Photos and review by Amanda Daubert – With the sound of carnival rides and arcade games in the background, and the smell of delicious boardwalk treats and ocean breeze in the air, festival goers made their way back to the beach for one more day of musical performances to close out Oceans Calling.
Welcoming the crowd, along with the gorgeous weather and beautiful sunshine, was rising star, Patrick Martin. With an energy, stage presence, and delightful sound, you couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off the festivities. Next up was New Jersey’s own Joe P. A homegrown star, writing, recording and producing material from his basement, Joe P. watched his social media videos draw millions of views gaining him quick notoriety and the attention of some influential names in the music industry. We had the chance to catch up with Joe to find out how he prepares for an event like Oceans Calling, Joe shared “No matter what the size of the show is, I’m always trying to keep the relationship between the audience and I very intimate. I don’t want them to feel like they’re so far away from me and my sound. I want people to lean in closer no matter what. With a bigger stage, I might do bigger movements and I’ll overdo how quiet and loud parts are. I kind of just exaggerate what I’d do playing a show at a bar.” We also wanted to know who Joe was most excited to see perform, to which he said “I think I’m most excited to see Weezer. We’re only going to be there that day, or else I’d also say John Mayer, Jimmy Eat World and Alanis Morissette. If we were there that day, Alanis Morissette would be #1.”
Next to take the stage was another New Jersey native, the soulful pedal steel guitar maestro, Robert Randolph. From playing for the parishioners of the House of God Church to the fans of NFL Thursday Night Football, Randolph continues to showcase his bluesy roots rock sound paired with his exceptional musicianship and passionate stage performance. Randolph’s set felt like The Church of Funk with Sunday Mass being held in the sand. From a religious experience, to a full liberation, fans made their way to witness the beautiful sounds of ALO, AKA, Animal Liberation Orchestra, a name that originated from the way music liberates the inner animal in us. And ALO’s set did just that, helping everyone feel liberated, releasing their inner animal in the sand under the sunshine.
Ready in the wings, after waiting more than a year to finally take the stage at Oceans Calling, was Philly’s own G. Love & Special Sauce. For almost 30 years G. Love & Special Sauce have been playing their enjoyable and unique blend of blues, hip hop, rock and soul. G. Love was scheduled to perform last year for the inaugural Oceans Calling Festival, which was canceled due to hurricane Ian, however in true rock star fashion G. Love and Chuck Treece played an unforgettable show along the boardwalk at The Purple Moose, an iconic Ocean City bar and music venue. Ready this year to truly take the stage they deserve, we caught up with G. Love to ask how he has prepared, again, for the festival, “We have a saying called festival rules, which basically means it’s time to bring your a game and don’t hold back any punches, leave it all on stage and pull out all the stops. We always want to give our best performance at a festival because it’s just a wonderful opportunity to play for our hard-core fans and people that have never got a chance to see us as well as playing in front of our peers so all in all the shows are very important to us, and we put a lot of time and energy into preparing for them so that we can go out there and have an awesome time making people happy and bring the party and inspiration.” G. Love did just that, bringing a full house party onto the beach with some of his biggest hits along with some fun covers that had the whole crowd singing including “Gin and Juice” and “Just a Friend.” With so much energy and excitement surrounding the festival we also wanted to know what’s next for the band, to which he shared “G. Love and Special Sauce are getting ready to celebrate our 30 year anniversary in 2024 and so we’re looking forward to [the] release of our debut album on vinyl and doing a worldwide tour to commemorate 30 years since the release of our first record.” A true milestone deserving of a monumental celebration.
Ready for more, fans turned their attention to the LA based indie-pop band, Fitz and the Tantrums. With fun and funky sing-along hits like “Out of My League,” “HandClap” and “The Walker,” the audience was singing and dancing as one, truly feeling the festival vibes. Continuing with the good vibes fans made their way over to the main stage to groove along with the reggae rock band, Dirty Heads. Originating in Orange County, California, when two high school kids started collaborating, sharing their love for reggae and ska culture, mixing in a little punk and hip hop, and embracing the teasing nickname Dirty Heads, this incredible band began. Their set was filled with energy that was equally matched by the enthralled crowd.
Up next was a standout set for the festival, billed as O.A.R. & Friends. The set featured your festival partners O.A.R. alongside DMC, Michael and Noelle of Fitz and the Tantrums, G. Love, Robert Randolph, and Virginia Coalition. The artists on-stage may have had just as much fun as the crowd as they sang along with covers like “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Ring of Fire” and “Fight for Your Right.” DMC also brought down the house with a collaboration of his hits “It’s Tricky” and “Walk This Way.” It’s moments like these that make festivals so memorable.
As the sun set and night began, it was fitting for things to really heat up with the unmatched talents and energy of Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. With the full bodied sound, layered vocals, powerful guitar, captivating horns and soulful organ, this beautiful blend of gospel rock and blues was a sight to behold. Fans sang along with hits like “I Need Never Get Old,” “Look It Here,” and the high energy “SOB.” The set also featured a beautiful cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.”
Ready to rewind back to the early 90’s, playing the songs that used to get stuck in your head all day, fans were treated to a throwback set from LA rock band, Weezer. With karaoke staples like “Beverly Hills,” “Undone – The Sweater Song” and “ Say it Ain’t So” plus this smash cover of Toto’s “Africa,” Weezer fan or not, you couldn’t help but to sing-along.
After three full days of incredible performances it was time for the final act of the festival, the beautifully talented alternative-folk supergroup, The Lumineers. Since their debut smash-hit “Ho Hey” hit the radio waves almost 12 years ago, The Lumineers have been working tirelessly to earn their place in the industry. With their exceptional songwriting, stunning vocals, and magical live performances, fans were truly treated to something special. Fans were treated to hit’s like “Ho Hey,” “Angela” and “Gloria.” There was also a surprise return appearance by Nathanial Rateliff, joining the band to cover Tom Petty’s “Walls.” It was an incredible performance, with a bright moon overhead, and the roll of the tide as a subtle background vocalist, you simply couldn’t have written a better ending.With one last swell of applause fans cheered not just for the last act, but the incredible festival and all of the unforgettable performances. It was an amazing three days filled with memories that will last a lifetime. Until next year Oceans Calling!
