Day 1 of Oceans Calling 2024 was a wet but rousing success, with hot sets from Phillip Phillips, O.A.R. and more setting the stage for headliners Blink-182.
And of course, things are just getting started for Ocean City's huge music festival that draws fans from all around.
For Day 2, the doors opened at noon and fans headed to Oceans Calling's three stages to see fan favorites like the Beach Boys, headliners the Offspring and many more.
A map of the festival grounds can be found online here .
Follow along with Delmarva Now all day Saturday here for live updates of day 1.
Oceans Calling day 1 recap: Oceans Calling 2024 thrills large crowd on rainy Day 1 in Ocean City. What the fans loved
The Carousel stage was packed tonight for popular alternative rock band Grouplove. Michelle Cross and Kevin Lerch, hailing from North of Baltimore, stood amongst the growing crowd.
Cross and Lerch are both fans of Grouplove, and when asked what song the pair was hoping to hear the most, Cross's response was immediate.
"I want to dance to Tongue Tied for sure," she said.
Both held festival fare in their hands; jam fries for Cross, and a slice of peach pizza for Lerch. The food at Oceans Calling, the pair agreed, is a big hit.
Cross and Lerch are loving every second of the music festival so far.
"The people are really nice. I've met really good people who are here for the right reasons," Cross said.
"It's been a good vibe," Lerch added.
Even missing Blink-182 can't ruin Oceans Calling fun for this group
Earlier this evening, Delmarva Now ran into three familiar faces from Day 1 of Oceans Calling Festival: Sean Loomis, Amanda Loomis and Nicole Achenne. The trio reflected on their experience thus far.
"Oh the shirt, the sad little shirt," Amanda said with a laugh in reference to the Blink-182 shirt she wore on Friday. She had been looking forward to seeing Blink-182's performance the most.
Then came the rain.
"We held on 'til we just couldn't anymore. We were drenched," she said of the untimely downpour that rocked Oceans Calling attendees Friday night. "Rain was dripping down our faces. It was coming at us sideways."
As the trio waited out the storm, Amanda and Nicole sang popular Blink-182 lyrics to one another in attempt to remain in good spirits: "Watching, waiting, commiserating."
The two recalled the memory with laughter and smiles.
Ultimately, the rain became too much, so the three locals decided to call it a night before Blink-182 made their long-awaited appearance onstage. Then, as Amanda, Nicole and Sean began the long trek to their car, they heard what was left of the crowd erupt into cheers.
Although the group didn't get to see Blink-182 as planned, Friday still was, they said, a great day.
"But the rest of the day was fine," Amanda shared. "We didn't mind the rain. But some people were angry about the weather."
It's best not to get angry, said the trio, and if you decide to go to a festival, you have to be all in no matter what happens.
And, Sean said, "We were all in."
Oceans Calling Festival is about more than just music. It's also about education.
The Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots campaign promoting recycling and clean living, operates a stand near the Rockville stage throughout all three days of the music festival.
"The more people who love the ocean, the more people are going to protect it," Surfrider Foundation volunteer Christina Luke said. "We want to get in touch with as many people as we can."
According to the foundation's official website, "Volunteering for the Oceans Calling Music Festival gives you the chance to help represent Surfrider and reduce the festival's impact on our beach and ocean by helping with sustainability efforts on-site."
Volunteers were aplenty across festival grounds today. Countless bright green bags filled to the brim with recyclable cans could be spotted in the hands of festivalgoers.
One Leesburg, Virginia, woman said her primary goal is to help keep the festival grounds - beach, Boardwalk and all - clean. The free t-shirt volunteers are handed after they've filled a bag is a pretty great incentive too, she admitted.
Her son said it's kind of a competition of sorts, with all of the volunteers rushing around in an attempt to get their hands on empty cans first.
So, as you kick back and relax on the beach this weekend, or jam out to some catchy tunes, be sure to say thanks to the next volunteer you pass; they're a part of the effort to keep our oceans clean.
The sun is shining, seagulls are squawking, and waves are crashing on Day 2 of Oceans Calling. All in all, it's a picture perfect day on the Eastern Shore.
Craig and Terry Schulz of West Virginia love live music, love large crowds and - you guessed it - are head over heels in love with Oceans Calling. Festivals are great, the couple said, because you get to hear music from a diverse group of artists.
"Today, I want to see The Killers, The Beach Boys and The Offspring. But I'm open to all music, all genres," Craig said.
"It's absolutely gorgeous," Terry said of the weather.
Terry got herself a slushie to cool down as she and Craig perused the festival grounds, which they are quite familiar with.
"We came down here for the first one and, within five minutes of getting here, they cancelled it," Craig said of what was supposed to be the inaugural Oceans Calling Festival in 2022.
He and his wife returned in 2023, though, and spent all 3 days rocking out on the Shore.
"We go to a lot of festivals," he shared, before adding that the pair was just in town this month for Ocean City's Bikefest.
Now, they're back again.
Guide to Oceans Calling: Ultimate guide to 2024 Oceans Calling Festival: performances, traffic, weather forecast
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Oceans Calling 2024: The fun continues on Day 2 as sunny day draws fans from all around
Local News
Comments / 0