Hosted by C3 Presents, the two-day music festival brings 29 artists from the rock, metal, and alternative scene to Ocean City, Maryland. Headliners include Def Leppard and Alice in Chains on Saturday, May 17, and Nickelback and Shinedown closing out Sunday, May 18.
This music festival comes from the minds behind Oceans Calling and Country Calling — two C3-produced music festivals that took the town of Ocean City by storm on back-to-back weekends in the fall of 2024.
On top of a hard-hitting soundtrack, Boardwalk Rock doubles the fun with a classic pier experience. Local vendors and boardwalk businesses will provide good eats, while Jolly Roger Amusement Park will be open and accessible from within festival grounds.
Full Access Detroit is getting ready for it all—the riffs, the rides, and the riptides. In Michigander fashion, we’re especially excited to see the Great Lakes Region represented with these Boardwalk Rock artists. Whether you’re headed to the boardwalk or just on the lookout for some local sounds, be sure to add them to your rotation and check back at Full Access Detroit for full coverage of the fest!
Alice Cooper
Starting with a fellow Michigander, Alice Cooper was born in East Detroit before later moving to Phoenix, Arizona. His early band days involved playing spaces like Eastown Theatre, a movie-theater-turned-music-venue, and in a 2022 MLive interview, he called Detroit the “Hard Rock Capital Of The United States.” Full Access Detroit last caught the godfather of shock rock at Pine Knob for the Freaks on Parade tour last August. Alice Cooper plays the Bolt Stage at Boardwalk Rock on Sunday, May 18.
Bret Michaels
Three things to know about Bret Michaels: He was born in Butler, Pennsylvania; he dubs himself a die-hard Steelers fan; and he’s a glam metal icon. Michaels has been on the road for his Parti-Gras tour, performing Poison hits and bringing his renowned energy onstage. He takes the Lightning Stage at Boardwalk Rock on Sunday, May 18.
Chevelle
Formed by brothers lead vocalist-guitarist Pete Loeffler and drummer Sam Loeffler, Chevelle’s stomping grounds are in Grayslake, Illinois. The band is known for its hard rock sound, featuring elements of nu-metal and alternative metal. Catch them at the Thunder Stage on Saturday, May 17.
Fuel
Fuel formed in the 1990s out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and took the post-grunge scene by storm with hits like “Shimmer” and “Bad Day.” The band’s current lineup consists of founding members Carl Bell and Kevin Miller, as well as Aaron Scott, Mark Klotz, and Tommy Nat. They play Sunday, May 18, on the Thunder Stage before heading out to other shows across the States.
Halestorm
Halestorm has its roots in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, playing local bars and mall venues before eventually taking off in the hard rock scene. Now Central Pennsylvania Hall of Famers, the quartet has just announced its sixth studio album, Everest, as well as a global tour. Before that, they play the Bolt Stage at Boardwalk Rock on Saturday, May 17.
Royale Lynn
From a town called Aylmer in Ontario, Canada, just north of the Michigan border, Royale Lynn moved to Nashville to kick off her music career. She has a distinct sound that blends together hard rock and country and is due to release her first album, Black Magic, this June. Lynn plays the Bolt Stage on Saturday, May 17
Three Days Grace
Originally known as Groundswell from Norwood, Ontario, Three Days Grace is now renowned for their alt-rock sound and hits like “Pain,” “(I Hate) Everything About You,” “Animal I Have Become,” and many more. The band recently made some viral noise by changing their album art to stick figure illustrations, possibly hinting at a new release. They also announced a co-headlining tour with Breaking Benjamin to begin later this year. Until then, catch Three Days Grace play the Bolt Stage at Boardwalk Rock on Sunday, May 18.
Pre-festival writeup by Chloe Catajan
Tickets are still available here : https://www.boardwalkrockfest.com/tickets
https://www.boardwalkrockfest.com
https://www.facebook.com/boardwalkrockfest
https://www.facebook.com/fullaccessdetroit
https://www.fullaccessmagazine.com
