It’s a wonderful day when you can say that you saw all of the bands that you wanted to when going to a festival, seek if not a magical one because that never happens. NEVER. But the great thing about all of these festivals popping up is that the smaller ones, order such as our very own Boston Calling, no rx is that there are no conflicts and even at the very other side of Gov. Center, you can hear the band just as well as if you were at the back of the crowd at any outdoor concert. The crowds were not overwhelming and the venders kept government center smelling like burgers and kept your mind thinking, “where the hell can I get me some of those fries served in a giant dog bowl?” Anyone looking at the lineup might be a little skeptical at how the likes of Okkervil River and Kendrick Lamar could do the same festival, but the dividing of the lineup into two very different days seemed to work great.

SATURDAY

Catering to the indie music lovers as well as the large population of “young professionals” in the area, Saturday kicked off with Viva Viva and was followed by a great set by a band with local roots, You Won’t. After You Won’t was done killin’ their set with their Indie-Folk sounds, Lucius from Brooklyn, NY played a high-energy show. Two women with identical retro haircuts and outfits and exhibiting full and funky voices while playing a few instruments each, headed the band. Seasoned indie band Okkervil River followed up playing a solid show demonstrating how they just released their seventh album last week.

Deer Tick took the stage midday and threw a bit of a screw you to their four past albums when lead singer John McCauley proclaimed, “We are going to do the new album top to back and you have no say in the matter.” Forty minutes later all was forgiven when lady friend Vanessa Carlton popped out to help on new duet “In Our Time.”  It was no “White Houses” or “A Thousand Miles” so that sucked, but unexpected collaborations always score points. Up next was The Airborne Toxic Event… or was it The Gaslight Anthem? All day people kept interchangeably using The Airborne Toxic Event and The Gaslight Anthem. I didn’t bother to correct anyone because I asked at least five times during both sets “which one is this one again?” I still don’t know, but also don’t care. Bat for Lashes played a set dressed as what I can only describe as a shiny lady clown outfit due to its rainbow colors, but she sounded great in her uniquely dark/indie/British way. She moved across the stage like the seasoned performer she is, commenting on the crowd and noting the sign language ladies that we had been staring at all day as the crowd moved around to her tunes such as “Laura” and “All your Gold.”

The winners of Saturday were definitely Local Natives who got an intro from Mayor Menino, and the band in turn dedicated their set to him as “The Bear of Boston.” The California band later dedicated “Who Knows, Who Cares” to those that started seeing them at TT the Bear’s years earlier and closed with a performance of “Sun Hands” that would have brought down the house had we been in a house. Vampire Weekend closed out the night playing a crowd pleasing set that included a lot of their new album as well as all the hits getting the audience pumped enough to dance away the few sprinkles that dared interrupt the otherwise perfectly weathered weekend under the most hipster floral background ever known to man.

SUNDAY

Sunday brought a much younger crowd… like MUCH younger as in have you ever tried to twerk next to someone in braces? The silver lining of the influx of the cast of Annie getting a little too wild for daylight was that it made the Beer Gardens much less crowded, allowing for the over 21 crowd a better vantage point to see the electro/dance heavy line-up such as Flosstradamus and Major Lazer. And more room to dance without overhearing talks of when Jimmy’s mom is picking us up.

Royal Teeth kicked off the day followed by MA natives Bearstronaut who were psyched to see sets by Local Natives and Flume. When not performing, the band can be found hanging out in local haunts like Church, where they were recently when they were told about their song “Passenger Side” being played during a game at Fenway. Continuing the dance infused line-up was Big Black Delta headed by Jonathan Bates who used to resided in Brighton during his time at Berklee. Bates was joined by two drummers kicking up the intensity of the crowd and getting everybody going.  Australia’s Flume took the dance party to the next step with his thick electronic beats that mixed in some throwbacks and had the crowd moving in one big DJ synced blob. His hits such as “Sleepless” and “Left Alone” with Chet Faker were detectible and a definite precursor to the artists playing later in the day.

Solange took the Red stage midday to prove that while she maybe Beyonce’s little sister, no one rocks a summer jam or summer dance party more than she does. She effectively brought soul to an electro party and people ate it up or they should have. The older crowd that did decide to come out on Sunday were right there with her, while the younger crowd didn’t exactly seem to know how to groove without waiting for the beat to drop (Side note: during Floss and Flume one can feel free to throw one hand in the air, but Solange needs two hands and some hips people). No, Queen B and Jay Z did not make an appearance, but after forty minutes of playing she wished us a happy summer and what a happy summer it was during that forty minutes of sunshine and Solange.

After Solange is where the crowd got their dance on with DJs Flosstradamus playing a twerk-filled dance party with new and old hits intertwined. Wolfgang Gartner continued the party and made sure people were ready for the extreme Major Lazer set. The Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire group played a nonstop set including all their biggest hits as well as mixing in crowd pleasers from Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and Nirvana making people lose their minds. Kendrick Lamar, the King of popularity right now, followed Major Lazer. Everyone in attendance paid attention when Kendrick played songs such as “Bitch Don’t Kill my Vibe,” “Swimming Pools (DRANK),” his collaboration and radio megahit with ASAP Rocky and Drake, “Problems” and ended with an ode to his hometown with “Compton.”

Boston’s Passion Pit closed out the fest with their high energy pop hits such as “Take a Walk,” “Sleepyhead” and “Little Secrets.” The kings of indie-dance and having curly haired members ended a great weekend filled with tons of Boston affiliated bands and some that were not, but it’s hard to understand how this festival is only on its second one. We look forward to what this will grow into, but I’ll leave you with the wise words of some eighteen-ish girl in the crowd, “this is so much more tame than Coachella.” … No shit, but don’t change too much Boston Calling, we wouldn’t want to disappoint that observant young lady.