Nearly 70,000 people stormed the Daytona Beach International Speedway on Thursday during the blistering heat to see some of the greatest rock and metal icons take the stage at North America’s largest rock festival, Welcome to Rockville.
The day kicked-off with the alt/indie act Royale Lynn, rising hardcore act Big Ass Truck, and the metalheads of Frozen Soul. Saving Abel hit the stage – bringing back the nostalgia with “Drowning (Face Down),” “18 Days,” and the smash-hit “Addicted” from their 2007 self-titled – followed by Finger Eleven. The Scott Anderson-fronted band brought fans back with 1997’s “Above” off their debut Tip with crisp, timeless vocals. Their 2006 hit “Paralyzer” echoed across the speedway, bringing the groove.
| READ: Welcome to Rockville Reveals Set Times, Lineup Changes |
Metalcore’s Of Virtue, hailing from Michigan, arrived at the fest – marking their first time at Rockville. Amid the sweaty, sticky weather, the group delivered a hard-hitting set, featuring fan-favorite tracks from their latest, 2023 record, Omen, including “Sinner,” “Cut Me Open,” and “Cold Blooded.” We caught-up with the band after their set. Look out for the interview here.
Crossfade – who just announced their return to the music scene this year – performed one of their first sets in 13 years, following an appearance at Danny Wimmer Presents’ Louder Than Life in Columbus last weekend. The crowd brought the energy, belting out every word of songs off their 2004 self-titled, including “Cold,” “Colors,” “So Far Away,” and “The Deep End.”
Hardcore’s The Acacia Strain, Shadow of Intent, and Until I Wake brought their heavy-hitting sound, while Theory of a Deadman kept-up the nostalgia, bringing-back 2008’s Scars & Souvenirs with “Bad Girlfriend” and “Not Meant to Be,” followed by “Bitch Came Back” off 2011’s The Truth Is…
The Pretty Reckless took the Apex stage in the evening hours, with frontwoman Taylor Momsen making a striking entrance dressed in sunglasses, a white slip dress, and black combat boots. Momsen’s dynamic stage presence and powerful vocals anchored a set filled with brooding rock anthems and gritty energy, as she effortlessly opened their set with “Death by Rock and Roll,” followed by “Follow Me Down.”
Notably, The Pretty Reckless stepped in to replace 3 Doors Down at this year’s Welcome to Rockville festival following the announcement that 3 Doors Down would be unable to perform. The change came after the band’s frontman, Brad Arnold, revealed his diagnosis of Stage 4 kidney cancer, prompting the group to cancel their scheduled appearance.
| RELATED: 3 Doors Down Cancels Upcoming Tour Amid Frontman’s Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis |
Ahead of Halestorm’s performance, SiriusXM provided a little backstage sneak-peak of Lzzy Hale and the band getting ready to hit the stage. Hale came out swinging, simultaneously belting out choruses while slaying on the guitar. “I wanna see you sweat – I wanna see you moving,” she told the crowd before delving into Vicious’ “Uncomfortable.”
Hale brought the energy on their new anthem track, “Darkness Always Wins,” which dropped in April. Then, she delved into their 2009 classic, “Familiar Taste of Poison,” gripping a chalace, while offering sultry, lyrics, “I breathe you in again just to feel you / Underneath to my skin, Holding on to / The sweet escape is always laced with a familiar taste of poison.” She dreamily got on her knees, belting out the lyrics before taking a sip.
Notably, drummer and Hale’s brother Arejay kept the crowd entertained, heading into a drum solo. Arejay threw his drumsticks into the crowd and brought out oversized ones, banging on the drum kit like banjos.
The night continued with metalcore’s Fit For A King, From Ashes To New, We Came as Romans, and Trivium. Large clumps of the crowd began making their way to the main stage to see Three Days Grace – a notable reunion between the band after the return of former vocalist Adam Gontier. They kicked-off the set with One-X’s smash-hit “Animal,” with Gontier and co-vocalist Matt Waist taking turns singing.
After a day of blistering heat – dubbed the hottest day of the year so far in Florida – the sun finally went down as they delved into “So Called Life” off 2022’s EXPLOSIONS. Gontier took a moment to address his departure and subsequent return to the band.
| RELATED: Adam Gontier to Return as Three Days Grace Frontman |
“A long time ago, I left the band and what happened when I left the band was nothing short of amazing,” he said, noting that “these guys kept going in the face of adversary,” and without Waist, the band “wouldn’t be here now doing what we’re doing.”
Waist brought the energy for 2022’s “The Mountain,” and Gontier joined back in as the pair played their latest single, “Mayday” off their forthcoming record. The whole crowd could be heard singing along to old-time favorites off their 2003 self-titled, “I Hate Everything About You” and “Just Like You.”
Notably, Gontier pointed out 3 Doors Down was missing from the day’s lineup. He asked the crowd to let Brad know that they’re thinking about him tonight, as “they need good vibes heading their way.”
Gontier and Waist rounded-out the set with an explosive rendition of “Riot,” with fans pumping their fists in the air, chanting, “If you feel so empty / So used up, so let down / If you feel so angry / Just get up / Let’s start a riot.”
Closing out the night, Shinedown took to the stage, marking their first time headlining the festival. The Jacksonville rockers launched into “Dance, Kid, Dance,” to an eruption of cheers and fireworks. Frontman Brent Smith took a moment to address the crowd, saying, “Daytona, it’s been a long day, but we’re Shinedown — and welcome to the show!”
Later in the set, “A Symptom of Being Human” gave the crowd an emotional moment as Smith instructed the thousands of fans to illuminate the night sky with cell phones and lighters, bringing attention to people who feel like they don’t fit in with the world. He belted out the lyrics, his voice ringing through the crowd:
“Sometimes I’m in a room where I don’t belong / And the house is on fire and there’s no alarm / And the walls are melting too / How ‘bout you?”
However, one of the evening’s most memorable moments came when Shinedown invited fellow Florida legends Lynyrd Skynyrd to join them on stage, calling them “the greatest rock band in the world.” Together, the two bands delivered a performance of “Simple Man,” with Smith and Skynyrd’s Johnny Van Zant trading verses.
Shinedown closed out the first night of Welcome to Rockville with a performance of “Second Chance” as fireworks filled the air, adding the perfect setting to a nostalgic masterpiece.
Welcome to Rockville 2025 continues through the weekend with performances from a lineup of major rock and metal acts. Ticket News will remain on-site throughout the festival, providing ongoing coverage, setlists, updates, and highlights from the weekend’s biggest moments. Stay tuned here.
