Monday, January 20 and day two of ShipRocked started out with sea day brunch with our favorite carnival banana cream pie. The tasty bite was just what we needed to kick start our day as we sat and watched the ocean, enjoyed some performances, and got to hear from dozens of musical artists.
The Music Experience is back again this year, a lounge-like area filled with guitars, amps, basses, keyboards, and drums where guests can jam out and attend meet and greets with musicians. This amazing opportunity for guests to mingle with their idols adds to the excitement of the music festival at sea and gives a once in a lifetime experience.
Inside the Music Experience on Monday morning, British guitarist Sophie Lloyd met with fans. Sophie has been on tour with Machine Gun Kelly on the Mainstream Sellout Tour as their main guitarist. She did an exclusive interview for the guests, talking about her history, how she started out learning guitar, and how she got to where she is now. Her debut solo album Imposter Syndrome was released in 2023.
Lloyd elaborated on her collab with Lzzy Hale, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of hard rock band Halestorm, on “Imposter Syndrome.” Lzzy wrote the lyrics based on a conversation they had together. The song explores the idea of putting on a happy face for the world to see.
At Noon in the theater, a game of Family Feud happened between rap rock group Hollywood Undead and the Australian metalcore band Parkway Drive. After some funny moments and putting their heads together, Hollywood Undead came away victorious.
Nashville, Tennessee natives Goodbye June delivered an epic rock n’ roll set on the deck as they returned for their third time on ShipRocked. The band is composed of cousins Landon Milbourn on lead vocals, Brandon Qualkenbush on guitar and bass, and Tyler Baker on lead guitar. The band played their southern rock hits including: “Angel,” “Daisy,” and “Oh No” to kick off the day time deck performances.
The Plush meet and greet took place in the afternoon in the Music Experience with a huge line of fans wrapping through the ship to meet the ladies. The group of women in their early twenties are up and coming artists whose talents surpasses their age. Guests had a blast chatting with the women and snapping some photos together.
After the Plush Meet and Greet we headed straight over to the Aft Lounge for the ShipRocked Loyalty Party. The gathering was for all guests who surpassed their 10th year of sailing. These dedicated ShipRockers were treated to appetizers and cocktails while enjoying acoustic performances by Diamanté and P.O.D.
Canadian band The Glorious Sons took over the deck at 5:15 p.m. playing their chart topping hit “S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun).” Since their career began in 2011, members Brett Emmons, Jay Emmons, Adam Paquette, Josh Hewson, Peter Van Helvoort, and Steve Kirstein have released two EP’s and four full-length albums. This is the band’s second time attending ShipRocked.
10 Years took over the theater onboard. They played “Fix Me”, top-five Billboard single “Novocaine” and ended with their hits “The Optimist” and crowd favorite “Wasteland.” The Knoxville, Tennessee based band is composed of lead vocalist Jesse Hasek, lead guitarist Brian Vodinh, rhythm guitarist Matt Wantland, bassist Chad Grennor, and new drummer Brian Medeiros.
The Ghost Inside kicked off the night on the deck stage with their brand of heavy metal for their debut ShipRocked appearance. The California natives brought the house down to a packed crowd with their hits like “Wash It Away” and “Dear Youth.” Vocalist and founding band member Jonathan Vigil killed it on vocals, accompanied by talented guitarists Zach Johnson and Chris Davis, bassist Jim Riley and drummer Andrew Tkaczyk.
Over in the theater, comedy show lovers were able to check out Big Jay Oakerson for some raunchy entertainment options. It was a great time with plenty of hilarious audience interactions during the comedy set. Oakerson’s comedy special Dog Belly is streaming now on Youtube and can be found traveling around the U.S. on tour. Mike Finoia and Tim Butterly were the opening acts and had the crowd properly warmed up for Oakerson’s return to the ShipRocked stage.
The big closers for day one were Parkway Drive who opened with the energetic “Glitch” as fans bathed in the glow of the colored stage lights and headbanged. As the set went on, the band played favorites like “Soul Bleach” and “Vice Grip.” Parkway Drive delivered one of the most epic sets in ShipRocked history with lead vocalist Winston McCall running into the crowd feeling the energy of the fans and having the time of his life.
Catch another update here from ShipRocked out at sea on day three as the epic performances continue!