M3 Rock Festival 2026
The 17th Annual M3 Rock Festival
Much of the chatter online leading up to this year’s M3 Rock Festival centered around whether this would be the last one. I somewhat agreed with the masses that if this was indeed the final festival, that the line up could have been better. However, either way I was pretty determined that I was going to enjoy the day for all that it was. Live music, junk food and people watching.
First up was Trixter. A band I had not seen previously and had only heard a couple of songs on the radio, but I was fully aware of who they were, so I was curious. I would think that it would be tough to be the first one out on the main stage for the day, and to perform in the daylight to a sparse audience, but they seemed to enjoy being the opening slot on a cold and windy day. As expected, they played their two major hits “One in a Million” and “Give it to me Good” among other unfamiliar (to me) tunes. The crowd, no matter that it was a sparse crowd, were up standing and dancing to the music. It was nice to see Steve Brown and PJ Farley interacting with each other as if they were having the best time in the world.
Trixter’s Setlist
1. Bad Girl
2. Heart of Steel
3. Tattoos & Misery
4. One in a Million
5. Line of Fire
6. Surrender
7. Give It to Me Good
Next up, and for a much different feel, was Faster Pussycat. This is sleaze rock at its finest, with all the attitude and the none of the fuss. Singer Taime Down sounded and looked great all while showcasing the f-u attitude that comes along with rock music on the edge. “Cathouse” “Slip of the Tongue” and “Bathroom Wall” were just some of the chosen hits performed during their set.
Faster Pussycat’s Setlist
1. Motorbike
2. Cathouse
3. Slip of the Tongue
4. House of Pain
5. Bathroom Wall
6. Shut Up and Fuck
Barry Goudreau’s Engine Room was the one that was a bit mystifying to me, until I heard them play. They proved that even musicians in their later years can still rock. They covered songs from the yesteryear including Boston staples like “Peace of Mind,” “Smokin’,” and “Hitch a Ride” which had the audience once again up out of their seats bopping along. A real treat for sure.
Barry Goudreau’s Engine Room’s Setlist
1. Peace of Mind
2. Smokin’
3. Hitch a Ride
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
5. So You Ran
6. Walk Away
7. A Man I’ll Never Be
8. Rock & Roll Band
9. Footstompin’ Music
10. More Than a Feeling
11. Foreplay/Long Time
12. Rock and Roll
White Lion was another curiosity. Not knowing their back catalog and only the hits I heard on the radio, I did not know what to expect. Would they be too sticky sweet for this crowd of rockers? Happily, not. The crowd seemed to be enjoying this set as much as the previous ones which included their hits “Little Fighter” “When the Children Cry” and “Wait”, plus a multitude of other power ballads, which is what they seem to do best.
White Lion’s Setlist
1. Hungry
2. Lonely Nights
3. Living on the Edge
4. Little Fighter
5. Tell Me
6. Lights and Thunder
7. Wait
8. When the Children Cry
9. Lady of the Valley
10. Radar Love
Buckcherry were a fan favorite. For me, they hit weird, but for the crowd, which by this time in the day were filling in nicely, the excitement was increasing. I am not at all familiar with their music, so I did not recognize any of the songs. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the energy of the crowd, because after all, that’s what it’s really about, right?
Buckcherry’s Setlist
1. Lit Up
2. Roar Like Thunder
3. So Hott
4. Somebody Fucked With Me
5. Ridin’
6. Let It Burn
7. Say Fuck It
8. Come On
9. Gluttony
10. Sorry
11. Blackout
12. Crazy Bitch/Sex Machine/Bad Girls/Irresistible Bitch/Proud Mary
Next to last were Queensrÿche, a personal favorite of mine. No one else on this bill sounds like this band. They are somewhere between metal, rock and opera…or perhaps a combination of all three. Hard hitting with songs like “Empire” and “Eyes of a Stranger”, while also showing their softer side with the likes of “Silent Lucidity” show how versatile Queensrÿche are.
Queensrÿche’s Setlist
1. Queen of the Reich
2. Breaking the Silence
3. I Don’t Believe in Love
4. London
5. The Mission
6. Warning
7. Behind the Walls
8. Take Hold of the Flame
9. Silent Lucidity
10. Jet City Woman
11. Screaming in Digital
12. Neue Regel
13. Empire
14. Eyes of a Stranger
Finally, headliner Tom Keifer, who always puts on a great show. By the time The Keifer Band hit the stage, every person there was on their feet looking forward to all of the curated hits. Not one to disappoint, Tom started out strong with “Night Songs” and stayed strong his whole set. When he launched in to “Nobody’s Fool” the volume of the crowd got louder and the sing-along continued on through “The More Things Change,” “Somebody Save Me” all the way until closing out the set with fan favorite “Gypsy Road”.
Up come the lights but no one wanted to move…until security started chasing us out.
Tom Keifer’s Setlist
1. Night Songs
2. All Amped Up
3. Heartbreak Station
4. Bad Seamstress Blues
5. Fallin’ Apart at the Seams
6. The Death of Me
7. Coming Home
8. Nobody’s Fool
9. Solid Ground
10. The More Things Change
11. Somebody Save Me
12. The Last Mile
13. Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)
14. Shake Me
15. Shelter Me
16. Tumbling Dice
17. Gypsy Road
The artists on this bill each had their own version of rock and roll. Whether you like it very heavy, more melodic or somewhere in between, there was something for everyone.
To see more photos from the festival, see here.
Was this the last M3? That remains to be seen. If there is another festival next year, will it be Mother’s Day weekend again? I hope not because that would be in direct competition with the Monsters of Rock Cruise and I would hate to miss out on either one.
The main takeaway from M3 every year is that there is nothing like the experience of live music. Go out and support live music!
Words and photos by Carol Fisher.
