MARIS on Belting, Bud-tending and Rabid Fans

Posted on 06/05/2024 by Andrew Bourque

MARIS – Photo by Greg Wong

It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, it’s not even Superman… it’s MARIS. Intoxicatingly energetic, her website describes her as having “first discovered planet Earth in 1999 while traveling through the endless vacuum of space on an expedition for life, love, and adventure… hitching a ride on a comet to Los Angeles in 2021, she decided to stay and become a pop music sensation.” No matter the method of transport or extra-terrestrial means that it took to get here, we’re just glad she decided to stay. Stopping by Boston Calling for her first ever large-scale festival performance, the Montana-born “Voicemail” singer dominated the Blue Stage early on Friday afternoon with a frantically fun set. Powering through her catalog in a tear-away jumpsuit, flanked by two dancers and a live band, the show moved along swimmingly, with lyrics scrolling across the back screen so even first-time listeners could get in on the fun. Following her set, we got to sit down with MARIS to discuss vocal remedies, rabid fans and tacos.

Allston Pudding: Thank you for taking some time to chat with us!

MARIS – Photo by Greg Wong

MARIS: I’m grateful that people wanna talk to ME!

AP: After the performance you gave yesterday, I think it’s clear why people want to follow up with you.

M: No, I had a 10 piece band. I had nothing to do with that.

AP: Oooh sure, sure. So, how are you feeling after yesterday?

M: I feel good. I’m sad it’s over. There’s so much buildup, and we were prepping for so long. I’m an Indie artist and I do a lot of the stuff myself like the visuals…

AP: Made on CapCut.

M: On CapCut yup! I tried to get them to sponsor me, but they did not respond to my DMs, maybe someday. But it’s just so much buildup and it’s like we prepped for so long. I was going on singing hikes through the mountains to kinda make sure..

AP: To get the songs into your body and everything?

M: Exactly! I didn’t drink or smoke. I’m a stoner & a bud-tender at my day job so I sell weed, but I took a break for a long time. It feels great to be back in a more casual state of mind, but there was so much buildup that it’s hard not to have a comedown after.

AP: There’s always the next show!

M: Yeah, no I’m excited for the next one. I hope there’s a ‘next one’, more shows!

MARIS – Photo by Greg Wong

AP: What’s your vocal remedy like? You hit some pretty impressive notes and on top of that you have crazy stamina running around the stage.

M: I’m a little dance monkey when I get on stage, I go a little ham. I get energized by making people smile!

AP: Sometimes with an upbeat energetic artist, they don’t always match that same feeling live as they do on the recording, but you absolutely do, while still sounding great. What do you do to prepare?

M: My team was yelling at me in rehearsal about actually warming up because I can be quite lazy about that stuff but I was doing a lot of lip trills. I get really tense in my neck so I roll that out. I carry a lot of tension in my body in general, so I have to stretch. *quickly cracks their back* I got a long torso so we gotta crack that thing sometimes. Everyone was telling me to ‘shut the fuck up’ because I talk too much and I was losing my voice because I was yapping so much. I do a lot of throat coat. Honestly throughout the set I’m just trying to pace myself, so I can continue to put on a good show and hit those crazy high notes. I focus on controlling breathing into my ribs. But, I’m still learning, I have the opportunity to work with this amazing vocal coach and I asked her questions. My vocal remedy will continue improving over the years. The next time we talk, I’ll have a more distinct routine.

MARIS interviewed by Andrew Bourque – Photo by Greg Wong

AP: What’s your favorite song to perform?

M: ‘False Idol’ was so much fun because of the dancers. They were amazing! They’re students at Berklee College . They were the most respectful, talented… *quickly interrupted by a taco delivery from MARIS’ team; leans into microphone* Sorry, Sarah and Maya have brought me tacos…

AP: Courtesy of El Jefe’s by the way… but back to False Idols.

M: Yes! False Idols was so much fun. The whole thing flew by. Also, getting to do [my new single] “Julia Roberts” was really fun. We quickly choreographed the dance to it. The whole set was so insane. I also performed two unreleased songs, “Chameleon” is one of them, that one comes out in September. It’s the only ballad in my whole set, the joke is that the audience can sit they’re ass down for one song at least [laughs].

AP: What else are you excited for this weekend now that you’re on relaxation

MARIS – Photo by Greg Wong

time?

