Explore Experience: Oceans Calling 2024

By Theresa Aronne

The ocean was calling and the bands, and the crowd, certainly answered. Explore OC was at the festival all 3 days to capture the experience from the fan’s perspective, and got the chance to hear from some of the artists themselves! With this festival only in its second year, you can see the tradition forming and getting better with age and experience. 

Day 1 - Friday

Friday started with our new friends, Stolen Gin on the Sea Bright stage. The weather looked bleak but at the beginning of the day, patrons were able to stay dry enough with only a few sprinkles here and there. Phillip Phillips brought the sunshine with his engaging set and nostalgic song Home, remarking how lovely it was to play by the ocean. 

O.A.R. echoed similar sentiments about being near their hometown of Rockville, MD again. As always, the 5-member band had a blast on stage and is always fun to watch. Plus, guitarist Richard On showed his Maryland pride with a Maryland flag guitar strap. O.A.R. ended their set with That Was A Crazy Game of Poker and the crowd enjoyed the tradition of sending poker cards flying! 

Cage The Elephant lead singer Matt Schulz didn’t let a broken foot stop him from rocking out on stage. The performance was one of the most anticipated that day for fans with a large crowd gearing up for Sublime and Blink-182. Meanwhile, The Revivalists had a party over at the Carousel Stage as lead singer David Shaw—in true rockstar fashion—ended up shirtless and on the pit barricade.

By now, the rain is coming down—and not stopping anytime soon. It was apparent that many attendees tapped out at that point, or took cover in Boardwalk bars and restaurants, but thousands of brave souls stuck it out until the end! Wind, sand, and downpours didn’t stop Sublime on the Rockville Stage, but it did delay Blink-182 who came on stage almost an hour after originally scheduled.

Day 2 - Saturday

Now that was a beautiful day for a music festival on the beach! The sun heard our prayers and there wasn’t a drop of rain. Katelyn Tarver was one of the first acts of the day, warming up the Rockville Stage and engaging with the audience that was thrilled to be in the sun and enjoying live music. 

After Tarver, Switchfoot took the stage and it’s safe to say that the four band members might be in the running for who had the most fun at the festival. Besides their own set, they joined The Beach Boys on stage, went for a quick surf, and stayed to watch The Killers perform.

Ocean City definitely brought the heat for The Beaches on Sea Bright Stage who are used to different weather conditions during their fall season in Canada. Like Switchfoot band members, the four girls spent the rest of their Saturday sitting on the beach and dancing to the other acts on the Oceans Calling lineup.

Oceans Calling was honored as Young The Giant’s last show of the year. You would never know they were due for a good rest with the energy and heart they put into every song they played. Lead singer Sameer Gadhia was vulnerable with the audience expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to have music as a creative outlet—and was very happy to be playing by the ocean.

The Beach Boys were like no other. The legendary boy band still performs with original member, Mike Love. Dexter, lead singer of The Offspring joined the group on stage. The electricity The Beach Boys brought to the crowd was like no other. Every person you passed by was dancing and singing along to classics like Good Vibrations, Barbara Ann, Komoko, and more. 

Now to the headliner of the night: The Killers. The crowd was packed with 50,000 friends anxiously waiting for their favorite songs. The Killers put on a one-of-a-kind rock n roll performance where lead singer Brandon Flowers makes his impressive vocal range and never-ended energy look easy. When it came time for their last song, the band began playing the opening notes… and the crowd erupted into the first verse of Mr. Brightside. Brandon Flowers took a step back and let the crowd’s singing fill the festival until the band fell back into the song. Truly an incredible show. 

Day 3 - Sunday

Sunday’s lineup had a beautiful day to play on the beach. Jade Bird’s fall tour included an opportunity to warm up the Sea Bright stage for the day. Following her performance was Guster, whose guitarist Adam also appeared during the O.A.R. & Friends set. 

Barenaked Ladies had quite the turnout, playing their classic and nostalgic music for the crowds. Meanwhile, at the Carousel stage, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong returned to the state of Maryland and received an incredibly warm welcome home. 

And then the long-awaited O.A.R. & Friends set. Let’s just say—you really had to be there. With friends like Junior Marvin, Lisa Loeb, Twisted Sister, members from Barenaked Ladies, Dave Matthews Band, and more, the general consensus is… how will they possibly top it next year?! The 6:45 PM sets catered to all audiences with alternative band Mt. Joy and iconic trio Boyz II Men. Both acts are from Philadelphia which resonated with the many attendees from Pennslyvania. 

To end the weekend, Counting Crows played fan favorites, leading the way for Dave Matthews Band to close out Oceans Calling 2024 with their classic hits!

Check out our full Oceans Calling photo gallery below and learn more about some of the talented artists who performed with Explore OC interviews!

Photos by Hannah Jones