On a brisk fall weekend straddling the tip of September and starting of October, 40,000 followers descended upon the favored seashore city of Ocean Metropolis, Md., to catch the final vestiges of summer season and revel in a lineup of pop and rock acts from throughout latest a long time. The inaugural Oceans Calling Pageant was set to launch final yr, nevertheless it was washed out by Hurricane Ian. Undaunted, the occasion promoters elected to attempt once more in 2023.

Headliners for Oceans Calling included Alanis Morisette, Third Eye Blind, Gin Blossoms, Sheryl Crow and the Wallflowers—acts who owned the radio airwaves within the mid-’90s, years earlier than the invention of the iPod, when a three-disc CD participant was thought-about high-tech. Becoming a member of them on the invoice have been artists well-liked through the early aughts, similar to Incubus, Jack Johnson and Jimmy Eat World. Not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority of attendees hailed from the boomer, Gen X and elder millennial generations. Many followers had their total households in tow—grandparents and infants included. As a consequence of each the climate and the gang composition, this was not your typical competition with hordes of scantily clad females and burnt-faced school children.

Within the previous months, accommodations and Airbnbs on the island booked out for miles, and bike leases flew off the rack. Whereas the climate this weekend was not conducive to popping up an umbrella and laying out on the seashore, the crowds felt summer-like within the seaside city. On a misty Friday afternoon, festival-goers roamed concerning the Ocean Metropolis boardwalk, noshing funnel cake, becoming a member of up with buddies and biding their time till the performances obtained underway. 

As Oceans Calling kicked off, attendees streamed into the competition and swarmed the three levels that have been perched on the sand, adjoining to the boardwalk. The competition grounds additionally encompassed the Jolly Roger Amusement Park, recreation kiosks, ice-cream retailers and pizza joints on the precise boardwalk. It didn’t have the open, ethereal really feel of a typical competition arrange in a park or a subject, nevertheless it actually supplied extra leisure and meals choices for the multi-generational household teams in attendance.

Late afternoon, bands like Barely Stoopid and Third Eye Blind warmed up the gang earlier than Alanis Morisette took the stage. The long-lasting singer/songwriter, who was ubiquitous after releasing hit album Jagged Little Capsule in 1995, preceded her set with a compilation of movies from the time frame when the highlight on her was brightest: her cameo in Kevin Smith’s film Dogma, appearances on late-night exhibits, SNL spoofs of her songs. However her 90-minute efficiency demonstrated why she was such a compelling rock star within the first place. Morisette bounded forwards and backwards throughout the Sea Shiny Stage, belting out songs similar to “Hand In My Pocket” and “Head Over Ft” because the viewers sang alongside to each phrase. Her distinct vocals have been on show as she delivered the scalding “You Oughta Know” and the melodic “Ironic” and jammed out along with her guitar and harmonica on “All I Actually Need.” Whereas she won’t be within the public eye as often throughout as we speak’s age of Instagram influencers and Spotify, she clearly retains her star energy among the many throngs of nostalgic followers who grew up along with her music.

The second day of Oceans Calling introduced one other gloomy forecast, the environment viscous with precipitation and humidity. As followers emerged onto the boardwalk that morning and grabbed espresso and pancakes at native breakfast institutions, everybody hoped for the clouds to half in time for the top-billed acts. Mom Nature didn’t cooperate, pelting the crowds with annoyingly persistent droplets all through a lot of the day, intensifying right into a downpour by the point Sheryl Crow took the stage in late afternoon. This drove many festival-goers into the arcades and shops on the boardwalk and packed folks cheek-to-jowl below Oceans Calling’s single tented stage, the place Matt & Kim have been performing. Regardless of this, followers saved up their spirits, decided to look at their beloved artists play. 

Shaped in Tempe, Ariz., practically 4 a long time in the past, Gin Blossoms shot to the highest of the charts in 1992 with “Hey Jealousy” and stayed there with subsequent hits off New Depressing Expertise and follow-up Congratulations I’m Sorry. Their catchy pop-rock melodies have been ever-present throughout my drives to and from college and soccer follow within the early Nineteen Nineties. After breaking apart in 1997, they reunited just a few years later and proceed to tour and make music collectively. On Saturday afternoon, Robin Wilson and the gang performed a vigorous set, with choices similar to “Observe You Down” and “Discovered Out About You.” Anybody who listened to FM radio through the top of Gin Blossoms’ reputation might sing alongside to each phrase. Wilson was free and interactive, throwing in tidbits like, “I wrote this music once I was unhappy, however after we bought 4 million information, that unhappiness went away”—in all probability for the advantage of the Gen Z-ers who didn’t know who the Gin Blossoms have been. 

