Maryland

Oceans Calling Festival 2024, Ocean City, Maryland – Day 2 – ReadJunk.com

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1 year ago

October 4, 2024

Oceans Calling Festival 2024, Ocean City, Maryland – Day 2 – ReadJunk.com

Photo by Bryan Kremkau

Date: September 28th, 2024
Bands: The Killers, The Offspring, The Beach Boys, Rebelution, Young The Giant, The Hives, The Beaches, Switchfoot, The Samples, Katelyn Tarver, Glom

Day 2 of the Oceans Calling Festival couldn’t have been more different from the previous day. After the god-awful weather of Day 1, the sun was shining, the skies were clear, and the temperature was perfect—warm, even hot at times. It was the ideal setup for an outdoor festival. Aside from The Offspring, all the other bands were new to me, and I was especially excited to finally see The Samples live, having recently gotten into their music. Some other bands turned me into a fan by the end of the day as well.

I got to the festival grounds early, grateful it wasn’t raining again. Having soaked and ruined my New Balance shoes the night before, I was stuck in slip-on Vans for the day. Fortunately, my “old man” feet held up, mostly because the walking was on the sand. Hearing horror stories from other photographers about the chaos during and after Blink-182’s set confirmed that leaving early the previous night was the smart decision. Honestly, I probably should’ve left right after Sublime.

The day started with Glom, whose lead singer wore a heavy jacket like it was 30 degrees out—I was sweating just looking at him. Katelyn Tarver, an actress and singer-songwriter, followed. I wasn’t familiar with her before, but I enjoyed the songs I caught from her set.

I’ve been into The Samples for about two months now, though I swear I’ve seen their videos or heard their music before. Maybe I picked up one of their albums back in the ‘90s when I was getting into ska, not realizing they weren’t a ska band and returned it? Either way, it took long enough, but I’m a fan now! Their music is a mix of The Police, college rock, and some jam elements. I was hoping to hear “When It’s Raining,” but it wasn’t meant to be. They played “Did You Ever Look So Nice,” “Could It Be Another Change,” and “Waited Up.” I stayed for most of their set before heading to the Rockville stage to catch Switchfoot.

Switchfoot is a name I’ve heard, but I wasn’t too familiar with their music beyond maybe one or two songs. Their set was energetic, and lead singer Jon Foreman was all over the crowd like a shark—popping up here and there, which made it tricky but fun to photograph. After a few songs, I made my way to the Sea Bright stage, which took some time due to the growing Saturday crowd. I even ran into some people from my high school that I hadn’t seen in 27 years—pretty crazy, considering there were around 60,000 people at the festival.

Next up were The Beaches, and I’m completely hooked now. I hadn’t really listened to them before, but since the festival, I’ve been playing their music every day. This Canadian indie/pop rock band had the crowd bopping with their catchy tunes. They came out in matching shirts that said “Who is Jocelyn?”—a reference to one of their latest singles. Their stage presence was electric, with hair-whipping and infectious energy. Standout songs for me were “Blame Brett,” “Takes One To Know One,” “Shower Beer,” “Me & Me,” and my personal favorite, “Edge of the Earth.” Definitely one of the festival highlights for me.

During The Beaches’ set, I made my way back to the Hives stage, stopping by the amusement park area to snap some pics and catch the view from the pier. I’ve never seen The Hives live but had heard they were a blast to photograph—and they didn’t disappoint. Lead singer Per “Pelle” Almqvist was all over the stage, swinging his mic, climbing speakers, and kicking the bouncers’ water bottles out of the way. At one point, he made his way to the soundboard, rallying the crowd. They played their hits like “Hate To Say I Told You So,” “Walk Idiot Walk,” and “Tick Tick Boom.”

Young The Giant followed, giving photographers the rare gift of four songs to shoot, without any release restrictions—a breath of fresh air. I wasn’t familiar with their music but became a fan after seeing them live. Their set featured a huge screen with vibrant patterns and colors, and the crowd went wild when they played “Cough Syrup.” Lead singer Sameer Gadhia has incredible stage presence, and I’d definitely see them again.

I attempted to grab some food after, but the lines were too long, so I headed over to catch Rebelution. I’ve been a fan for years but hadn’t had the chance to see them live until now. Their reggae rock vibe was perfect for the festival, and the crowd loved it. I couldn’t help but dance during songs like “Count Me In” and “Sky Is The Limit,” even while trying to snap photos. Unfortunately, I had to leave halfway through their set to photograph The Beach Boys.

