Coverage by Sully Smith
Day 1
On Thursday, May 9th, the biggest rock fest in North America kicked off at Daytona International Speedway with Welcome to Rockville. Under a record-breaking heat, thousands of fans converged from all over the world to see legendary performances from up-and-coming talents and global superstars alike. This festival is in its fourth year at its current location, inside the infield of the speedway, and has become a truly iconic kickoff to summer in its time.
The first band seen for the day was Christian rock band Flyleaf. Reunited with founding lead singer Lacey Sturm, this band has been a must-see nostalgic set after coming back from their breakup. Blasting through hits like “Fully Alive” which Lacey dedicated to “the people who know they cheated death” and covers like “Something I Could Never Have” by Nine Inch Nails, the band set the stage for later acts as they proved age is just a number. Closing with “All Around Me”, you could feel a definitive presence in the crowd as it was a spiritual moment for the thousands of attendees.
My next band after Flyleaf was another Christian titan, Skillet. Opening with “Feel Invincible”, frontman John Cooper’s infinite energy set the mood from the get go and turned the infield into a giant party. While playing a mix of new songs and classics, the band gave plenty of shoutouts and calls for unity, peace, and love, which for these guys are truly important at their core. Before “Rise”, Cooper called out “tonight we say no to depression, tonight we say no to fear”, uplifting the crowd and empowering those in attendance to forget about the outside world for a bit. Before closing with “Monster”, Cooper got the first huge mosh pits of the day to form, marking the true start of the fest.
After Skillet was the first old school legend of the day, Anthrax. This was a truly unique opportunity to see the band given that original bassist Dan Lilker was doing a one-off performance filling in for Frank Bello for the first time in forty years. With the history of this moment, the band was able to dig back into their catalog and play a lot of songs from their first several albums that had not seen the light of day in decades. The crowd fully understood this and came to play accordingly as mosh pits formed immediately and kept going the entire show. With a reminder from singer Joey Belladonna that “we’re Anthrax and we’re here to kick your ass”, the band upped the intensity as the set went along, leading to Belladonna going into the crowd for the band’s “war dance” as they closed with a riotous performance of “Indians”.
Following Anthrax across the speedway at the other main stage was Mudvayne. While the group has been reunited slightly longer than Flyleaf and Anthrax, it was still yet another opportunity to see a band that had formerly been broken up for years. Rocking a new haircut and face paint, singer Chad Gray blew the roof off the joint with a wild rendition of “Dull Boy” that drew the attention of anyone within earshot. While Chad is known for being quite the character, a shortened set time for the festival prompted him to mention “we don’t have a lot of time to talk today so you don’t get my award winning personality”. Thanking fans for showing up in the blistering heat, workers blasted the crowd with water hoses to cool them down, with one centered on the mosh pit to encourage more people to jump in and keep the circle going. This set featured a few songs the band had not done since their reformation like “Severed”, as well as fan favorites like “Death Blooms” that saw the crowd singing the intro for. Before leaving, Chad once again thanked the thousands in attendance by saying “first of four days, but if I know anything about you crazy Floridians it’s that you’ll be here at the finish line” before closing with the band’s two biggest hits, “Happy” and “Dig”.
After a slight break in the action, it was finally time for the immortal Judas Priest to make their long-awaited return to the Rockville stage. Only the second time in the band’s history playing the fest, and the first in Daytona, this was arguably the biggest draw of the day with several earlier bands shouting them out during their sets. As a giant lit chalice lifted from the stage to the rafters, the show kicked off with a bang as the legendary group entered with one of their new songs, “Panic Attack”, before launching off with “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” with rapturous fans screaming every word. Despite trying to simultaneously promote their latest album with a few new songs, the band also left plenty of time for huge hits and fan favorites that took attendees on a trip back in time. Closing with an iconic rendition of “Painkiller”, singer Rob Halford treated fans to one of the most memorable parts of every Priest show, riding his motorcycle on stage before screaming all the high notes and leaving fans wondering how he could still sing as well as he could.
