Like all epic days, this one starts with glitter. It is scattered on shoulders and faces, hopefully along with sunscreen, on young bus patrons smushed together traveling between Brighton and the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston.
In other cities, or even at other times during the weekend, this might feel rude, uncomfortable, or out of place.
Yet even when we were jammed together, brimming with excitement and potential, there was an understanding that we were committed to experiencing this together. It was an apt reflection of the first day of Boston Calling: finding moments of solidarity and fun even among the crowds. Moments of finding your groove, or perhaps your calling – dominated.
(Author Note: Sunday, as widely reported, had an entirely different mass of people in a crowded situation. It was clear on Day 1 that overcrowding would likely be an issue on Day 3, with more notes to shared in Part 2. Part 1 focuses on the Friday of Boston Calling).
Boston Calling is not Treefort or SXSW, which both present eclectic biospheres of musical discovery. Patrons come with a laser focus because a specific artist “calls” to them.
Singular goals range from Renee Rapp to Ed Sheeran to Leon Bridges to Tyler Childers to Chappell Roan to Hozier. Patrons cleared schedules and drove in from greater New England and beyond for individual artists on a jam-packed line up.
Day 1 was dominated by Renee Rapp, as evidenced by the so-called young ex-wives club roaming the festival grounds with “Good Tits Big Heart” shirts and flashing Friday-only Boston Calling wristbands. “I want to be dancing!” yelled one. “We have to be close enough to SEE her!” pleaded another. For me, Day 1’s endgame was Leon Bridges, an artist whose musicality I admire. And thus, like all Boston Calling attendees, I planned my schedule accordingly.
As all good festivals start, I was fueled by LiquidDeath and LiquidIV, dressed in excessive sprays of sunscreen, and surrounded by the notes of a band, in this case, music from The Wolff Sisters skimming over the air from the Orange Stage. Home base would be on the tennis courts, not just a timely reference for those living out their Challengers dreams and a fitting reference to Liquid Death’s activation deemed a Country Club, but an intriguing backdrop for band photos. But synth pop was calling, and Maris was answering, and so must I.
Maris on the Blue Stage at Boston Calling
Sparkling in the hot sun pummeling directly onto the pavement, the Blue Stage musicians play under the watchful eye of the ferris wheel. It’s hot. And yet, Maris jumps around in a red jumpsuit, eager to stoke the Friday afternoon crowd. I am struck by the number of sensible shoes I see worn by young patrons. No sandals here; it’s all Adidas and low white sneakers. I suppose in a city that has an incredible percentage of students, I shouldn’t be surprised that they’re smart. We are standing in the Harvard Athletic Complex after all.
My Peloton soundtrack came to life with Cannons on the Blue Stage. The number of times I said “I love this song” over the three day Boston Calling period… lets just be thankful I wasn’t running a counter. Taking a loop off the grounds, I found kids jumping on the inflatable tubes in the back of the Blue Stage on the lawn.
As I turn the corner, I find an empty front ground with deserted merchandise tents and hear the classic crowd roar of Renee’s fans. An impressive sound even from afar. Her vocals echo through the tents. I know her fans are pleased.
Cannons on the Blue Stage at Boston Calling
It occurs to me that this time, Friday afternoon, will be the lightest all week. It is manageable. But I overhear looming conversations of what is to come. “Sunday will be nuts!” I’m warned. Apparently they would be right.
Between the Green Stage and the Red Stage is a confusing matrix of blockades, the sound board, and a VIP section. For the most part, if you are strategically placed between the two stages, you don’t need to walk between the two so much as tilt your body. Walking through this mishmash, on the lightest day, proved difficult. This confluence of confusion would be a panic zone for some on Sunday.
But I am here for Leon. Cool, calm, and classic, slaying us with Texas sun warmed vocals, and owning every inch of both the stage and his corduroy outfit complete with bell bottoms and sunglasses, Leon Bridges entered the chat. “Let me see you strut!” he called as again Boston Calling patrons found their groove even in a crowd, punctuated with smiles and shorts. The same crowd hushed for a live version of “River,” a stripped down special version that felt catered and especially for us. And in that moment, under the muted sounds through my earplugs, I realize I am comfortable. Content to sway and enjoy; relishing in the expectation of these notes that I have heard so many times before. Mellow. And appreciative of the grand ability to be able to enjoy an entire artist’s performance.
Leon Bridges on the Red Stage at Boston Calling
Like before, the transition from the Red Stage to the Green Stage is less of a walk and more of a turn 45-degrees to the right. But if you’re short like me, there is a special secret to a better view: step back. Because not only can you see better, but that’s where the true stories are.
I look around and immediately notice how young Ed Sheeran’s fans are. Armed with iPhones readied at the stage, the 10-13 years olds that surround me erupt into a flood of yells for Ed, alone on stage with a loop pedal, ready to capture their favorite songs. In the back of the lawn, parents dance with their kids and sing to each other. Families talk about which tune is their favorite. Groups of friends yell out the lyrics to “Castle on the Hill” at a volume that surely will cause hoarseness tomorrow. Toddlers do cartwheels. Everyone laughs at Ed Sheeran’s mention of a lobster roll. Kids get hugged by their parents. It’s so free.
His first hit single may have been A-Team, but he’s really in a class by himself. Ed Sheeran’s loops and sounds echo into the night, dancing upon the Boston Calling spotlights, and I wonder if he realizes what he’s been able to achieve. Like the lights that streamed into the evening, balanced on harmonies that he teaches the crowd, there is a lightness that he has brought into Boston Calling; a free spirit of sorts, where we are able to both revel in comfort, delight, joy, and the crowd’s energy at the same time.
Ed Sheeran on the Green Stage at Boston Calling
Ed Sheeran’s vocals and audience screams mix with pings and slap shots as people play roller hockey outside the arena. But we carry a light now, like a Back Bay lantern. “Veritas” the Harvard gate beckons as we leave the complex. Truth. And the truth is, we are lighter now than when we entered, bettered by a unique combination of musical experience and freedom.
