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.
Saturday kicked things off with Royale Lynn on one stage, followed by Kat Von D on the other. Both new acts were entertaining, and gave those who showed up early something to get their day started. There were massive lines queued up early, and despite having several entrances, it did take quite a while to get everyone through security and into the event.
This festival offered quality entertainment for rock fans of all ages. Host Eddie Trunk pointed this out, as he introduced the legendary Extreme on the third stage. Nuno Bettencourt is one of the greatest guitar players of all time, an outstanding singer, and apparently a talented comedian. He proved that by constantly joking with the fans. After they played “Hole Hearted”, he complemented the crowd on their singing and offered to start a band together. He mentioned that they would lose their houses, as there would not be enough money to go around, and they would quickly break up, but could reunite and play a reunion show at Boardwalk Rock 2026.
Saturday’s lineup represented all of the decades, featuring Trapt, Everclear, Puddle of Mudd, Extreme, The Struts, Mammoth WVH starring Wolfgang Van Halen, Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm, Chevelle, and Bush. Puddle of Mudd was outstanding. Vocalist / guitarist Wes Scantlin was in great shape and mood, and delivered hit after classic hit with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. This show brought joy to the crowd, which clearly enjoyed screaming along on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Bush took things to another level with their set. Singer / guitarist Gavin Rossdale got up close and personal, jumping into the pit and visiting everyone he could. Mammoth WVH also surprised a lot of people who may not be as familiar with their music. Wolfgang Van Halen is a great singer and lead guitarist, and continues to crank out great songs.
Rob Zombie was a late replacement for Alice In Chains on the main stage, who was a replacement for Motley Crue. Zombie played at sunset, and brought all of his creatures and video screens. He always keeps the fans entertained and moving and is a festival favorite.
Halestorm closed out the south main stage, putting on perhaps the greatest show of their incredible career. They are about to release new music, and headed to Europe to open for Iron Maiden and the final Black Sabbath show in England. They played a very heavy collection of songs, from throughout their career. Lzzy Hale was singing and screaming with a passion and precision rarely seen. This band continues to ascend and grow with every cycle.
Def Leppard closed out the night with a barrage of songs you know and love. They don’t try to sound like their slickly produced records, they just play the songs and let the fans dance and sing along. It was a perfect bookend to a day of music new and old, and an incredible way to kick off a new festival. Fans were already planning to return next year and they hadn’t even gotten to Day 2 yet.
For all information, see https://boardwalkrockfest.com