Closing out the Octane Drift stage for the night was Disturbed. Shockingly on the 30th anniversary of the formation of the band, these Chicago-based titans mixed in some songs off their latest effort “Divisive” while also playing longtime fan favorites like “Stupify” and “The Game” that the tens of thousands of attendees had come to see. Battling through technical difficulties from the mixing board, the group made sure to bring extra energy and it was noticeable that they were truly on fire, having fun with every note. Knowing the veteran nature of the crowd, the band played several covers of older songs such as “Sound of Silence”, a staple of their current live shows, and “Land of Confusion”. However, the highlight of the set was when the one and only Anne Wilson of Heart showed up to duet on the band’s new song, “Don’t Tell Me”, which she originally provided vocals for. As the band brought their set to a close in the only way they could, with “Down with the Sickness”, the crowd showed up in a big way one last time with huge circle pits firing up in front of the stage.
Finally, at 10:30, it was time for the night’s headliners to make their debut Rockville appearance, the legendary Motley Crue. Despite showing up slightly late, a riotous performance of “Primal Scream” enthralled the 40,000 plus people who had patiently waited through the heat for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see these four guys at a music fest. While much has been made about singer Vince Neil’s vocals and physique in recent years, the blonde rocker put all rumors to rest with a slimmer appearance and live vocals that were better than expected for ninety minutes. Given the full length set, the group was able to play several rarities, with unique performances of the old fan favorite “On With The Show” as well as a medley of covers that acted as a full band version of Tommy Lee’s drum solo stunts. While Vince addressed the crowd periodically, it was enigmatic bassist Nikki Sixx who had the honor of introducing the band’s first new song with John 5 on guitar, “Dogs of War”. Through mentioning that “it’s happened since the 60s, with the Beatles, everyone sits down for the new song” and pleading the crowd not to lose their intensity, the foursome managed to maintain the energy level and quickly got back to old school hits. Introducing the band’s dancers while playing a snippet of “Beast of Burden” by the Rolling Stones, the set closed with wild versions of “Girls Girls Girls” and “Kickstart My Heart” as the band ripped through each song on the stage adorned by dancers and giant sexualized mannequins on the left and right flanks, leaving no doubt that the group still has it.
Overall, the first day of Welcome to Rockville was a perfect way to kick off a fest. With legendary performances from iconic groups young and old, the stage was set for the forthcoming action over the weekend. Tickets are still available, so make sure to come later in the weekend to the epicenter of the music world in Daytona, Florida.
Day 2
On Friday, May 10th, rockers and hip hoppers from all around the world congregated for the second day of Welcome to Rockville in Daytona, Florida. Headlined by legendary acts like Limp Bizkit and rising superstars like Jelly Roll, the action spanned across five stages over the infield of Daytona International Speedway. With over 50 thousand people in attendance, the epicenter of the music world was focused on the beach to see timeless performances.
Kicking the day off for me was Nonpoint. Hitmakers for the past two decades, this iconic band led by frontman Elias Soriano is known for their intense, high energy performances, and they did not disappoint. Opening with one of their newer hits, “Breaking Skin”, the band flashed back and forth between beloved hits and newer material heard on rock radio worldwide. Throughout the set, as Elias called for “chaos” and for fans to “put their guns in the air”, the crowd bounced and moshed in unison for a memorable performance.
Following Nonpoint was Living Colour. During the day leading up to the performance, as well as the day before, there had been sound issues plaguing the Octane Drift stage. However, this was quickly fixed when singer Corey Glover told the crew to turn up the volume and from there on the sound was great for the rest of the night. With Corey owning the stage alongside legendary guitarist Vernon Reid showcasing his shredding tenacity, the group proved they still had it as fans partied under the spray of hoses from sidestage employees. When it was time to close the set with their timeless hit “Cult of Personality”, Corey went into the crowd and made a lasting impact on everyone in attendance.
Next up was Starset, who came with a pyrotechnics warning before their set warning that it was about to get hot up in front of the stage. Despite being a space-themed band that normally dominates the nighttime, their performance in the middle of the day still lit the Apex stage ablaze. This set saw several live debuts including “Waiting on the Sky to Change”, which singer Dustin Bates apologized for not doing for the first time with collaborative partner Ben Burnley of Breaking Benjamin. Before closing with “My Demons”, Bates thanked the crowd for showing up “in this bright sun”, but truthfully the crowd was thanking the band for an iconic performance.
