By Max Rodriguez
Bu News Service
This weekend City Hall Plaza was transformed into a massive celebration as Boston Calling took over the park for the sixth iteration of the semi-annual music festival. With notable performances from Of Monsters and Men, Chvrches and Alabama Shakes, attendees were not disappointed.
Friday night was dominated by The Avett Brothers’ performance, which had the audience swaying throughout the set. Their music, a mixture of indie rock and bluegrass, closed out the first day on a mellow note.
Chromeo’s light show.
Saturday night kept the friendly energy going with more mellow acts such as Sturgill Simpson and Father John Misty during the day. However, once the sun set, the audience was treated to a light spectacle from Chromeo, whose retro disco style brought the crowd to their feet.
But the best performance on Saturday came from Scottish band Chrvches. The band played hit after hit, impressive for a band who debuted in 2013 and recently finished working on their second album.
The final day of the festival began with a rock filled line-up. Bully, a Nashville band, brought a “screamo” vibe to the stage. Lead singer Alicia Bognanno was able to sing softly when the songs needed relief, but at its fiercest her voice channeled the best of 90’s garage rock.
Family at Boston Calling.
Sunday’s highlight was a stellar performance from headliners Alabama Shakes. With the “super blood moon” eclipse as their spotlight and the powerful voice of lead singer Brittany Howard, audiences certainly got their moneys worth if they had not received it already. Howard thrilled the crowd with her vocals, a mixture of neo-soul and gospel-style rants, and her larger than life stage presence.
The band, which recently released its second studio album, did not have the extravagant stage lights and visuals that many other artists did, but the music spoke for itself.
Boston Calling had the perfect mixture of musical acts to please its diverse crowd. But besides this festival was also unique in including activities for people of all ages.
Throughout the festival many families with young children could be seen enjoying the music, as well as family friendly activities like over-sized “Jenga” and “Connect Four” that were available in front of City Hall.
With an eclipse in the sky, perfect weather and great music to enjoy, Boston Calling had all the right ingredients for an experience that attendees will not soon forget.