I’ve always been a fan of the original Beach Boys lineup, but despite their political affiliations – I was still interested in seeing Mike Love and Bruce Johnston perform. However, I’d been warned that they sing over pre-recorded tracks, which definitely messed with my head. It’s a bit disheartening, especially for a band with such a legacy. Despite that, they played crowd-pleasers like “Surfin’ Safari,” a cover of The Ramones’ “Rockaway Beach,” and “Surfin’ USA.” I also missed Dexter Holland from The Offspring joining them for “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” earlier in the set.

The Offspring was next, and while I had a photo pass for the entire set, I only ended up shooting five songs. Like other bands, they had a photo release requiring all images to be approved before posting, which was frustrating. I get that bands want control over their image, but these restrictions are annoying for photographers. It’s pretty ironic for a punk band to impose such rules, but I digress. Despite the restrictions, The Offspring delivered a fantastic set, playing hits like “Come Out and Play,” “All I Want,” and “Want You Bad.” Guitarist Noodles even threw in a medley of classics like “Iron Man,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “Blitzkrieg Bop.”

I stayed for most of their set, but after two days of the festival and dealing with moving plans, I decided to head home early. I didn’t bother with The Killers since they weren’t allowing photographers, and I’ve never been a fan anyway.

Day 3 featured bands like Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Lisa Loeb, O.A.R. & Friends, and Barenaked Ladies, but it wasn’t really my thing, so I skipped it. Overall, Oceans Calling was a great festival, despite the terrible weather on Friday. I do think scheduling the festival at the end of September, during hurricane season, might not be the best idea. That said, it’s great having such a big event just an hour away from home.

I loved the lineup, the VIP lounges, free water, air-conditioned bathrooms, and decent (if expensive) food. For future festivals, I’d suggest better access for photographers, more buses at the end of the night, and additional exits for emergencies. But all in all, it was a well-run event with an awesome lineup, and I’m already looking forward to next year!

Topics:

Glom, Katelyn Tarver, Maryland, ocean city, Oceans Calling Festival, oceans calling festival 2024, Rebelution, Switchfoot, the beach boys, The Beaches, The Hives, The Killers, The Offspring, The Samples, Young the Giant

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Maryland

Maryland, California men plead guilty in auto-repair shop drug trafficking case

Published

7 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Maryland, California men plead guilty in auto-repair shop drug trafficking case

MARYLAND (WBFF) — A Maryland man and his California accomplice both pled guilty to drug trafficking charges involving the concealment of drugs within auto parts at a repair shop, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Authorities reported that Norville Clarke, 56, of Clarksburg, Maryland, and Daniel Cruz, 39, of Los Angeles, California, were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

In 2023, an investigation targeted a drug trafficking organization that was transporting and distributing large quantities of cocaine from California to Maryland.

The investigation began after police seized a parcel containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine that was mailed from Los Angeles with an intended delivery to Clarke’s auto-repair shop in District Heights, Maryland.

ALSO READ | Gwynn Oak man sentenced to 3 years in federal prison for passport fraud, ID theft

During the investigation, Cruz was linked to the narcotics in the parcel, as well as to its source, authorities reported.

In January 2024, postal inspectors, along with other investigators, identified a freight shipment from Los Angeles intended for delivery at Clarke’s auto-repair shop, and officials said surveillance footage showed Cruz dropping off that shipment at a shipping company in California.

After that, authorities observed Cruz traveling to Maryland to track the shipment’s delivery.

Cruz and Clarke were then seen by investigators meeting at the auto-repair shop several days after the shipment occurred.

Investigators tracked the fright shipment to Dulles, Virginia, where authorities executed a search warrant and recovered two automobile transmissions inside, as well as 20 one-kilogram bricks secreted in both transmissions.

Officials reported that laboratory forensic tests confirmed that the bricks were over 16 kilograms of cocaine.

A search warrant was then also executed for Clarke’s District Heights auto-repair shop, Clarke’s Clarksburg residence, and Cruz’s hotel room in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

ALSO READ | Baltimore man sentenced to over 10 years for gun, ammunition possession as felon

At the auto repair shop, officials recovered 502.4 grams of cocaine, and then at Clarke’s residence, officers found two-kilogram bricks of cocaine and $45,730 in cash.

Furthermore, investigators later found another nine historical freight shipments that resembled the original shipment containing cocaine, which Cruz sent to Clarke’s auto repair shop.

In plea agreements, officials said both defendants agreed to have been involved in possessing around 22 kilograms of cocaine in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Both also face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum life in prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release

Cruz’s sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, at 1 p.m., and the sentencing for Clarke is scheduled for Friday, July 24, at 10 a.m.

