A weekend of musical discoveries and unforgettable performances

I went to Boston Calling for the first time. All I knew about it beforehand was that it was a music festival. Although I listened to Boston Calling’s Spotify playlist that featured the artists performing over the three days of the event, I was still unfamiliar with many of them. In this article, I will break down each day of Boston Calling — I hope you enjoy it!

Friday
I arrived on Friday at 4:40, and I was struck by how large the festival was. Four stages ensure that music is always playing, vendors line the sides, and 40,000 people mingle and eat. Despite being a little late because of school, I still managed to see quite a few artists.
The first was Chelsea Cutler. She did not play any tracks that I knew, but I liked being able to hear new songs. I also appreciated the way she encouraged concertgoers to say greet those around them, emphasizing that the bonds that form between listeners are what make live music beautiful.
Next was Teddy Swims, who is difficult to categorize into one genre; everything from his name to his appearance to his songs seemed to contradict each other, but it ultimately worked. He sang “Don’t Stop Believin,’” and the whole crowd joined him.
I only caught a glimpse of the National performing “Eucalyptus,” a song from their recent album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein.
On my way to see Niall Horan (whom I promised my friend I would see), I passed by the stage on which Little Fuss was performing, and I was so enthralled by the lead singer’s voice that I had to stop and watch — even though I knew my chances to get a good spot to watch Niall Horan were decreasing with each minute I stayed.
Eventually, however, I made my way to where Niall Horan would sing. There were already many people there, but I managed to find somewhere relatively close to the stage, albeit toward the side. I was never a Directioner, but I loved seeing the devotion of Niall Horan’s fans. One person held up a doll of Niall; another person made a sign stating that she had traveled 4,000 miles from Brazil to see him. It was probably my favorite Friday performance; he sang popular songs like “This Town,” “Story of My Life,” and “Slow Hands” as well as unreleased songs from his upcoming album. Even the songs I didn’t know were easy to follow, and I found myself singing with the rest of the crowd by the second instance of the chorus. Many of the fans chanted for an encore long after I had left the site, but unfortunately, I don’t think he gave one.
The last performance of the night was the Foo Fighters. I hate to admit it, but I left early. I like some (one) of the Foo Fighters’ songs (sorry), but I just wasn’t enjoying myself. I was tired from school and watching other concerts, I couldn’t see them onstage, and the listeners around me were mostly older men smoking cigarettes, which I didn’t vibe with. I also knew that I had to rest for the second day of Boston Calling.

Saturday
I saw the most artists on Saturday. After arriving at 1:45 sharp, I watched the opening act, Neemz, who I wasn’t the biggest fan of. Her actual songs were fine, but I disliked her attitude in the segments where she spoke.
Next was Loveless. Although the band had good energy, with the vocalist coming down from the stage to be closer to the crowd, I soon left to find something I liked more.
I found that in The Q-Tip Bandits. They exuded such bright, fun personalities that I couldn’t watch them without a smile on my face. They even invited the audience to scream as loudly as they could, which seemed to be cathartic for many. I loved watching the band members interact with each other, as it felt like they were a family.
Afterward, I briefly heard Chrysalis singing “margarita sugar (i know I’ll see you again),” Welshly Arms (which I described in my notebook as “pretty good”), Joy Oladokun, who charmed the crowd with her funny intro and sweet voice, “Under Control” by Coral Moons, and Declan McKenna. While I tried to watch artists’ full shows on Friday and obtain a sense of who they were as people, my main goal on Saturday was to see as many different artists as possible. I’m not sure which strategy I’d recommend; while I heard a lot of new music on the second day, it was very hectic.
Following a bit of Declan McKenna, I wanted to catch Mt. Joy. When I reached the stage, I already could see a large crowd gathering in anticipation of Noah Kahan, and I decided to hop on the bandwagon and see what all the fuss was about even though I don’t know him super well. I found myself toward the front, and I was the most squished I have ever been in my life. I take public transportation every day, but not even the busiest rides have compared to this. I could barely hear Mt. Joy, which was performing nearby. The sheer number of people surrounding me, combined with the 80-degree weather and the all-encompassing smell of weed, made me nauseous, but I didn’t want to sacrifice the good spot that I had. I probably waited there for about 30 minutes before Noah Kahan came onstage, and I lasted about five songs before I pushed my way to the back of the audience, where there were fewer people. I’m not claustrophobic, but I’m glad I left when I did, and I was able to watch the rest of the concert with more room to breathe.
Alanis Morrisette was appearing soon a few minutes later, and I ultimately chose to stay for her full show instead of seeing The Flaming Lips, which I wanted to see. I just didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to scream “You Oughta Know” with other people and Alanis herself. Although part of me wishes I left in the middle for The Flaming Lips and then came back, I was overall satisfied with the experience — Alanis had amazing energy, spinning around so many times it made me dizzy, playing the harmonica into the microphone, and singing songs past her showtime ended.
The Lumineers closed that day. I found a decent spot toward the front, and I was having fun, but every so often, I would have to fight the urge to throw up. It wasn’t even that packed where I was, but I figured I was still recovering from the Noah Kahan concert. So I similarly left my area and watched from afar.
I was exhausted when it was all over, from the sun beating down on me all day to running around to try to see all of the performers. Therefore, I resolved to change my strategy for the final day.

