The 2024 edition of the Boston Calling Music Festival hit the weather jackpot this Memorial Day weekend, and attendees open to all genres of music struck it big, too.
If Friday’s singer-songwriter heavy line-up at the outdoor Harvard University athletic complex wasn’t your thing, you could still enjoy a good dose of pop rock and classic indie sounds. Boston Calling’s most country roster to date on Saturday sprinkled in just enough punk, rap and rock to satisfy those wary of banjos and fiddles. And Sunday’s indie-alternative rock sets brought home the weekend with the Killers, Hozier, and other performers that have long been the event’s sweet spot—and the festival grounds were absolutely packed in the main stage areas and well beyond. Sunday was filled with raunchy fun as well courtesy of Chappell Roan and Megan Thee Stallion.
The highlight for us was getting a sit-down interview with Frank Turner, an English punk troubadour who just released his 10th album, “Undefeated,” in advance of his late Saturday afternoon show that proved to be an outlier on the country music day.
Other artists were the big draw for other attendees. Pink cowboy and cowgirl hats, plus pink and sparkly everything else, were the attire of the day in honor of Roan, she of the cheeky lyrics and harlequin attire. Saturday headliner Tyler Childers had some less familiar with country music asking “Tyler who?” But fewer will be asking that question about this folk-country performer as his star rises. Hozier’s disciples, wearing their Sunday best artist shirts, were only too glad to be taken to church by the Irish singer and his strong backing band.
- Day #1: Singer-songwriters have their moments
- Day #2: Grand Ole Opry breaks out in Boston
- Day #3: Stacked line-up draws huge crowd
- Sounds of Boston Calling ’24
Day #1: Singer-songwriters have their moments
My sidekick, Duncan Brown (aka, Mr. Swellesley Jr.,) and I caught songs from more than two-thirds of the 51 acts at Boston Calling, including the first performer on Friday at 1:45pm, Divine Sweater. which shared its sweet dreamy sound with diehards and newcomers alike. As part of a local band, lead vocalist Meghan Kelleher spoke of the “honor” of getting the opening set at the music festival.
Singer-songwriter Madi Diaz followed on the adjacent green stage nonchalantly with “Same Risk,” opening with “What the f— do you want…, Cause I’ll give you all that I’ve got,” in a largely chill set accompanied only by a drummer.
“Did you just cheer for an acoustic guitar?” she asked? “You guys are my kind of people.”
Boston Calling’s local flavor continued on the Orange Stage, where the Wolff Sisters banged out their catchy Americana tunes, including a crowd-pleasing “Boston Town,” with its “Oh where are you from , I’m from Boston Town” lyrics—something fresher than “Shipping Up to Boston,” covered in part by another band on Saturday.
The Orange Stage makes up for what it lacks in size with enthusiasm from friends, family, those passing between the Blue and Red or Green stages, and those that have discovered bands heading into the festival.
Nothing said mid-70s temps for opening day at Boston Calling like a pop rock band called Beach Weather. This outfit sprang back to life post-pandemic after earlier viral success with “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” (“We’re the TikTok band,” they joked). Beach Weather was now celebrating at this show pregnancy, families on hand, and in the case of lead singer Nick Santino, a very short commute to the Red Stage at Boston Calling. “I’m the only one from here,” he boasted.
Next up with Maris, making her way to Boston for the first time by way of Montana, where she grew up, and Los Angeles, where she moved to make it in pop music. She’s got some diva-like pipes, which she broke out in a song called “Chameleon” that’s slated for release in September and in which she emphasizes that she’s tired of being a chameleon and wants to be herself. “That’s my one ballad… thank s for letting me express my feelings,” she said.
Maris, playing her first music festival, brought the props too, including an air guitar—that is, an inflatable one—and tearaway spacesuit pants that let her cool off a bit during her energetic set. Will Maris someday return as a bigger pop star? Who knows, we’ve seen Paramore and other bands “graduate” to the big stages at this festival over the years. She was ubiquitous at the festival.
Boston Calling proved to be a testing ground for many of the performers to air new songs. This included 23-year-old David Kushner, he of the deep voice and TikTok fame for songs like “Daylight” and “Miserable Man.” Based on his often forlorn facial expressions it was tough to tell if Kushner was enjoying himself on stage, though he had to be pleased when asking the crowd to sing along to “Skin and Bones”—he didn’t have to ask twice. Also, in Kushner’s defense, he said he’d arrived in town at 4 a.m., so counted on “you guys bringing the energy.”
Chicago’s Ric Wilson brought feel-good funk-infused hip-hop to the Blue Stage, where he exclaimed “Shout out to Chicago—and Boston,” and went on to give everyone a simple left-right dance lesson.
Local band JVK really got the party started on Day #1 with an Orange Stage set full of in-your-face rock, as they’ve emerged from local basement gigs to the much bigger stage. Vocalist Jo Krieger commanded the stage as she veered from scowls to smirks in barking out songs like “My Own Man,” a number she said “encapsulates us.
