Date: September 27th, 2025
Bands: Collective Soul, Franz Ferdinand, Natasha Bedingfield, Mat Kearney, Bumpin’ Uglies, Rachel Ana Dobken
(Not seen: Noah Kahan, Vampire Weekend, Good Charlotte, O.A.R. and Friends, Modest Mouse)
Last year I only went to two days of Oceans Calling, but this year was more like two and a half. I had every intention of staying for all three, but the weather had other plans. Everyone knew Saturday was going to be the rough day of the festival, and it definitely was.
I arrived early again and had plenty of time to rest in the VIP Platinum Lounge and even close my eyes for a few minutes before doors opened at noon. I saw the hardworking crew cleaning up the area as best they could and even squeezing in some fun stretching exercises. Over at the Sea Bright stage, raindrops started to fall just before Rachel Ana Dobken kicked things off. Right then I knew it was going to be one of those days where I probably wouldn’t last the whole festival. Rachel, who’s from Asbury Park, brought some of that Boss-inspired rock energy to Ocean City.
Walking over to the Rockville stage, the chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio were with the Madden twins from Good Charlotte and of course Jason Biggs. A fan came up to me and was holding out a poster of Jason’s character in American Pie humping the pie. I took a picture of him of course and soon enough, that poster from the crowd caught the attention of Jason who was bent over laughing. Jason was cracking jokes and saying that was actually from last night. He called him creepy after that. He drew some laughs that’s for sure. The next day, Jason mentioned the guy got kicked out of the festival but I’m not sure if he was joking or not.
After Rachel came Maryland’s reggae rock/ska/punk band Bumpin’ Uglies, who just released an excellent new album featuring their latest single I-95. I’ve seen Brandon play solo at Rehoboth Ale House, but this was my first time catching the full band. With horns and special guests like Andy Hall of Grilled Lincolns freestyling, it was a blast. Brandon seemed thrilled to be performing in a place where he grew up vacationing as a kid. As they played I-95, I headed over to catch Mat Kearney.
On the way, I noticed a couple pushing a double stroller through the sand in the rain. Double stroller, on the beach, in a storm… bless them. I honestly don’t know how or why they did it. I saw a lot of babies and kids at the festival, some without headphones. I get it, kids don’t like wearing them (mine didn’t either at that age), but maybe a loud, rainy music festival isn’t the best spot for toddlers?
Mat Kearney had some tech issues that delayed his set about 5-10 minutes, but once things got going he opened with the catchy Anywhere With You, followed by Lifeline and the reggae-leaning Easy. He spotted some Oregon fans in the crowd and then surprised me by covering Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. Later he played Ships in the Night, Hey Mama, and wrapped up with Nothing Left to Lose, the song that first got me into his music. Normally he’s a bit more energetic live, but I think the tech hiccups threw him off. Still, I’d love to see him again headlining so he can stretch out the set.
Next up was Natasha Bedingfield. Honestly, I didn’t know much about her except that she had a song in the Sydney Sweeney movie Anyone But You. Still, her stage was packed despite the downpour. I only caught one song and grabbed some photos before ducking out. I’d had enough of the rain. I grabbed a smashburger (in the pouring rain, of course). It still tasted great, though there wasn’t a single dry spot to eat it. Everyone was huddling under the condiment stand, but it didn’t help much.
By the time Franz Ferdinand came on, the rain was relentless. My camera lenses were wet, giving my photos a hazy, dream-like quality…not exactly the look I’m going for. Alex thanked the crowd for “bringing Scottish weather to Ocean City,” which got a laugh. I saw Franz once back in 2009 and they were excellent then, and they were excellent again. They opened with Dark of the Matinée, followed by No You Girls, and later played Night or Day, one of my newer favorites. The crowd went wild for Do You Want To and Walk Away, and they closed with This Fire. Rain or not, people were dancing and having a blast.
Finally, Collective Soul was set to play. My fellow photographers and I were checking the radar, and things didn’t look good. Worse weather was on the way. The wind picked up, and I wasn’t sure some of the later sets would even happen. Collective Soul ended up being my last band of the day, but they were fantastic. I’ve gotten into their music more over the years, so hearing songs like Heavy, Shine, and The World I Know live was a treat. After that, I made a beeline for the shuttle bus, along with dozens of other drenched festival-goers. Everyone looked defeated, like we’d just lost a war.
Turns out, my “rain jacket” wasn’t much of one, since my shirt underneath was soaked through. I drove an hour home with the heat blasting, worried I was going to come down with pneumonia or hypothermia. Thankfully, Day 3 looked much brighter, and I was ready to dry off and recharge with family before heading back.