After Starset was country rocker Koe Wetzel. Out of Texas, Wetzel has garnered a cult following despite not being featured on Nashville-based country radio, swapping out radio plays for true authenticity rarely seen in the genre today. While it was a smaller crowd, the band showed no signs of slouching off as they started dancing on the first song and kept the party going for 45 minutes. This was reflected into the crowd, as even the employees with hoses were having fun and singing songs along as they cooled off attendees near the stage. Koe admitted, “we’ve been drinking since nine this morning” but you couldn’t tell it from these native Texans, only in the way they kept the crowd bouncing as they rattled through new songs and hits before closing with “Something To Talk About” that saw the crowd giving the finger to the “fake people I wrote this song about”.
Following a short break, my next band on the day was Electric Callboy. From Germany, these up-and-comers pack an insane amount of energy as they combine European Techno with metalcore. The band thanked the crowd for showing up on the side stage and admitted they were “glad to be back in America”, which the thousands in attendance reflected back by jumping for every song and turning Turn One of Daytona Speedway into a full rave. Rocketing through several costume changes and a mesmerizing mix of hits and covers, the band finally closed with “We Got The Moves” which featured rivers of crowdsurfers and a Woodstock 99 level of intensity and vibe rarely seen at the speedway.
Next up on the other side stage directly across was Swedish icons In Flames. Walked on stage accompanied by classical instrumentation, the band got a surprisingly large pit opened immediately as they played plenty of songs from their early days over 25 years ago as well as newer hits. As singer Anders Fridèn begged the crowd to “throw your friends in the air”, the crowd returned the favor by making the Inferno Stage a madhouse. At the end of their set, after some band member introductions, the band closed with truly riotous renditions of “I Am Above” and “Take This Life”, where Anders thanked the crowd for “warming this cold Swedish heart”. Despite many lineup changes in the band’s history, the current lineup’s chemistry showed through for a mesmerizing set.
Closing out the second stage for the night was rising superstar Jelly Roll. This was a special night for him as it was his first time headlining a DWP festival and Jelly responded in kind with an insanely emotional set where it was clear he couldn’t believe he was getting such a break. Before his hit “Son of a Sinner”, Jelly said “it’s been a dream of mine to headline a DWP fest and tonight we’re closing the Drift stage” with tears in his eyes. Many of the songs in his set came with special dedications including doing a cover of Toby Keith’s “Shoulda Been a Cowboy” dedicated to the Big Dog Daddy himself as well as his mother, and a rap cover montage dedicated to his older brother “who smelled like a skunk” as he listened to that music as he smoked pot before leading into “Bottle and Mary Jane”. As chants of Jelly’s name echoed through the crowd, he talked about how he makes “real music for real people, in fact we call it therapeutic music” and spoke about going to Capitol Hill to speak on the opioids epidemic which he is passionate about trying to end. With a cover of “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd leading into him closing with his massive hit “Somebody Save Me”, Jelly spoke on the power of change as he himself went “wrong in all the wrong ways” before reforming his own life. Despite being given over an hour, Jelly left fans wanting even more time with a shockingly powerful set that left a lasting impact on the tens of thousands of people who saw him come up through the ranks to be there on Friday night.
Finally, it was time for what most fans had shown up for, Duval County’s finest, Limp Bizkit. Despite singer Fred Durst being dressed like a fishing dad, the band’s energy was palpable from the get-go with a ripping rendition of “Break Stuff” as the set opener to set the tone. Between songs, Fred made plenty of jokes with the crowd as DJ Lethal mixed interludes of hit songs to turn the place from a festival into a nightclub. This set saw several guest appearances, as Jelly Roll came out to join on the band’s cover of “Behind Blue Eyes” and Riff Raff came out for a snippet of the band’s cover of “Faith”. However, these weren’t the groups only covers as they also did a rendition of “Heart Shaped Box” by Nirvana that proved they were in it for fun. Before closing with a second performance of “Break Stuff”, the band invited “kids under fifteen” in the crowd to join the band on stage to get a bird’s eye view of the insanity.
