterred by the weather, took the crowd through classics like “Come Original” and “Down.” Fans either threw on ponchos or, in true festival style, left them in the dust and let the rain set the scene. True to form, 311 teased a few new tracks from their upcoming album, Full Bloom, giving everyone a little taste of what’s next.

As the night got wetter, Cage the Elephant took over at the Sea Bright Stage. Despite a broken foot, frontman Matt Schultz poured everything into their set, commanding the stage with his signature raw energy as fans shouted along to “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” and “Ready to Let Go.” Even with limited movement, Schultz showed exactly why Cage the Elephant’s live shows are must-sees, lifting spirits as the rain came down harder.

But the headlining attraction was yet to come. Blink-182 had drawn in die-hard fans from near and far, all set to relive the pop-punk glory days with Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker, and Tom DeLonge. Unfortunately, as the band’s set time approached, so did the heaviest rain of the night. Photographers, huddling under tents at the back of the crowd terrified of the water damaged alert popping up on our camera screens and anxiously watching as stagehands scrambled to protect the equipment unsure whether or not to test the limits. Fans were left soaked and increasingly restless, and as the wait stretched on with no updates, tension grew in the air.

Finally, at around 10:20 p.m., blink-182 emerged, sparking a massive cheer from the beachside crowd. Yet, in true blink-182 fashion, Mark, Tom, and Travis gave it everything they had, squeezing eleven songs into 40 minutes with the kind of grit that kept the majority of fans rocking in the downpour.

Determined to make the night worthwhile, blink embraced the elements, rallying their soaked fans with punk-rock resilience.

They ended the set by polling the crowd for the final song. It was unanimous– “Dammit” (with a splash of Taylor Swift‘s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”) won out over “All the Same Things.” For fans who’d waited years to see this trio live, their effort to keep the show going felt like a triumph, even if the rain did its best to play spoiler.

By the end of the night, some festival-goers chose to swim home, squelching through puddles, while others stayed to soak up the last few notes, graciously thinning the crowd for a bit. Day One of Oceans Calling brought the rock, rain, and resilience needed to brave the weather. Weekend warriors climbed into bed with hope that Day Two might bring along some sunshine because we already knew the rest of the day’s experiences would be unforgettable.

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