Sunday
My Sunday arrival, like my Friday arrival, was a little late. When I arrived, Mohamed (a TiP staff member) and I made a video about what we could buy at Boston Calling for $20. It was my first time buying anything there (I either brought food with me or ate the food that was served at the media tent), and I purchased a riceball and ice cream. While Mohamed and I were filming, 070 Shake was performing “Guilty Conscience” and “Ghost Town.”
We then went to Genesis Owusu, who gave the best performance of the Boston Calling artists at that point. He knew how to fire up the audience, playing chanting games with them, and one of the members onstage with him even started climbing the metal frame of the stage. We were all soon shouting Genesis’s name. One song I thought was very pretty that I put on my “May 2023” Spotify playlist is called “A Song About Fishing.”
I watched Ali McGurk sing songs like “The Work” before heading over to see Maren Morris. I wanted to pay more attention to her but couldn’t because I had to prepare to see Paramore — although they weren’t appearing until a couple of hours later, Paramore was my favorite band in seventh grade, and I felt that it would be a full-circle moment if I saw them at the end of my senior year. That day, the only thing that mattered was that I obtained front-row spots for them. So I refilled my water bottle, went to the bathroom, and pushed my way to be closer to the stage. Queens of the Stone Age was playing right next to where I was waiting for Paramore, but I couldn’t see or hear them. During the two hours I waited there, I tried to listen to Queens of the Stone Age, read a little of my book, and fell asleep sitting down in the grass.
At last, Paramore appeared at 9 P.M. (I was awake at that point), and they met all of my expectations and more. The songs, the sets, and the energy all made the show unforgettable. My favorite moment was when they, following tradition, picked a fan in the crowd to sing “Misery Business,” which I had no idea they did. They selected someone who coincidentally dyed her bangs at a place in Nashville connected to Hayley Williams and who was so natural and talented onstage that she might as well have been another band member. Both of these combined made me a little skeptical about whether or not Williams’s choice was entirely random, but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. Other highlights were “Rose-Colored Boy,” “The Only Exception,” and “Still Into You.”

Even though I saw the fewest artists on Sunday, it was my favorite day of Boston Calling. I discovered the value of taking things slowly, and Paramore blew me away with their amazing performance. I, however, was lucky enough to be there for all three days, and I think if I were there for only one day, I would try to see as much as I could.
Overall, I loved my time at Boston Calling. While most of the other concerts I have been to seemed more rehearsed, what I liked most about Boston Calling was the ability of the audience to engage with the performers on a more personal level.