OCEAN CITY, Md. — Rock fans heading to the inaugural Boardwalk Rock Festival next weekend are in for a surprise lineup shake-up: Rob Zombie has been added to the bill after Alice in Chains dropped out due to health concerns involving a band member.
Festival organizers announced that Rob Zombie will take the stage Saturday at 6:50 p.m. at the Ocean City Inlet, stepping in after Alice in Chains canceled all upcoming performances. The group cited drummer Sean Kinney’s health as the reason for the change.
"After careful consideration and following the advice of medical professionals, we have made the decision to cancel our upcoming festival performances and the Alice in Chains headline shows," the band said in a statement. "While we were all eager to return to the stage, Sean’s health is our top priority at this moment. Although the issue requires immediate attention, his long-term prognosis is positive."
This marks the second major lineup change for the brand-new festival. In early April, Alice in Chains had been tapped to replace Mötley Crüe, after that band pulled out citing medical concerns involving lead singer Vince Neil.
Despite the lineup changes, anticipation for Boardwalk Rock remains high. Other headlining acts include Def Leppard, Nickelback and Shinedown. The three-day festival is being staged by the producers of Oceans Calling and Country Calling, both of which have brought tens of thousands to the Ocean City beachfront.
Oceans Calling drew a crowd of 50,000 in 2024, with rock acts like Cage the Elephant, Third Eye Blind, and Counting Crows performing. Now entering its fourth year, Oceans Calling has already built a reputation for delivering big-name talent, while Country Calling is newer, heading into its second year.
Boardwalk Rock aims to carry that momentum into its debut, even with the last-minute performer swaps.