Overall, Welcome to Rockville took what appeared to be a lighter lineup and made a truly mesmerizing spectacle of rock and hip hop. For the tens of thousands in attendance, both old bands and new turned Daytona International Speedway into a party for the ages. This fest will continue going through Sunday so make sure to make your way to the epicenter of the music world for more legendary performances.
Day 3
On Saturday, May 11th, over fifty thousand fans from all over the world congregated on the sands of Daytona Beach, Florida for the third day of Welcome to Rockville. With a lineup focused on alternative rock like the mighty Foo Fighters and up and coming Greta Van Fleet, attendance records were shattered as it was the single highest attended day in the history of promoter company Danny Wimmer Presents. While the top two slots on the bill went to legendary acts who have been around for well over twenty years, the day also spotlighted local fan favorites and some of the hottest young talent in the world.
Kicking off the day for me was British rockers Royal Blood. Boasting a trippy six-eyed tiger on their backdrop, the band came “Out of the Black” with their first song and never looked back. While these guys have been around since 2011, they are making waves on this side of the pond with their new songs as well. Apologizing for only a forty-minute set, the band said “we have four hours of this stuff, it’s sad it’s the end of the set” before a ripping version of Figure You Out, the band’s biggest hit.
After Royal Blood was Mammoth WVH. Forming only a few years ago with Wolfgang Van Halen on guitars and vocals, this band has already toured with some of the biggest names in rock and metal history with the son of arguably the greatest guitarist of all time in Eddie Van Halen leading the way. Given their history, it was only fitting that the band used long instrumentals to showcase Wolfie’s skills to the thousands of attendees seeing the band for the first time. Despite not talking to the crowd much, Wolfgang introduced some songs off their first album while noting new songs off their latest record that dropped last August and thanking the ASL interpreter on the side of the stage for doing a great job entertaining fans who might have hearing difficulties.
Following Mammoth were the first true legends of the day, Stone Temple Pilots. Despite the death of frontman Scott Weiland several years ago, the band has soldiered on with former X Factor contestant Jeff Gutt being a worthy replacement. While the band did a few newer songs, what the crowd was most fired up for were classic hits like “Big Empty” and “Interstate Love Song”. Rocketing through legendary renditions of such timeless hits, the band continued to get more into the performance as the show went on, leading to the highlight with a wild version of “Sex Type Thing” to close the set with Gutt going into the crowd to deliver back a hat from a fan.
Next up on the bill was jokester rockers Primus. Dressed like an old cowboy, frontman and uniquely gifted bassist Les Claypool led the outfit through long jam sessions on beloved fan favorites. Despite being known for being funny (they even wrote the South Park theme song), the band’s incredible skill was juxtaposed with this mindset, making for a truly incredible show. With Claypool’s rattling bass leading the way, the group closed with a version of “My Name Is Mud” that not only had the crowd chanting along but also featured several fans dressed as bananas forming a mosh pit.
For something completely different, the next band on the bill for the day was Ocala, Florida’s finest, A Day To Remember. Their band name was truly apt as they left a lasting legacy with longtime fans who were there for a homecoming show of sorts. While the group did several newer songs like “Miracle”, the band’s fan favorites like “2nd Sucks” truly put a charged energy into the crowd with massive mosh pits. Crowd surfers were abundant, but there were rivers of participants going over during “Mindreader” when singer Jeremy McKinnon asked for the most famous sight of an ADTR concert, the crowdsurfer-on-top-of-crowdsurfer where one person stands on top of the other like riding a surfboard. Closing with “All Signs Point To Lauderdale”, the band got the crowd screaming every word that had been a staple of most fans lives for over a decade.
Co-headlining the Apex stage for the evening was one of the hottest rising bands in the world today, Greta Van Fleet. Despite only being in their twenties, the band has already built a wealth of success, sounding closer to bands from the seventies than today’s rock. This was the band’s second time at the festival, but with the previous time being when the band was first starting, it was a unique experience for the tens of thousands who showed up for the group’s set. Trading in a larger number of songs in order to conduct long jam sessions, the band’s loving charm was felt throughout the crowd before closing with a classic version of “Highway Tune”, which frontman Josh Kiszka introduced by saying “we graduated in the dark” as the sun set in the Florida sky.
