Boston Calling was one of the best weekends of my life. My entire camera roll and Snapchat memories are filled with videos from different sets I went to, food I ate, and bands that I saw. Along with seeing fan-favorite bands like the Lumineers and Paramore and Noah Kahan, I also found bands and singers that I have become a new fan of. Here are my top five new and upcoming artists that I saw that you should give a try listening to.
- Workman Song
Workman Song was a country music-looking band with music that you could just vibe and bop your head to. At one point, the lead singer pointed out to his wife who also sang with the band. Workman Song played on the orange stage at the Boston Calling festival which was the smallest stage available but it was the perfect place for new and up-and-coming artists. The band had such a bluesy and rustic look to them which fit along with some of their songs. Workman Song had such a fun and crowd, engaging set, everybody was having a good time so even if you didn’t know the lyrics of their songs you could still have a good time. Workman Song’s music had a pop, country, and a little rock ‘n’ roll vibe which made for such an interesting and fun concert experience. I will definitely be listening to them more.
- Zolita
I was so sad I was unable to see her on Friday. But I saw the Instagram story of her set and it was so fun and was so crowd engaging. I heard people talking about it the very next day on Saturday and I even met her in the media tent. She was such a sweet and kind person. You can tell she really cares about her fans and her music is great! Even if you didn’t know many songs, her pop music and exciting energy make you excited and overall make a concert experience great. While on stage she played Her hit songs “Somebody I F***** Once” and “Single in September.” If you’re into pop music and energetic music but also great breakup and love songs you should really give Zolita a try.
- The Q-tip Bandits
The Q-tip Bandits were one of the first bands I saw on Saturday. They are a local band from Boston who played on the blue stage. The band has even been nominated for “Best New Artist” by the Boston Music Awards. Their energy was great. With synchronized high kicks from the two lead singers and their swaying instruments, you could feel how in tune they are with the music and crowd. The fans were so engaged, there was a trombonist who the crowd went wild for. This band was such a unique and engaging band with their coordinated outfits, trumpet player, and trombonist who crowds don’t usually see when artists/bands are playing. Their songs “Willow” and “Chasing Cars” got the crowd jumping and moving. The crowd was loving it and so was I. The band took time to connect with the fans and talk to them during their set and they look like they really enjoyed being on stage, always smiling, and always having a good time and it showed in their music as well. This band was one of my favorites of the weekend and you should listen to them if you’re into indie rock and pop that also has a little R&B in it as well.
- Ali McGuirk
Ali McGuirk has a soulful voice and almost an Amy Winehouse kind of voice and rhythm in her. Her crowd was big at the orange stage. Everybody was bopping their heads dancing, and enjoying her music, and she was having a great time on stage. She had an R&B feel and a great voice. Ali’s songs were the type of songs you could listen to at any time of the day. I highly recommend giving her a try and listening to some of her songs because they’re so likable in my opinion. I was just walking around Boston calling when I stumbled into her concert and I didn’t leave until the set was over! Neither did a lot of the people in the crowd.
- Genesis Owusu
Genesis Owusu was such a fun set to see! He was running around the stage, jumping and getting the crowd engaged, having the crowd get to the ground during one of the songs, and the moment the beat dropped, everybody got up and started jumping, and his songs were great. Genesis also asked many crowd-engaging questions like “Boston are you aliveeee?” which had the crowd roaring. I even got to see him from the Ferris wheel and enjoy his music all the way at the top! His songs were very upbeat, and some of them were just chill and had a little bit of an indie music vibe to them! While others had an R&B and rap kind of feel to them. But the crowd loved him. I loved him and his Australian accent was so fun to listen to when he was talking to the fans and getting everybody all excited. Genesis had such fun music to dance to that you didn’t even need to know the lyrics to have a good time!
Overall, this was such a great weekend. Aside from seeing all the headliners, it’s important not to forget all the smaller artists as well, because they are also great and give you more range and exposure to other types of music. I’m looking forward to the next Boston Calling and I was so grateful to experience this one! The artists that I met were so kind and nice and fan-oriented. Some of the other media people were also kind and nice and the whole festival was just a great place to be! There was no drama, and everybody looked like they were having a good time no matter what stage they were at!
