Live Review: Eastport A Rockin’ 2026 @ Annapolis, Md. — 6/27/26

July 6, 2026

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Leo and Cygnus perform live at Eastport a Rockin' 2026. (Photo by Steve Satzberg)

Eastport A Rockin’: Sweet and Soulful
Words by Liz Wyatt
Photos by Steve Satzberg

Eastport A Rockin’ 2026 took place in Annapolis on Saturday, June 27. This year’s event was cradled in bright but cloudy skies and humidity so thick we felt we were in the Bay with the sailboats surrounding us. Troll Tribe started the day at the Second Street Stage playing “Lafayette,” “Pilots,” “Black Cat Cadillac,” and the lovely “Golden Hour.” Overcome with FOMO and the thought of always missing the other three stages no matter where I was, I walked the pleasant pathways between stages trying to catch the other morning acts.

Meandering to the Priddy Stage featuring the students of the Priddy Music Academy, I found Mando Bando, a lovely young ensemble of three acoustic guitars and a mandolin playing melancholy harmonies with lovesick, heartfelt melodies. Thankfully there were delays in setting up some stages, and I was able to catch Kavoossi and The Typos while Animal Farm was still setting up. Kavoossi played “Ghost,” “Trip and Fall,” and “The 90s,” which had me dancing and jumping with the little orange-shirted teeny toddler fella running a one-man mosh in a big circle around the crowd. What a soul-filled, life-well-lived voice from Kavoossi singing “House Sound.” 100% humidity. 100% have to dance. With upbeat blues-pop, they played their new song “Bad Decisions.” “I am bad decisions”…. Ah hell… Mr. Bad Decisions… I think I’m in love again.

Watch Kavoosi and The Typos perform “House Sound” live on YouTube:

Then wham…. the transcendental Madisun Bailey joined up with local bass wizard Ben, the left-handed 12-string dynamo. Can’t believe my ears. Hard to pick a favorite, but Madisun Bailey is so fleeky fantastic — always a must-see. Walking past the rows of vendors: savory slabs of char-grilled meats and BBQ, Moonlit Shell, Bouvier Brand, souvenirs, soaps, the smells and sounds of capitalism. Yum. The Horn Point Stage was rocking all day with a perfect backdrop of boats bobbing along. In the cut was the Lawn Stage with Dean Rosenthal and Leslie Webber scatting Cab/Satchmo style with a jazzy whomp bom duda bodah whadum choo… how do they capture the horns of a big band sound with no brass?! Beautiful, glowing Leslie with her black-tipped silver foxy mane and sweet, soulful sounds: “Temptation, I can’t resist.”

Folding lawn chairs covered the lawn; these were fans not planning on wandering from this stage’s lineup of marvelous musicians. Just off to the right was a sandy beach full of toddlers making sand castles amid the towering masts. 100% steamy, sultry soul. In the quiet between acts I could hear the Priddy Stage, where a very young cover band was doing a bang-up version of “Just Go Ahead Now (Forget the King and Marry Me).” The front row was all proud parents and young musicians speaking to the thousands of years they’ve been playing together over the last six years of their young teenage lives. Kudos, Priddy, for making the next generation of Annapolis musicians!

Young Young Alex Eloff, bassist for DOMN and 8 Ohms Band, says he’s a bassist for hire and that we should all remember, “Don’t suck and treat people like people!” Well said, Padawan. “It’s not in the way your love set me free. Hold the Line! Love isn’t always on time.” Neither were some acts. A slow start meant some performances were shortened, but hey, late shmate — you rock, we roll; you roll, we rock. I wandered back for a crescendo of Animal Farm’s last song. Why do great songs end?… Then I could hear Dean and Leslie still had one more song, a bluesy jam. Why can’t I be everywhere? Then a crowd-pleasing singalong: “Everybody must get stoned!”

The Lawn Stage was filled with seated fans backed by folding chairs and standing-room-only crowds squashed in. Packed! At least I didn’t miss Madisun for one more song, and if you didn’t see her you sure missed a show. Didn’t I say transcendental? I close my eyes and I disappear into a train-track-clacking rhythm and a long, slow, sweet train whistle blowing soulful, smooth, jazzy harmonies, and I forget I’m a person. I’m floating in a state of chill, mellow trumpeting. When I come to, I see the biggest turnout of any stage I’ve been at… saying a lot. Find a time, find a place to find that sweet universe that is Madisun Baileyland: sax, trumpet, bassman Ben, shredding Henry on electric guitar. (I think I hear some Marley “One Love” in the background.)

Watch Madisun Bailey perform “Ain’t That Strange” live on YouTube:

Then there was Rickshaw Lizard. The wonderful wandering sax frontman’s fan said to me, “There’s only one thing to say — James Brown funk! … Maceo, hit me!!” Back to the Priddy Stage for the Priddy Premier Band playing Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” with a male and a female vocalist. What a good time! I managed to just catch the famed Mike McHenry Tribe. “Whole Lotta Love” caught me dead in my tracks. Ah, over too quickly.

Pretty War was next, singing their “Waiting.” Bass in my chest and throat, I close my eyes so I can hear the magical landscapes they form in my mind. Jon on keyboards for their new song “Breadcrumbs,” about getting over your sh*t. Shelby Morgan, here for her second year, was full of energy in shiny blue satin. A heavenly cool breeze flowed through the crowd mixed with her clear, clean pop vocals wafting over this delightfully packed audience.

Naptown Sings and Plays’ glee club sang along with a chanting crowd: “Take that money and watch it burn” (OneRepublic’s “Counting Stars”). Sitting, cooling off in the VIP section and looking over the Lawn Stage, I heard the captivating Luke Borchelt… “I didn’t see a red sky this morning”… “If I die in the city, bury me on the Chesapeake. Home will always be the Old Line for me.” He’s touring the country this summer, but he’ll be back here in August. His lyrics, so special to the Chesapeake, caught me deep in the feels.

I wandered down to kneel on the lawn where I saw a tiny opening. “Baiting snooze lines, counting the days to get on the boat again,” the whole crowd mouthing the words, on and on, lyric after lyric until my face was wet and I was blubbering — even now writing this, blubbering again. Yeah, you have to bury me here on the Chesapeake. (Let’s wait a little bit though.) ILYAIMY had an interesting sound: an electric cello bowed with quick rhythms that drove the songs (looked like a trimmed violin held in a chokehold on its neck, dangling down). Everyone dancing, packed stage area, everyone dancing… and then the rain came! None deterred. The heat of the day had us all wet from the humidity anyway, so the rain was a great relief.

Honey Sol sang “We Are Family” with some saucy stank on it. They did an epic vamp of Prince’s “Kiss” for the bouncing, rainy masses, reminiscent of his Super Bowl rain-drenched performance. Oh, life is such sweetness. Then onward to the illustrious, famous, magnanimous Mr. VCR! Rocking it through the rain, everyone soaked — and those of us in white… whoopsy. (Wet T-shirt contest, anyone?) We’re all winners here. “She said, she said, she said ahhhh ooooo.” On to “Purple Rain”!!!! How perfectly, totally drenched.

Watch Honey Sol perform “Pride and Joy” live on YouTube:

Skribe and All You Need, local celebrities, closed out the night.

If you’re a local artist, sign up now to be included in next year’s roundup. And if you missed this event… you missed out! Don’t miss next year’s party on June 26, 2027. And pony up for the VIP tickets with ice, chairs, and food. Well worth the investment for a life well lived.

Here are some photos of Eastport a Rockin’ 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.

Madisun Bailey