From the mid-Nineteen Nineties to the early 2000s, the primary few albums and ensuing excursions by Boston’s Dispatch constructed a cult following for these college-radio darlings with a singular type of reggae, funk, folks and ska. Whereas they broke up and reunited a number of instances as their particular person members pursued solo careers, they put out a number of studio and reside albums lately and graced the stage of Oceans Calling on Saturday afternoon, the place they delighted followers with songs like “Open Up” and “Two Cash.”

Two of the teams whose total album collections I owned within the early 2000s (I used to be a frequent buyer of FYE on the mall) and whom I noticed carry out a number of instances in highschool (sporting tube socks, Vans and Manic Panic blue hair) performed back-to-back on Saturday evening. Whereas each units of band members have been sprouting some grey, they have been nonetheless as energetic as I keep in mind.

Jimmy Eat World rose with the recognition of emo and punk within the early 2000s after the band had established its melodic, emotional pop-rock sound with Readability and Bleed American. Whereas Jim Adkins and Co. constantly launched music and toured within the intervening years, their most loyal followers have been indoctrinated throughout that preliminary period. As I parked myself below the Carousel Stage tent for an hour awaiting their set, I met die-hard Jimmy fan Heather, sporting darkish eyeliner and a Vans Warped Tour 2004 hat, who understood what it was prefer to have Jimmy Eat World because the soundtrack of her high-school years. Once they emerged onstage, they didn’t disappoint. They performed hits like “Sweetness” and “Ache” and reached again into their discography with songs similar to “Blister” and “For Me This Is Heaven.” Once they drifted into “Hear You Me,” they projected starry lights onto the ceiling, and their mournful lyrics elicited various tears. The band ended its set with “Bleed American” and “The Center,” throwing the gang right into a moshing frenzy.

Headed by the abs of frontman Brandon Boyd, Incubus has been using an undulating wave of recognition since its inception greater than 30 years in the past. Incubus peaked within the early aughts when “Drive” pulled the band into the mainstream by way of radio and MTV play and landed Boyd within the pages of youth magazines. Incubus maintained largely regular success after that however fell off the radar lately. The band returned to touring this yr, therefore its Oceans Calling look. Incubus’ sound has advanced from a extra intense, steel type in its early years to rap/rock (S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and Make Your self) to anthemic rock ballads (Morning View and A Crow Left Of The Homicide…). All of these iterations have been on show when the fivesome carried out on the Rockville Stage because the rain and clouds lastly dissipated. Heavy guitar riffs and hovering vocals traveled throughout a sea of individuals as Incubus belted out “Good To Know You” and “Pardon Me,” then mellowed out with hit music “Dig.” Intergalactic visuals swirled within the background, thrilling the quite a few marijuana people who smoke within the crowd. Incubus ended its set with “Drive” as Boyd and guitarist Mike Ensinger sat on the sting of the stage to serenade the viewers.  

On the ultimate day of Oceans Calling, the solar rose for the primary time in about 14 weeks, to everybody’s aid. Youngsters have been taking part in within the sand, surfers have been catching waves, older {couples} have been getting their 10,000 steps in on the boardwalk, and all was proper on this planet.

Once they arrived on the scene a decade and a half in the past, Fitz And The Tantrums crammed a necessity for well-dressed retro energy pop, with songs like “Moneygrabber” evoking the ’80s vibes of Corridor & Oates and Rick Astley. Since, their sound has morphed into jingly empowerment ballads like “Let Your self Free” and “I Simply Wanna Shine” and motivational football-stadium staples like “Handclap.” On Sunday afternoon, the band—headed by vocalists Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs—carried out a high-energy set, interacting with the viewers earlier than, throughout and after every music. They appealed to the gang with call-and-response and inspired their followers to “increase your palms” and “shake that moneymaker.”

Weezer helped shut out Oceans Calling late Sunday as night enveloped the competition grounds and the lights of the boardwalk and amusement park lit up the evening sky. Taking part in below their trademark “flying W” brand, Rivers Cuomo and his bandmates served up a collection of hits from throughout their 30-year existence, together with the summery “Island In The Solar” and fan favorites just like the angsty “Say It Ain’t So” and “Hash Pipe.”

Contemplating final yr’s Oceans Calling Pageant was actually worn out, just about something would’ve been an enchancment for the 2023 iteration. Whereas the climate was not best on the outset, Sunday was stunning sufficient to make it an fulfilling weekend. As festival-goers sang and danced, ate and drank, frolicked with their households and performed video games, you might envision what the Oceans Calling organizers have been initially going for. If the sky, sea and music gods cooperate, there will probably be an Oceans Calling 2024. 

—Maureen Coulter