The Rock Boat XXIII Rocked

The Rock Boat is the world’s largest floating music festival. Bands perform concerts as the boat travels. The destinations (Key West and Costa Maya this year) are less important than the journey (live music). Here are the shows we saw on what was our eleventh voyage. Performances are seventy-five minutes long and are held in a variety of venues.

Tuesday, January 30

• Michael Tolcher in the Atrium
• Sister Hazel on the Pool Deck
• KT Tunstall (acoustic) in the Stardust Theater
• The Struts on the Pool Deck
• Bowling for Soup in the Stardust Theater
• Red Wanting Blue on the Pool Deck

Wednesday, January 31

• Young the Giant on the Pool Deck
• Happy Hour with Boatcast (a podcast about being an artist on a boat)
• The New Respects in the Atrium
• KT Tunstall on the Pool Deck
• John Driskell Hopkins in the Atrium
• Jon Foreman (of Switchfoot) in the Stardust Theater
• Red Wanting Blue combined with Sister Hazel on the Pool Deck
• The Alternate Routes in the Stardust Theater

Thursday, February 1

• Rockstar Dad Show (a podcast about being in a band while also being a father)
• Sixthman Sessions at Sea (newly written songs from a three-day collaboration of Rock Boat artists)
• Susto on the Pool Deck
• Jaret and Rob (of Bowling for Soup, acoustic) in the Stardust Theater
• The Struts in the Stardust Theater
• KT Tunstall (plays all covers, for fun) in the Atrium
• Headbangers Ball (Rock Boat artists each take turns performing one heavy metal song) on the Pool Deck

Friday, February 2

• The Struts on the Pool Deck
• Young the Giant at the Stardust Theater
• Red Wanting Blue on the Pool Deck

Saturday, February 3

• The New Respects on the Pool Deck
• Songs Around the Campfire (Scott Terry [of Red Wanting Blue], Tim Warren [of Alternate Routes], and KT Tunstall tell stories and perform their songs) in the Stardust Theater
• The Moon City Masters in the Atrium
• Gaelic Storm on the Pool Deck
• Patty Pershayla and the Mayhaps in the Atrium
• Gable Price and Friends at the Spinnaker Lounge
• Sister Hazel at the Stardust Theater

The Rock Boat is an enjoyable, hassle-free experience. No tickets required. No reserved seats. Just walk to a venue, grab a seat, and appreciate some fine music. The shows start and end on time. The artists are fine people (aren't full of themselves) who mingle with the passengers. Sure, not all of the artists are world-famous, but you know what they say:

"Popularity is about business and has nothing to do with music."
— Casey Spooner, American musician and artist

Music at sea is alive in the lab.