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Maryland

‘Born to be resilient’; Maryland native living in Israel watches war unfold

Published

19 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

‘Born to be resilient’; Maryland native living in Israel watches war unfold

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — The State Department is securing military planes and charter flights for Americans to return home from the Middle East, officials announced Tuesday.

More than 9,000 people have left over the past few days, including 3,000 from Israel, according to a press release.

However, some Americans are staying put. That includes one young woman who is now living through her second war abroad.

ALSO READ | Middle East expert says uncertain future in Iran could be just as dangerous

“It’s a big decision to move across the world,” Rachel Cone said. She spoke with 7News’ Lianna Golden via Zoom from her home near Jerusalem.

The 28-year-old from Darnestown wasn’t afraid to leave the life she always knew.

“I grew up on a small farm in Montgomery County,” Cone said. “I spent my whole life there, the youngest of four kids, spent most of my life riding horses all around the DMV.”

Soon after college, she found her calling.

I decided to fulfill that dream, really live a Jewish life in the Jewish homeland.

Cone moved to Israel only six months before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. So when she heard the sirens go off on Saturday morning after the joint attack on Iran, waking up to an emergency alert on her phone, she knew what was coming next.

“It was saying like, hey, this is your warning. The attack is starting. Go make sure you’re in your safe space.”

She says the sirens sound very often.

“A lot, a lot. I don’t know how many; there’s been a lot,” Cone explained.

The DMV native said she’s learned to stay calm in chaos, even when others are afraid.

Today I had to go to the grocery store. It wasn’t like I was doing anything crazy. There’s a siren – OK, all of a sudden you have a bunch of people all together, a bunch of strangers, and yeah, some people panic. Some people are calm. Some stranger you’ve never met is telling everyone hey it’s okay, calm down… Living in Israel teaches you a lot about resilience. The people here who have grown up their whole life here, they’re just born to be resilient.

It’s a resilience she sends back home.

“When you live in a war zone, every parent is concerned, even more so when they’re not here. I’m always sending my family pictures of like, hey, I’m still going outside, like I’m still seeing the sun. I’m not locked inside, like it’s OK. Everything is OK,” Cone said.

As the conflict continues, she prays for harmony while uncertainty grows.

“We want to see people of every faith, obviously living the life that they wanna live and not succumbing to any sort of terror,” Cone said. “Let’s work towards peace, and let’s try to see that happen. This is a start for sure.”

Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, said American citizens should call 1-202-501-4444 for assistance with departure options.

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Top 25 Maryland Boys High School Basketball State Rankings – March 3, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

With a chance to make history, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the new No. 1 team in the High School on SI Maryland boys basketball Top 25 rankings.

The Cougars (30-10) will try for a second straight Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) Tournament championship Wednesday evening against Saint Frances Academy at Loyola University of Maryland. No team has won the BCL tourney and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference titles in back-to-back seasons.

The MIAA, whose membership includes most of the private and parochial schools in the Baltimore metro area, started in 1995 following the dissolution of the Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA). The MSA governed athletic competition for Baltimore public and private and parochial schools before the public schools left to join the Maryland state public athletic association (MPSSAA) in 1992.

Saint Frances, last week’s No. 1 which lost to Mount Carmel in the MIAA A final, is No. 2. DeMatha Catholic, Mount Saint Joseph and Springdale Prep round out the Top 5.

The second 5 includes Charles Herbert Flowers, Mount Zion Prep Academy, Bishop McNamara, Georgetown Prep and Archbishop Spalding. Lackey, which won the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference title last week, returns to poll at No. 21.

In addition to the BCL Tournament finale, the Maryland Private Schools State Tournament continues with the Division A semifinals Tuesday at DeMatha with Bishop McNamara taking on Springdale Prep, and DeMatha playing defending champ and No. 17 Clinton Grace Christian School.

No. 16 Takoma Academy plays Saint James School in a Division B semifinal. The state public playoffs continue with region semifinal and final competition.

Here’s this week’s High School on SI Maryland boys basketball Top 25:

Previous rank: No. 3

Record: 30-10

The Cougars defeated No. 4 Mount Saint Joseph, 59-40, in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals and Saint Mary’s in the quarterfinals (53-46) after a 69-67 overtime victory over then-No. 1 Saint Frances Academy in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference final at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Previous rank: No. 1

Record: 35-7

The Panthers defeated then-No. 13 Archbishop Spalding, 61-58, in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals and Loyola Blakefield in the quarterfinals (74-57), after a loss to then-No. 3 Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the MIAA A Conference title game.

