close
close

Yiamastaverna

Trusted News & Timely Insights

What the fans loved at OMCD Fest
Washington

What the fans loved at OMCD Fest

Day 1 of Oceans Calling 2024 was a wet but exhilarating success, with hot sets from Phillip Phillips, OAR and more setting the stage for headliners Blink-182.

And of course, Ocean City’s massive music festival, which draws fans from all over the world, is just getting started.

On day two, 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 site can be found online here.

Follow Delmarva Now here throughout Saturday for live updates from Day 1.

Review of Day 1 of Oceans Calling: Oceans Calling 2024 delights a large crowd on the first rainy day in Ocean City. What the fans loved

The Carousel stage was packed tonight for popular alternative rock band Grouplove. Michelle Cross and Kevin Lerch, natives of North Baltimore, stood among the growing crowd.

Cross and Lerch are both fans of Grouplove, and when asked which song the couple most wanted to hear, Cross answered immediately.

“I definitely want to dance to Tongue Tied,” she said.

Both held feast foods in their hands; Jam fries for Cross and a piece of peach pizza for Lerch. The two agreed that the meal at Oceans Calling was a great success.

Cross and Lerch are enjoying every second of the music festival so far.

“The people are really nice. I met really good people who are here for the right reasons,” Cross said.

“It was a good atmosphere,” added Lerch.

Even the absence of Blink-182 can’t ruin the Oceans Calling fun for this group

Tonight, Delmarva Now caught up with three familiar faces from day one of the Oceans Calling Festival: Sean Loomis, Amanda Loomis and Nicole Achenne. The trio reflected on their experiences so far.

“Oh the t-shirt, the sad little t-shirt,” Amanda said with a laugh, referring to the Blink-182 t-shirt she wore on Friday. She was most looking forward to Blink-182’s performance.

Then the rain came.

“We persevered until we just couldn’t take it anymore. We were soaked,” she said of the unexpected downpour that rocked Oceans Calling attendees Friday night. “The rain dripped down our faces. He came towards us from the side.”

As the trio waited out the storm, Amanda and Nicole sang popular Blink-182 lyrics to each other to stay in good spirits: “Watching, waiting, empathizing.”

The two recalled the memory with laughter and smiles.

Eventually the rain became too heavy, so the three locals decided to call it a day before Blink-182 made their long-awaited appearance on stage. As Amanda, Nicole and Sean began the long walk to their car, they heard the rest of the crowd erupt in cheers.

Even though the group didn’t get to see Blink-182 as planned, Friday was still a great day.

“But the rest of the day was fine,” Amanda shared. “The rain didn’t bother us. But some people were upset about the weather.”

It’s best not to get angry, the trio said, and if you decide to go to a festival, you have to be fully involved, no matter what happens.

And Sean said, “We were all there.”

The 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, will operate a booth near the Rockville stage on all three days of the music festival.

“The more people love the ocean, the more people will protect it,” said Surfrider Foundation volunteer Christina Luke. “We want to connect with as many people as possible.”

According to the foundation’s official website, “Volunteering for the Oceans Calling Music Festival gives you the opportunity to represent Surfrider and reduce the festival’s impact on our beach and ocean by helping with local sustainability efforts.”

There were numerous volunteers on the festival grounds today. In the hands of festival-goers you could see countless bright green bags filled to the brim with recyclable cans.

A woman from Leesburg, Virginia, said her main goal is to help keep the festival grounds — beach, boardwalk and all — clean. The free T-shirts given to volunteers after they fill a bag are also a pretty big incentive, she admitted.

Her son said it’s a kind of competition where all the volunteers rush around trying to get their hands on empty cans first.

So as you sit back and relax on the beach this weekend or listen to some catchy tunes, be sure to thank the next volunteer you pass. They are part of the effort to keep our oceans clean.

The sun is shining, seagulls are screaming and the waves are crashing on the second day of Oceans Calling. All in all, it’s a picture-perfect day on the East Coast.

Craig and Terry Schulz from West Virginia love live music, big 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 amazing,” Terry said of the weather.

Terry grabbed a slushie to cool off while she and Craig wandered around the festival grounds, which were quite familiar to them.

“We came here for the first time and five minutes after we arrived it was canceled,” Craig said of what was supposed to be the first Oceans Calling Festival in 2022.

However, he and his wife returned in 2023 and spent all three days rocking out on the coast.

“We go to a lot of festivals,” he shared, adding that the two were just in town for Bikefest in Ocean City this month.

Now they are back again.

Call of the Oceans Guide: Ultimate Guide to Oceans Calling Festival 2024: Gigs, Traffic, Weather Forecast

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *