18th Annual Rockstock & Barrels Rocks This Weekend

By Katie McFadden

Celebrating its 18th year, Rockstock and Barrels is officially an “adult,” but this summer festival is for all ages. This Saturday, June 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., enjoy a day of live music, surfing, skateboarding, volleyball and shopping in this celebration of all things rad about Rockaway.

Rockstock and Barrels, presented by St. James Clothing, Boarders Surf Shop and Into the Whip Records, is here, so head on out to the beach and boardwalk at Beach 90th Street on Saturday to take it all in. The day kicks off early in the morning with the surf contest, held by the Eastern Surfing Association. They have contests for all ages and all skills. Registration is $40 per event. A $2,500 purse is up for grabs thanks to Skudin Surf and Drink Rockaway. Pre-register at: https://liveheats.com/ESANewYork

Also starting early in the day is the volleyball contest hosted by the Riis Park Volleyball Academy. Head to Beach 92nd Street at 8:30 a.m. to register for the “Ice Cream Volleyball Tournament” for youth. The contest features 6v6 co-ed teams for fifth through eighth grade students and 4v4 for high school students. The registration fee of $40 gets you a full day of volleyball and ice cream from Wise Clock Café and Odd Fellows Ice Cream. The registration for the Adult Volleyball Tournament is at 12 p.m. on Beach 92nd Street. The $40 registration gets you a full day of volleyball, live music and ice cream. Prizes include a cash purse and a Yeti giftpack donated by Mazzone Ace Hardware. Red Bull will have their DJ truck on the beach to pump some tunes while players serve.

At 1 p.m., the skate contest will get underway in the skatepark. There’s a $2,500 purse for the best tricks in the park, provided by Red Bull. Sign up at the skatepark. Additionally, Queens Library will have their mobile library on site and the Rockaway Mermaid Brigade will have an arts and crafts tent to get kids excited about the upcoming Poseidon’s Parade in September. There will also be a shopper’s village on the boardwalk with vendors selling goods.

However, it wouldn’t be Rockstock without the rock and Walker Hornung of Into the Whip Records has curated a musical lineup that exudes talent. For the early birds, Hornung will kick it off himself at 10 a.m., playing some tunes along with Bill Fleming of the band Finnegan Blue, as well as Indolore, who’s come all the way from Paris to perform. Joining the mix will be rapper Double RR at around noon.

Since its inception, Hornung has aimed to showcase young talent on the Rockstock stage to give them a platform, and this year is no different. At 1 p.m., a lineup of young talent begins with singer, songwriter and guitar player Thompson Newkirk taking the stage. Kindergarten, an indie rock band, performs at 2 p.m. At 3 p.m., The Set Theory, a band with a female vocalist, featuring Walker’s son, John, takes the stage. They played at the Beach 116th Street Fall Festival, along with Glenn Strange, a band that will be closing out Rockstock at 5 p.m. “Kindergarten, Set Theory and Glenn Strange are all part of this wave of young bands coming out of Long Island that play alternative rock and they’re pretty good friends with each other. It’s nice to see a new burgeoning scene like that,” Hornung said.

But the fun doesn’t end with young talent on the boardwalk. The after party continues at 7 p.m. at The Wharf on the bayside of Beach 116th Street, where local band Indaculture reunites to perform, along with Indolore and Hornung. And then it keeps going! For the first time, Rockstock is hosting a next day after party. On Sunday, June 23, there will be a Rockstock pool party at The Rockaway Hotel on Beach 108th Street. It starts at 1 p.m. DJ Russo will be spinning tunes. To reserve a cabana, call the Hotel at 718-474-1216. Plus, if anyone is planning on staying at The Rockaway Hotel for Rockstock, enter promo code Rockstock when booking rooms online for a 10% discount.

Jimmy Dowd of St. James Clothing says they continue to host Rockstock year after year to highlight some of the best aspects of Rockaway and to give folks an opportunity to let their talents shine. “This is like planning an obnoxious wedding every year and it can be stressful but when we see the smiles and the kids having so much fun, and we’re able to reach out and give these kids an opportunity to win money and win these contest prizes and show off their talents on the waves, in the skatepark, on the beach and on the stage, or selling their crafts, it’s a really nice launchpad for the community to show what they can do,” Dowd said. “I see kids now in their 20s that say they remember going to Rockstock when they were like nine years old. It’s become this generational thing where you have these kids that are good at action sports and as they get older, they start coming out for other things like the music. It’s inspiring for the youth to witness all of this stuff. Like a young kid can see these guys in their 20s in a band and might say, ‘hey, I can start practicing and start a band.’ It’s inspirational and this generational thing that is all about community and family and that’s the reason we keep doing it. It’s very humbling to see that every year.”

Come see for yourself. “This festival is free, and has been all these years, and it’s just the perfect opportunity for people to really reunite around it,” Dowd said. “When you come out, you’ll be able to see the whole neighborhood and their families, while enjoying all of this talent and entertainment on the beach and boardwalk. Why wouldn’t you want to show up?’ Dowd said.

For more info about Rockstock and Barrels, check out: Rockstocknyc.com