Closing out the second main stage for the day was Queens of the Stone Age. While the two bands that closed the day (along with the Foo Fighters) have been longtime friends, it is rare to see them both at the same festival, which led frontman Josh Homme to do everything in his power to make a memorable experience. Opening with a riveting version of their classic “No One Knows”, the band played both new songs and longtime favorites while Homme exclaimed “I’m having a great time, what about you”. While not providing much in staging beyond some basic lighting, the band let their music take center stage with long jams on hits like “Make It Wit Chu” which featured a snippet of “Miss You” by the Rolling Stones mixed into the song. Closing with “Song For The Dead”, the group made sure to properly set the stage for the headliners while also making a name for themselves in the process.
Finally, it was time for the reason people showed up for the biggest single day in DWP history, the almighty Foo Fighters. Led by one of the most beloved people in music, Dave Grohl, the band’s love for long jam sessions carried through the over two-hour set, making it clear the group was having as much fun as the crowd. Fans who have seen the band know that they are known for continued instrumentals, long band member introductions featuring every member taking the lead on a cover song of their choice, and guest appearances for festivals. Saturday night was no different in this manner as the group did songs like “March of the Pigs” by Nine Inch Nails for new drummer Josh Freese, who played on the original track, before closing the segment with a mind-blowing rendition of Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar solo “Eruption” which treated the crowd to Wolfgang Van Halen coming on stage with the band to do the track. As the night went on, the group dedicated several songs as they played “Aurora” for Taylor Hawkins and “The Teacher” for Dave’s mom before closing with a powerful version of “Everlong” leaving the thousands of attendees enthralled as the clock struck midnight.
Overall, day three of Welcome to Rockville was a massive success. Being the largest single day in not just Rockville history but in Danny Wimmer Presents history set the bar high, and each band on the lineup succeeded in jumping over the massive hurdle. Rockville concludes for the calendar year on Sunday, so make sure to make it to the mecca of the music world before time runs out.
Day 4
On Sunday, May 12th, the infield of Daytona International Speedway filled up one last time for Day Four of Welcome to Rockville. The biggest music festival in Danny Wimmer Presents history with a total attendance of over 200 thousand people, the last day decided to focus on heavier bands that formed the landscape of the early 2000s. This day also featured the first back-to-back headliner in festival history, but history was made nevertheless.
Opening up the day was Drowning Pool. Featuring the three original instrumentalists flanking replacement singer Ryan McCombs, originally from Soil, these Pantera disciples from Dallas kicked off the final day in style. Opening with “Sinner”, the band had a call to arms before kicking it up with classic hits, as well as a cover of “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol. Before closing with their seminal song “Bodies”, McCombs shouted out to the crowd about having fun and knowing the reason tens of thousands of people flocked early to see this great band.
Following a band introduction from SiriusXM’s Jose Mangin was San Diego rockers P.O.D. With unmatched energy from frontman Elias Soriano, the crowd followed along by going insane for hits like “Boom”. While this band is known for firing up the masses, their set was also about love and unity as they dedicated “Satellite” to “all the moms who aren’t with us today”. Closing with “Alive”, this sentiment was echoed as Soriano exclaimed “let’s sing this like we love each other”, leaving everyone leaving the set feeling fantastic about the excellence displayed.
Next up on the day was Sebastian Bach, the original singer of Skid Row. Despite being one of the oldest musicians on the day, this set was also a highlight of the weekend as Bach sounded pitch perfect even at 56. Referring to the fest as “Welcome to Bachville”, Bach rocketed through some new songs as well as beloved Skid Row classics that from an audio perspective could have been live from the early 1990s. Backed by his son on drums, Bach asked the crowd if they minded if the band jammed for a bit, leading to a riveting cover of “Tom Sawyer” by Rush before dedicating “I Remember You” to his heroes and closing with a wild rendition of “Youth Gone Wild”.