Anyone wondering what all those parent-kid combinations were about at this festival had to look no further than the Green Stage later afternoon when “Mean Girls” (2024) star Reneé Rapp appeared, ready to rumble. She demanded early on: “Raise your hand if you’re a hater,” and later let us all know she still holds a grudge against Boston, the sight of some of her ex-es. And yes, of course she belted out her song “I Hate Boston” and felt the love of her fans.
No one took offense over at the Blue Stage to synth-pop trio Cannons, which cooly zipped through 15 songs in a hour, including closer “Fire for You”—”I know you know the words,” singer Michelle Joy assured those who have been following the band during its 10-year run. The pro tip for those who haven’t been to Boston Calling is that the Blue and Orange stages are easily accessible throughout the festival, whereas the larger Red and Green Stages can be tough or nearly impossible to get close to as the acts get bigger if you haven’t basically camped out early on.
That show was the sight of a first for us at the concert—a fan asked if he could take our photos after noticing our Swellesley attire. Turns out he grew up in Wellesley, and now lives in Needham.
Now back to the show…
Kei, a local rapper, came out flying with her well choreographed crew on the Orange Stage with tons of energy and family-unfriendly lyrics.
We barely got a glimpse of soulful Leon Bridges, though did catch him performing “Texas Sun” with support from his backing band and singers. The versatile performer sang and played guitar during his dusk set.
Young the Giant proved to be the indie rock band I didn’t realize I needed to see. I’ve known their music for a long time, but it never occurred to me to see them as a headliner. They were perfect to see as a festival band high on the roster. Sameer Gadhia, a classic lead vocalist with a strong voice and plenty of style, made clear the crowd was in for a rock music concert. The band didn’t make the crowd wait long for favorite “Cough Syrup,” played just three songs in, but had plenty left throughout the set, including a raucous closer in “My Body.” They also did a little inspiration talk when referring to the song “Mind over Matter,” which initially “went nowhere” when released as a single 10 years ago, but then found later popularity. That’s what can happen when you “put something into the world with intention,” Gadhia preached.
Headliner Ed Sheeran, who filled Gillette Stadium twice last summer, pulled in a strong late night crowd at Boston Calling. He shared his obligatory explanation at the start of the show for those who have never seen him perform live (count me among them) that he uses loop pedals to accompany himself on stage—an impressive feat that ensures every performance is unique.
His engaging show featured all the hits, plus clever twists such as morphing his “Don’t” with Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”
Day #2: Grand Ole Opry breaks out in Boston
We started off Day #2 catching a set by The Castellows, three sisters from southwest Georgia—and now obviously Nashville—who had never ventured to Boston. Their harmonies, guitars, banjos, and All-American outfits got the country thang off to a strong start during their set, a mix of originals off their EP and covers, including “Come Together.”
You could feel some country from local band Highwater Haulers on the Orange Stage, but they also rocked, displaying some of the festival’s more impressive guitar solos. Fresh off their March album debut, this band lured a big crowd to the small stage, where they issued a shout-out to educators as the school year nears its end—half of the 4-member band are teachers.
Motherfolk rocked hard on the Blue Stage, celebrating their taste of clams since they were near the ocean, and lamenting the tough drive from the midwest, which somehow resulted in someone punching their vehicle. Bobby Paver took control on lead vocals, harmonizing with Karlie Dickerson to great effect.
The rules at Cakeswagg’s Orange Stage set: “When I say Cake, You all say Swagg.” And so it went during the Boston rapper’s colorful set, complete with a stage packed with dancers. She promised “razzle dazzle” and that they were going to get “real bougie,” and did not disappoint.
DIY artist D4vd amped up his lo-fi indie pop and R&B, launching his set with a backflip, and exciting the crowd further with selections from the two EPs he released during a busy 2023. He was one of numerous performers, including The Killers later on, who couldn’t resist making a reference to being a Harvard: “We made it to Harvard, they said we weren’t smart enough, we made it to Harvard!”
Folk-punk singer Frank Turner and his Sleeping Souls band didn’t give the country music crowd a chance to know what hit them, though there were plenty of Frank-heads in the late afternoon audience as well for his frenetic set. Turner packed a handful of songs from his new “Undefeated” album into the set, including fun punk song “Girl from the Record Shop” and sing-a-long “Do One,” then ran through crowd pleasers like “Recovery” and “I Still Believe.” He addressed his anxiety about playing guitar solos by playing one with a little help and one really all by himself, with plenty of crowd support behind him as he leapt onto , and later dove into the crowd for a bit of singing and surfing. Turner also triggered the first mosh pit, albeit orchestrated, that I’ve seen at Boston Calling since the Oh Sees played in 2018, and ended things by getting the crowd to twirl ballerina style to “Four Simple Words.”
