Tomorrow marks the beginning of Boston Calling’s 3-day festival run. Although September’s lineup is being hailed as the most impressive bill yet (Nas, Lorde, and The National are all scheduled to headline), the acts featured this time around are downright solid in their own right. Here are a few reminders of why you should be more than excited for the Memorial Day weekend edition.
Boston Calling has expanded from a two-day music festival to a three-day music festival.
This is great news for anyone who calls themselves a music lover. The first two Boston Callings did so well that founders Brian Appel and Mike Snow threw in another day of the festival for good measure. The addition of a third day didn’t mean sacrificing a killer lineup in order to achieve it. In fact, it meant quite the opposite. Jack Johnson is the headliner for Friday, and as Snow wisely put it: “What better way to kick off the start of warm weather than with the king of sandals and summer himself?”
The bands that are scheduled to perform at Boston Calling are ones that have previously gone missing in action.
Boston Calling is quickly becoming a festival where bands flock to either a) reinvent themselves or b) jumpstart their comeback. Even though Jack Johnson released From Here to Now to You last year, recently his live shows have been few and far between. Brand New hasn’t released an album since 2009’s Daisy, The Decemberists haven’t given us new material since 2011, and the last time Modest Mouse graced an American stage was years ago. All of these acts had their pick of platforms to help them ignite a comeback, but they chose Boston to do it in.
Boston Calling keeps getting better over time.
It was exactly one year ago that the very first Boston Calling took place. Of course, it had its kinks that any first time festival would endure. But as the saying goes: practice makes perfect. Now, stages are placed in more strategic locations, more and more vendors have been brought to the table, and the press has been generously accommodated to ensure the best media coverage possible. In addition to all of that, Appel and Snow have launched weekly block parties to showcase local talent. It’s clear that as time progresses, Boston Calling continually gains momentum.