As the seasons change and melt from winter to spring, Columbia, Maryland, is gearing up for the 16th annual M3 Rock Festival. A “celebration of the days of decadence and glamour,” the 3-day festival boasts a stacked lineup of rock legends spanning decades of classic music. As MetalTalk looks ahead to the festival, let’s meet the bands that will be rocking the Merriweather Post Pavilion from 1-4 May 2025.
M3 Festival Pre-Party – 1 May
Before the full festival commences, the M3 party kicks off with an acoustic jam featuring Steve Brown and Pete Evick. Brown, known as the lead guitarist of Trixter, is currently on tour with the band (featuring other original member PJ Farley on bass) on the Spirit of 1989 Tour.
Evick is the guitarist and musical director with Bret Michaels and The Ultimate Acoustic Rock Show (featuring Faster Pussycat’s Chad Stewart and co-guitarist with Bret Michaels Dean Cramer). A third special guest will be announced for the pre-party at a later date closer to the festival.
M3 Festival Day One – 2 May
Starting the festival is a double-bill on Friday with Snake Oil and Sebastian Bach. Snake Oil brings Ikons Of Rock to the pavilion stage, donning the outfits and stage theatrics of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s best stars in a tribute to all things rock ‘n’ roll.
The band has shared the stage in the past with the likes of Whitesnake and Night Ranger, and singers such as Dee Snider have joined them onstage in the past.
Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach headlines the night, performing in support of his 2024 album Child Within The Man.
M3 Festival Day Two – 3 May
Headlining the second night of the festival is David Lee Roth, a performer that has already created intense interest and enthusiasm for the festival. Following his reunion with Van Halen in the early 2010s for A Different Kind Of Truth, Roth stepped away from live performance, with his last public performance coming in 2020 in support of KISS.
But, the iconic frontman can’t be kept from the limelight, and will take center stage once again.
Accept, Winger, Slaughter, Steven Adler, and Child’s Play also perform on Saturday, along with Soundcheck Rock and Red Voodoo, a band known for their work with the Red Rocker Sammy Hagar.
M3 Festival Day Three – 4 May
The Force is certainly strong on the last day of the festival with another jam-packed lineup of bands and artists. Soundcheck Rock returns for a second day, along with New York Speed Metal band Spread Eagle.
Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, Vixen, Lita Ford, Great White and Warrant take the stage on the third night as well.
However, headlining the last night of the festival is a duo that many never thought they would see again: Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini of Ratt, performing hits from the band in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their sophomore album Invasion Of Your Privacy. DeMartini last performed with Pearcy in 2018.
In an interview with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM in January, Pearcy stated that returning to the stage with DeMartini is “about the legacy of our music… It’s about the legacy of Ratt. Period.”
DeMartini and Pearcy are joined by former Ratt member Carlos Cavazo, longtime Ratt-adjacent bassist Matt Thorr, and Slaughter’s Blas Elias on drums.
For all things M3 Festival, including recent years coverage, visit MetalTalk.net/M3. For tickets and more information on the M3 Festival, visit M3RockFest.com.