Always on the lookout for a Wellesley angle at Boston Calling, which in the past has featured residents as performers, we this year ran across plenty of our neighbors in the crowd. So yes, Wellesley does rock.
The music took a hard turn next, as the undeniably cool trio Khruangbin offered the perfect dinnertime chill out. In fact, this mainly instrumental band’s music serves as one of Mrs. Swellesley’s go-to background soundtracks while she writes.
The band’s guitarist and bassist glided back and forth across the set design, which looked an awful lot like their “A LA SALA” album cover, while drummer DJ Johnson held court and kept the beat.
Trey Anastasio, performing with Classic Tab, picked up on the Red Stage where Khruangin’s groove left off next door, offering a mix of Phish and older tunes. The tie-dye crowd appreciated it very much, as unlike other bands that jammed as many songs into their slot as possible, Anastasio and crew just jammed, spreading just eight songs over their 90-minute set.
Tyler Childers proved his worthiness as a headliner in the closing act on Saturday night, delivering a mix of Kentucky-borne country, heartfelt love songs, and homespun tales. The versatile Childers, swapping his acoustic guitar for a fiddle at one point, deftly commanded the stage, though credited his bandmates as well during introductions done in auctioneer-mode.
Day #3: Stacked line-up draws huge crowd
Any number of acts on Day #3—Megan Thee Stallion, Hozier, The Killers—could have (and some would say should have) headlined at Boston Calling, and returnees The Killers took the honors on Sunday. By the time they and Hozier right before them took the stage, many fans were sprawled out almost to the entrance, settling for listening rather than seeing the bands that were hundreds of feet away. Boston Calling in the wake of the festival has acknowledged needing to do more work with public safety officials to ensure a comfortable experience for all.
How did so many people get in that day, by the way? Most bought tickets, but I also learned of other means during the show. While awaiting one performance, I met a couple of guys named Andrew who were surprised to be put on the guest list for an artist called Francis of Delirium from Luxembourg after one of them had written to the band a while back suggesting they tour in the area…). During the set heard ’round the festival from hard rockers Fleshwater, one member recalled sneaking into Boston Calling years ago, and played a song for those who “snuck in today and got away with it.”
It’s impossible to do it all at a festival like this, and sometimes you just need to pick your spots. As a veteran of every Boston Calling, I took the sane route and joined the hundreds (rather than tens of thousands) at the Blue Stage night time set by Canadian indie pop band Alvvays. They had the unenviable position of overlapping with Hozier, but those of us who went this route had close-up views of the dusk-time performance, with the colorful spider-themed ferris wheel spinning behind us. Lead singer and guitarist Molly Rankin’s resonant voice hypnotized, backed seamlessly by the band as Alvvays played a mix of ballads and bangers, including the buoyant “Marry Me Archie” near the end of their set. Rankin set expectations early: “We have no confetti cannons or beach balls. We’re just gonna play a bunch of guitar songs.”
The crowds arrived early, as fans sought to get up close for Chappell Roan’s 4:05pm start. Chants of “Chappell, Chappell” preceded her entrance onto the stage.
Roan’s ascent has been fast, catching fire leading into her opening slot for Olivia Rodrigo’s recent tour, and now a big draw on her on. Her naughty new wave and pop set took place at peak heat on Sunday, so it was no surprise to see her ditch an elaborate robe after one song and finish her set in more streamlined burlesque attire. Fans came wearing sequined hats, vests, boots, and pants, and many of their faces and backs were pink from the sun as well.
Roan barely stopped moving during her set, other than to gaze upon her “girlfriend,” a wig, while singing “Picture You” (Roan described the wig as “my only girl… I’ve very monogamous.” Not since the Village People’s “YMCA” have I seen so many people in a crowd spell out the words to a song as during “Hot to Go.” Roan called out more than once to “my girls” in the crowd, though all types of people crowded around the stage for her blast of a set, propelled in no small part by her equally dynamic bandmates (Chappell ordered the crowed to scream loudly for them given that they were “wearing latex” in the hot weather).
While it was hard to match Roan’s revival, the show did go on and on Sunday.
Those camping out for Roan were treated to The Heavy Heavy, a retro rock band out of the UK, and Royel Otis, an Australian band that alternates between sweet and loud. Those unfamiliar with these bands might have been surprised that so many seemed to know so many lyrics—that’s the power of streaming.
Blues prodigy Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, 19-year-old Zola Simone, rambunctious Fleshwater, and indie rocker Blondshell all put on solid shows later in the day.
Megan Thee Stallion’s set was well choreographed with dancers and costume changes, but also felt more freestyle than others thanks to Megan’s rapping skills. She declared this to be “the summer of self love,” and had everyone feeling pretty good about themselves before the next season has even officially started.
Sounds of Boston Calling ’24
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Special thanks to Chris & the rest of the 44 Communications team for another smooth operation from the press side of things at the show.
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