To prep for Boston Calling, which runs this Friday, Satuday and Sunday, we’re running artist-by-artist previews on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Capice? Capice.
Day 1: Friday, Day of the Folk
CASS MCCOMBS
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
6:45 PM
WHERE:
Blue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Folk rock
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
A small-town Oklahoma boy wrestling a hunk of barbed wire off of the neighbor’s fence, because those blackberries on the other side aren’t going to eat themselves, damn it.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“McCombs has stated that his tombstone will read “‘Home At Last.’”
Well, alright then.
THOUGHTS:
A solid choice to open the folkiest day of the fest, by studio recordings. According to his Wikipedia entry, McCombs seems to have opened for half of the Coachella roster (and ¾ of Bonnaroo), and there’s a definite reason why. His live set appears to be mellow enough to draw in the (slightly smaller) Friday crowd, and provide a calming entry into the hippie dervishes of our next act. Huge points for the most satisfying name to say aloud of the night. Just try it. There you go.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Morning Star”
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
Attendees hear an equal ratio of “Who is this guy”s to “This guy is so underrated”s in the crowd; McCombs thanks the crowd twice. Only twice. Just kidding, several times.
EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS
WHAT TIME IS HE/SHE/THEY ON:
8:00 PM
WHERE:
Blue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Folk rock
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
You know those really long, indulgent showers you take after you’ve “earned it,” like after a long hike or an extended bout of mud wrestling? That, but you get dirty again as soon as you run outside and you just laugh it off.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“During this time, [lead singer Alex] Ebert began to write a book about a messianic figure named Edward Sharpe that was “sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind, but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love.”
I’m trying my absolute hardest to not mention any sort of “slacker Jesus” in this article, but come on.
THOUGHTS:
I wondered if the whole “hippie-love-everyone-get-high-on-love” ethos surrounding this monstrously large group was manufactured after their last self-titled record (which has the worst song titles this side of Andrew WK). Yeah, it certainly could have. Then again, we have a huge collection of video evidence that begs reconsidering. Maybe, just maybe, we can have a group of musicians this happy all the time in 2014. Maybe.
But you know what? I don’t even care anymore. The point is, Alex Ebert and Co. churn out the kind of crowd-pleasing, life-affirming, folk-tinged (insert further hyphenated phrases at your whim here) goodness that never looks as good on a live YouTube stream as it does in a huge crowd of sunburned festival-goers. I think they’ll surprise me. I hope they’ll surprise me. I want them to surprise me. And let’s face it, I’m pumped to yelp along with whichever member does those high-pitched croons (“oooooh, YAH-ooo-oohhhh”) in “Man on Fire,” because goddamn does that guy have some pipes.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Child”
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
Turner goes into the stands more than two, but less than five times; the didgeridoo will be played only once but get a huge ovation; the word “love” will be used so liberally that you’ll seem like a jerk for not using it more.
JACK JOHNSON
WHAT TIME IS HE/SHE/THEY ON:
9:30 PM
WHERE:
Blue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Folk rock (3 for 3!)
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Handwritten age-old idioms about handsome and talented singer-songwriters being beaten to death with a large baseball bat by a group of bespectacled bloggers a la Office Space.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia:
“Johnson enlisted J.P. Plunier to produce his fourth full-length studio album, Sleep Through the Static. It was recorded using 100% solar energy at the Solar-Powered Plastic Plant studio in Los Angeles.”
Not gonna lie, that’s pretty damn cool.
THOUGHTS:
I’ve mixed up this dude and John Mayer in my head too many times since junior high, but I don’t think that’ll matter to JJ superfans bound to descend late on a sleepy Friday night. You know what you’re getting with JJ (I’m still sticking with this nickname): some accessible, perfectly fine tunes bellied by extremely capable live musicians backing him up. It’s a safe choice by Boston Calling bookers, a guaranteed big draw who won’t cause any sort of controversies on Day 1. If he replicates his headlining Bonnaroo set from last year (replacing Mumford and Sons), it’s a smash. Still, I still can’t help thinking that JJ concluding Day 1 puts the fest in permanent “safe zone” mode. This isn’t bad. Maybe it’s just the nice guy folk vibes spilling over. I’m suspicious, but hopeful for a nice set. He also pulls off a buzz cut damn well when he wants to, which I’m envious of.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Good People”
FESTIVAL PREDICTIONS:
An encouraged mass sit-down will unfold promisingly, but fail to gain any traction; the lack of a sunset won’t hinder the sunset-y vibes in the slightest; JJ himself will entertain an encore, but then tell everyone to just have a good night; this staff writer will get a good night’s sleep, but be haunted by dreams of well-dressed singer-songwriters crooning after him in an abandoned, romantic cornfield of terror. They’ll all be armed with hyphenated descriptions.
Can’t get enough Boston Calling? Didn’t snag a ticket in time? Be sure to keep an eye on the September fest , featuring The National, Lorde, Nas, The Replacements, and many more.