Sister Hazel Lead Singer Ken Block On Sixthman & Co-Founding The Rock Boat

Sixthman is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, having hosted 242 festivals at sea over the past quarter century – and counting! And it all began with Rock Boat, which was co-founded by Sister Hazel lead singer Ken Block. After Sister Hazel initially took 400 fans on a cruise in 2001, the next year The Rock Boat was officially launched. Here, Block shares how the fun got started, inspired by the band’s community of Hazelnuts and with help from manager Andy Levine, who previously ran Sixthman Management and served as CEO of Sixthman.

After taking us (Sister Hazel) from a van and trailer to our first platinum record, we wanted to do something absolutely unforgettable to thank all those fans and people who supported us. And those fans (the self dubbed “Hazelnuts”) were not shy or quiet – they were clamoring big time to do something unique and special – together – where we could spend some quality time together as a band AND community to celebrate that remarkable journey. They were all over the message board, all over us, and all over management about wanting to do … “something”!! But what exactly?? We knew we wanted to be able to play music, but even more importantly, to get to hang out together, chat, have real and deeper conversations and get even closer with everyone over a few days.

As a band and management team we really – from day one – wanted to tear down the wall between bands and fans. We knew it couldn’t just be about one song or an album – it had to also be about relationships. We weren’t really into the whole “Mystique” thing. That had always been the “cool road” that most bands automatically followed. But that wasn’t authentically us. We wanted deeper relationships and real connections. Collaborations, camaraderie. Andy Levine was our old college buddy and our manager from the beginning – and we literally considered him the “Sixthman” of the band. Thus the name Sixthman Management – soon to be just Sixthman.

There are a lot of versions about who’s idea a cruise was – but the bottom line was that it just made sense. It had all the elements. Music venues, food, a floating hotel, travel ports, pools, drinks, and like minded people. I think Andy ran into a travel agent and our drummer had actually played on ships – so after some deliberation we decided that was the way to go. We took one other band (Dexter Freebish) that first year and maybe about half the boat. And it was AMAZING! The minute we walked off the ship we all looked at each other and said “we are DEFINITELY onto something!

So for year two we chartered an entire ship, booked about 25-30 bands, programmed the whole experience, used several stages – and instead of calling it the “Sister Hazel Cruise,” we called it “The Rock Boat” (hosted by Sister Hazel) so that it felt more inclusive to all the artists we invited aboard. We were pioneering a whole new niche approach for artists to connect with fans on a deeper level (which scared the hell out of some bands) and we had officially started “The world’s largest floating music festival.”

This year we’re at 26 years of sold out Rock Boat experiences. Who does ANYTHING for 26 years?! … We work all year long vetting each band that we make offers to – and work closely with our partners at Sixthman throughout the year to curate and deliver the experience of people’s lifetimes. Every year! The shows, theme nights, artist collaborations, Q&A’s, alter ego sets, acoustic pop up shows, huge productions, to surprise cabin shows… Our goal is that you come for your favorite band(s) and leave with your next favorite band!

And the Rock Boat Community is as loyal, passionate, and supportive as any musical community on the planet. I always say “from the outside looking in you can’t understand it. And from the inside looking out – you can’t explain it.” But there’s magic, love, energy, and connection that is indescribable. This event – The Original Rock Boat – is as healthy today in 2026 as it was a quarter of a century ago when we first took a chance and pioneered a “crazy” new idea. And it spawned an entire niche of musical and other special interest cruise events helping launch Sixthman to take it to a place none of us could have ever imagined. Fans first! And no detail goes untouched… It’s impossible to overstate what the Rock Boat did, what it continues to be, and all the ripples that it created that have gone on to become incredible events in the hands of our original partners – the Sixthman team. We’re very proud of what we started with Sixthman 26 years ago – and the legacy that has been created by pioneering that first music cruise!

READ MORE:
Rocking The Boat: Sixthman Celebrates 25 Years Of Living Loud With Community-Inspired Festivals At Sea