When the sun finally broke through at Oceans Calling 2025, festivalgoers swelling along the beachfront and boardwalk were treated to a surprise delight: a full reunion-style set from 4 Non Blondes. It was a moment many had whispered about in forums and festival circles—and the performance lived up to the hype, blending nostalgia, raw vocal power, and a few stories that reminded you exactly why we still talk about Linda Perry’s voice.
Setting the Stage
By mid afternoon, the mood was electric. After a day of unpredictable weather, the vibe had shifted: the wind off the Atlantic was warm, the sand felt dry underfoot, and fans in tie-dye shirts, flannels, and vintage tees gathered early for one of the festival’s most anticipated acts. 4 Non Blondes was not headlining the event, but their slot had already become one of the must-see moments of the day.
As the stage crew made final checks, the murmur across the crowd grew louder. When the first chords of the What’s Up intro rang out, the cheering was immediate—equal parts nostalgia and relief.
The Setlist
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What’s Up Intro
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Rock and Roll
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Push and Shove
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Train
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Strange Places
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Mighty Lady
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What They Want
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Drop The Bomb
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Monomorphic
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Don’t Wanna
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Hollow
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What’s Up
It’s a lean but thoughtfully structured set. They open with the familiar tones of What’s Up to settle the crowd, then pivot directly into deeper album cuts and newer or lesser-heard tracks, before returning to What’s Up as a closing anchor. The flow felt deliberate—an arc that took you through grit, introspection, and catharsis.
The Performance
From the first full song, Rock and Roll, Linda Perry’s voice was unmistakably present: a rich, grainy tone that can still carry both vulnerability and grit. The band—tight, enthusiastic, and clearly honored to be back onstage—propelled the songs with energy but didn’t overplay. This wasn’t a greatest-hits nostalgia show; it was more of an authentic reengagement with the songs.
As the set progressed into Push and Shove and Train, you could see heads nodding, eyes closed, fans mouthing each lyric. Strange Places brought a brief dip in tempo, creating space for reflection, then Mighty Lady injected a moment of fierce strength. By the time they arrived at What They Want, the audience was locked in, singing lines back in unison.
In Drop The Bomb and Monomorphic, the band allowed themselves some wiggle room—extended guitar lines, slight variations, a taste of improvisation. Don’t Wanna and Hollow brought it back toward emotional intensity, preparing for the final high. Then, after the deep dive, they closed where they began: What’s Up. This time, though, the song felt like a communal exhale, full of homage and collective memory.
The encore feel was subtle—they didn’t step off and come back, but the return to What’s Up at the end served that purpose. The crowd responded with sustained applause, many stamping their feet or raising voices in the chorus.
Behind the Scenes: The Drama Queen Story
Midway through the set—just before Drop The Bomb—Linda paused. She told a story about a song, Drama Queen, that many fans know only by reputation: how it had been intended originally for Courtney Love.
She recalled that she wrote Drama Queen during a time of creative tension and emotional turbulence; she believed it suited Courtney’s voice and persona. But as the story went, when it came time to record it, Courtney was too wasted to follow through. The session reportedly tumbled into chaos—pinning down vocal takes became impossible, and the track was ultimately shelved. Linda laughed softly, half ruefully, half affectionately, acknowledging the lore: that Drama Queen remains this almost-mythic “what might have been” in ’90s rock history.
The crowd responded with laughter, applause, even some collective “oohs.” Whether the story is fully verifiable or wrapped in embellishment, it fit the spirit of the evening: unguarded, gritty, steeped in transition, and unafraid to acknowledge rock’s dark edges.
It reminded the audience that these aren’t just radio moments revived—they are songs born in real time, between real people, with all the mess and humanity that entails.
Reflections on the Set
What struck many fans was how 4 Non Blondes avoided the trap of nostalgia alone. Yes, the crowd cheers erupted for What’s Up, and yes, the setlist was built to honor that legacy. But much of the show lived in the in-between spaces—lesser-known songs, emotional shifts, and spontaneous storytelling.
This was not just a “play your greatest hits and leave” moment. It was a reconnection. There were perhaps a dozen brief moments of imperfection—guitar strings buzzing, vocal lines held a beat longer than planned. But those were part of the charm. In a festival world of perfection, the rough edges made the performance feel alive.
Also notable was how the pacing allowed breathing space. The band didn’t rush; the set moved with intention. In Monomorphic they let guitars stretch; in Hollow, Linda’s vocals lingered with resonance. That dynamic control kept emotional tension through to the end.
And the crowd responded as if hearing these songs anew. As What They Want ended and transformed into Drop The Bomb, you could feel the shift—energy rising, collective voices growing bolder. By What’s Up at close, it felt like the whole beach was echoing back the lyrics.
Why This Set Matters
For one thing, this was a rare occasion: 4 Non Blondes haven’t been a constant touring act in recent years, so their appearance at Oceans Calling felt special, almost celebratory—an acknowledgment of enduring fan passion. Social media chatter and festival boards had buzzed for weeks before, speculating whether the band might re-form or at least do one reunion run.
But beyond the novelty, the set worked because of its balance: respect for legacy, but unwillingness to be trapped by it. Linda Perry’s voice remained the center, but the band and the songs were not museum pieces. They moved, breathed, and felt present.
The Drama Queen anecdote added an extra layer—that sense of rock lore, behind-the-scenes wounds and wild stories, reminding the audience that music is made by messy, human people. It wasn’t overly sentimental, but it was vulnerability offered generously.
Putting the set in the context of the festival also helped. Oceans Calling had been battered earlier by thunderstorms and uncertain skies. But when 4 Non Blondes took the stage under blue sky and warm air, the moment felt transformational. The crowd had survived the rain, the long waits, the logistical grit—and now they were there for this. The intimacy, the shared memory, and the surprising edges all converged.
Full Setlist (no times)
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What’s Up Intro
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Rock and Roll
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Push and Shove
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Train
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Strange Places
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Mighty Lady
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What They Want
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Drop The Bomb
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Monomorphic
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Don’t Wanna
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Hollow
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What’s Up
Final Thoughts
In an age when festival lineups skew newer, flashier, or more minimal, the 4 Non Blondes set at Oceans Calling 2025 stood out not just as a nostalgic highlight but as a living piece of rock history. Their performance proved that revisiting the past doesn’t mean playing it safe. Live music thrives not in perfection but in risk, in character, in moments that take you slightly off guard.
If you were there, it was a reminder of why you love music—the voices that shaped a time, the stories that hover around half-remembered lore, the sound that makes you feel something again. If you weren’t, it’s a set worth hunting down on recordings, bootlegs, or festival recaps.
Either way, Oceans Calling 2025 delivered a memory: 4 Non Blondes, under sunlit skies, telling us they’re still here—and still capable of surprising us.