A sea of thousands flocked to the heart of Boston this weekend to celebrate a historic year for the Boston Calling Music Festival which had yet another all-star lineup of acts and a delicious array of food and drink.
Headlined by Australian pop-singer, Sia, the festival kicked off Friday night and the weekend-long party filled with music as loud as it was diverse, had begun. Saturday featured performances from acts such as folk-rock band, City and Colour, DJ group, Odeza, and pop sensation, Robyn. Soul-singer, Charles Bradley, gave the performance of a lifetime with his band of ‘Extraordinaires’ on Sunday which was followed by R&B singer, Janelle Monáe, all-female rock band, HAIM, and London-based Electronic duo, Disclosure. These acts only scratched the surface of the jam-packed ticket of bands that performed throughout the weekend. Like previous festivals, the acts alternated between two stages. This year, the red and blue stages were sponsored by Xfinity and JetBlue. With expansion on the horizon, a smaller, third stage sponsored by Verizon that featured both bands and comedic acts was added.
An empty stomach is never an option at Boston Calling. Even the savviest of food connoisseurs had their appetites satisfied with gourmet food served up by local favorites. Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Firefly’s BBQ, Zinneken’s Belgian Waffles, CopperDome Crust, and many more were enjoyed by the masses. Tasty Burger made their return to the festival serving up their iconic juicy and delicious burgers, made just the way you like them.
Samuel Adams was back as a partner of the festival serving up cold, refreshing brews. Their Raw Double IPA infused with citrus and pine was a huge hit with festival-goers, myself included. Massachusetts own, Wicked Wines also made a return with their full and flavorful selections of wine. Polar was providing a vast selection of their delicious seltzers to the crowd as well.
Boston Calling also knows how to treat its VIP guests in style. With free lunch and dinner that ranged from sushi to pork shoulder sandwiches, a private beer garden, and a view of both stages that trumps all, it is clear that going VIP for a show like this is absolutely the best way to go. On the other side of the coin, however, my time in general admission was an experience I will never forget because it allowed me to get up close and personal with the acts, and be surrounded by a crowd of people who all were riding the same musical wave. The vibe was contagious and the dancing was plenty down in the sea of happy-go-lucky concert-goers.
As the last notes of Disclosure’s hit, ‘Latch’, rung throughout Boston and the house lights came on in Government Center, a beginning of a new chapter had begun for Boston Calling Music Festival. With their relocation to the Harvard Sports Complex in Allston next year and the addition of a film festival curated by Award-Winning actress, Natalie Portman, we can only expect this already great festival to get bigger and better. The larger space will allow more stages and, most importantly, more people who come far and wide to enjoy music in one of the nation’s most historic cities. It was surely a festival for the books and one that many will always remember. Boston Calling has a very exciting future ahead of it and we are very excited to see what’s in store for it.