Previous rank: No. 2

Record: 22-9

The Stags defeated then-No. 9 Glenelg Country School, 63-50, in the Maryland Private School State Tournament Division A quarterfinals.

Previous rank: No. 4

Record: 31-7

The Gaels lost then-No. 3 Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals after a 80-66 win over Calvert Hall College in the quarterfinals.

SEASON COMPLETE – BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE TOURNAMENT & MARYLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 6

Record: 26-5

The Lions defeated No. 7 Mount Zion Prep Academy, 67-63, in the Maryland Private School State Division A semifinals.

Previous rank: No. 8

Record: 21-0

The Jaguars defeated Largo, 62-57, in the Prince George’s County championship game.

Previous rank: No. 7

Record: 19-6

The Warriors lost to then-No. 6 Springdale Prep in the Maryland Private School State Division A quarterfinals

SEASON COMPLETE – MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 12

Record: 14-19

The Mustangs defeated then-No. 5 Georgetown Prep, 59-53, in the Maryland Private Schools State Division A quarterfinals and Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School in the opening round.

Previous rank: No. 5

Record: 17-9

The Little Hoyas lost to then-No. 12 Bishop McNamara in the Maryland Private School State Tournament Division A quarterfinals.

SEASON COMPLETE – INTERSTATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPION & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 13

Record: 20-14

The Cavaliers lost to then-No. 1 Saint Frances Academy in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals after a 74-53 win over then-No. 10 John Carroll School in the quarterfinals.

SEASON COMPLETE – BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE TOURNAMENT & MARYLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 9

Record: 17-10

The Dragons lost to then-No. 2 DeMatha Catholic in the quarterfinals of the Maryland Private School State Division A tournament after an 81-77 opening round win over then-No. 15 Our Lady of Good Counsel.

SEASON COMPLETE – MARYLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 14

Record: 23-1

The Mustangs defeated Severn Run, 72-49, in the Maryland Class 4A East Region I semifinals.

Previous rank: No. 16

Record: 20-3

The Bengals defeated Springbrook, 85-66, in the Maryland Class 4A North Region II semifinals after beating Walt Whitman, 67-55, in the Montgomery County championship game.

Previous rank: No. 17

Record: 20-2

The Colonels defeated Rockville, 74-61, in the Maryland Class 3A West Region II semifinals.

Previous rank: No. 19

Record: 21-3

The Knights defeated Northeast, 73-61, in the Maryland Class 3A East Region I semifinals and Edmondson-Westside, 66-58, in the Baltimore City final.

Previous rank: No. 18

Record: 26-7

The Tigers defeated Hebrew Academy, 88-33, in the Maryland Private School State Division B quarterfinals.

Previous rank: No. 24

Record: 27-18

The Eagles defeated then-No. 11 Bullis School, 56-48, in the Maryland Private School State Division A quarterfinals.

Previous rank: No. 10

Record: 22-10

The Patriots lost to then-No. 13 Archbishop Spalding in the quarterfinals of the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament.

Previous rank: No. 13

Record: 20-10

The Bulldogs lost to then-No. 24 Clinton Grace Christian School in the Maryland Private Schools State Division A quarterfinals after defeating then-No. 22 Riverdale Baptist School in the first round.

SEASON COMPLETE – INTERSTATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 15

Record: 15-14

The Falcons lost to No. 9 Glenelg Country School in the opening round of the Maryland Private School State Tournament.

WASHINGTON CATHOLIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A PARTIPICANT

Previous rank: Not ranked

Record: 20-3

The Chargers defeated Maurice J. McDonough, 61-46, in the Maryland Class 2A South Region II semifinals and then-No. 20 Great Mills, 62-59, in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) championship game.

Previous rank: No. 20

Record: 21-3

The Hornets defeated Saint Charles, 70-54, in the Maryland Class 3A South Region II semifinals, and lost to Lackey in the SMAC title game.

Previous rank: No. 21

Record: 16-14

SEASON COMPLETE – METRO PRIVATE SCHOOL CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 22

Record: 15-11

The Crusaders lost to then-No. 11 Bullis School in the opening round of the Maryland Private School State tournament.

SEASON COMPLETE – METRO PRIVATE SCHOOL CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALIST & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT

Previous rank: No. 23

Record: 21-10

The Mustangs won the Maryland Christian School Tournament championship, defeating The Heritage Academy, 65-53, in the final, and King’s Christian Academy in the semifinals (65-59).

SEASON COMPLETE – MARYLAND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL TOURNAMENT CHAMPION

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