After Sebastian Bach was some of Ocala, Florida’s finest Wage War. This was a special set for the band as it served as a homecoming for dedicated fans that have backed them as they climbed the charts over the past decade. Opening with “Stitch” to get the crowd moving, the band played classic hits from their first album, their breakthrough album Manic, and debuted an unreleased song “TOMBSTONE”. The energy from the crowd was palpable through massive mosh pits and walls of death before the band closed with “Manic” leaving fans clamoring for more.
The succeeding band after Wage War on the Apex stage was English visionaries Architects. Blending classic metalcore with the verve of EDM, this group has been a pioneer in the music scene as they forge a pathway towards genre-less music. These samples and electronic elements carried a heavy emphasis on their set, juxtaposed by the immaculate energy of frontman Sam Carter that had the crowd bouncing to every beat. Coming from across the pond, Carter thanked the Florida crowd for showing up in the heat, saying “if it was a Euro fest and this hot and I asked people to do stuff, they’d look at me like I was crazy” before “Curse”. As the band closed with “Animals”, the stadium was left shaking from all the energy exuded from the quartet on stage and the thousands in the audience.
Following Architects across on the Drift stage was Bad Omens. Another band known for blending metalcore and EDM into genre-less music, the youngest headliner on the day has blown up in recent years thanks to TikTok and social media fame. Starting with insanely heavy songs but mixing them with slow songs that had the crowd emotional, the band played a set mostly featuring songs from their breakthrough album “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND” which has been dominating the airwaves over the past couple years. Closing with one of their heaviest songs, “Dethrone”, the band made sure it was known that while they were up and coming, they were definitely here to stay and would possibly be a closing band the next time they blow through the Sunshine State’s preeminent festival.
Co-headlining the Apex stage was the kings of empowering yet emotional songs, Breaking Benjamin. As this legendary group opened with “Failure”, the group marveled under the setting sun and start of night while thousands of fans also observed a rocket launch during their set. While the band has plenty of massive hits, the highlight of seeing them for any longtime fan is catching what deep tracks from the band’s albums before their first breakup, and this was no exception. With songs like “Dance With The Devil”, “Firefly”, and Dear Agony” flanking radio staples like “Breath”, this was a show for new and old fans alike over their hour-long masterpiece. Before closing in the only way possible, with their biggest hit “Diary of Jane”, the band thanked the legions for their twenty two years of success and begged for another twenty two, marking they are here for the long haul.
Closing out the side stages for the weekend was pop punk icons Sum 41. On their “Tour of the Setting Sum” farewell tour currently, the band plans to wrap up for good next year despite still being relatively young. This made for an incredible set, as the massive stage effects the outfit has collected over the years paired with frontman Deryck Whibley’s legendary energy to leave fans mesmerized. While still playing some newer songs, the fact that it was the band’s last goodbye meant songs like “In Too Deep” and “Fat Lip” meant more, and Whibley and company clearly came to leave one last imprint on fans wishing for a postponement of the final curtain call.
After well over a hundred bands performing over four days of Rockville, there was only one left to close it out, the immortal Slipknot. This set from the band marked significant history as it was the first time Rockville had had a repeat headliner in consecutive years, as well as one of the first live shows with new drummer Eloy Casagrande, formerly of Sepultura. Despite The Nine being longtime staples of Wimmer festivals, this was also a unique opportunity to celebrate the twenty-five-year anniversary of the band’s debut self-titled album. Adorned in red jumpsuits for the first time in ages, the group mostly focused on hits from their first two albums, trading in later hits like “All Out Life” in exchange for old deep cuts like “Eyeless”. Thanking the crowd and the bands who rocked over the entire weekend, frontman Corey Taylor asked if fans were “ready for their national anthem” before closing with a riotous rendition of “Surfacing” that filled the battered and bruised crowd with one last bit of energy.
Overall, Welcome to Rockville was a massive success for Danny Wimmer Presents and Daytona International Speedway. Breaking attendance records with over sixty thousand people on Saturday and over 200 thousand for the weekend, this festival kicks off the calendar for rock and metal fans across the country. Over a hundred bands, from up and comers to legends on their last legs, adorned five stages for four days and left rockers and metallers from all over the world begging for more.
Tickets for 2025 Welcome to Rockville – https://welcometorockville.com/