M: Oh I’m a Huge Chappell Roan fan *starts singing ‘HOT TO GO’* I love her. Love that whole project. I really enjoyed Reneé Rapp. I saw Ed Sheeran in the artist area and his bodyguard said “No”. I’m like “Okay! I’ll go fuck my self then”. But I get it, he’s Ed Sheeran. I’m looking forward to Megan Thee Stallion, I’m a huge fan of the Killers. I’m just excited to see the other artists. I’ve never really been to a music festival of this size. Seeing so many people come together for music and it’s also my first time being in a media tent, it’s kinda like I’m losing my virginity in a lot of ways. It’s very fresh and new and I’m still processing. I was up late in the bath last night like “what the fuck just happened?”

AP: While you’re here, you also got a chance to work with some cool organizations.

M: I got to work with the Boston Music Project, which helps give access to music education. Growing up in Montana, I had some access to music lessons, but it was never as easily accessible or as celebrated as I think it should be. In every city I perform in, I always wanna be a part of bringing music to the community. If I didn’t have that as a kid, I don’t know what I would’ve done.

AP: What’s next for you?

M: Some unannounced shows coming up, some meet & greets which are going to be amazing! We’re gonna try to do some more limited merch drops because we had so much fun doing those. I also want to continue to find what the show’s spine is, you know what I mean? I have so much more new music too and also I think I might start working on an album? I’m thinking about it.

AP: That was the next question so it’s good you mention that.

M: Albums are hard. It’s an amazing idea but unless you have a ton of money and resources and also the listener base… like, when I put out an album, I want people to be foaming at the mouth for it. The second it’s out it’s like *insert rabid dog noises* …are you recording this? Can’t wait to see that transcribed *more rabid noises*.

MARIS – Photo by Greg Wong

For more information on MARIS, follow their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and visit their website here!

Mk.gee Shines Bright at the Sinclair

Posted on 06/04/2024 by Harry Gustafson

By Emily Gardner

Photo by Chris Willard

It wouldn’t be graduation season in Cambridge without an insane amount of traffic. Unfortunately for Mk.gee fans, that meant waiting an hour past the originally scheduled door times to get into the Sinclair for Sunday night’s sold out show. Although the wind was chilly and the rain made a guest appearance, the wait didn’t diminish the excitement of the attendees. Once inside, it was a mystery what would happen next. It was unclear if there was an opener for the tour, but the question was answered after Zack Sedoff, a member of Mk.gee’s band, started mixing on an electric drum set under a single spotlight. He apologized for being late and made it up to the crowd by playing energetic, digital beats mixed with rap and R&B vocals. Then suddenly, he left the stage and a few minutes later, it was finally time for the main event.

Two bright white spotlights, perhaps a clever nod to the featured album’s title, shone behind Mk.gee and guitarist Andrew Aged as they took the stage. They were both masked by the light with only their silhouettes glowing. Mk.gee started to play an interlude into the first song of the night, “Dream Police”, and his combination of guitar pedals created a tone reminiscent of an electric violin. Between each song, there was so much improvisation blending each track together. This is unlike the album which has transitions like choppy, lo-fi recordings and snippets of piano notes. Unfortunately for long-time fans, there were only songs from Two Star on the setlist. This has been the norm for the whole tour except for one song, but to fan’s delight, that song was replaced with “DNM,”. a danceable track that had everyone moving. There was also a sneak peak at a new track, “Lovely Fight,” an ambient, heavy ballad that read like a cool version of a middle school slow song. Later on in the set, Mk.gee switched to the more popular songs from the album, like “Candy” and “Are You Looking Up” and the crowd went nuts. Although Two Star is less than six months old, the audience had done their homework and knew every word, beat, and pause. “Alesis” was supposed to be the finale of the show, but the artist had other plans. Excitedly, Mk.gee exclaimed, “We’re playing it again! Sue me! This shit rocks!” The venue erupted as he launched back into “Candy” one more time.

Two Star & the Dream Police (the album) and Two Star & the Dream Police (the performance) are two separate entities. The album feels light, nostalgic, and romantic in nature. There’s a quietness in its production that isn’t translated live, but not in a disappointing way. The performance was darker, noisier, and like it was fueled by a passion for sound. “New Low” is the fresh and upbeat starter on the album, but the live version was heavier and more dramatic. Each song felt new, fresh, and reworked for the live show. After the encore was over, Mk.gee exclaimed that he’d see the crowd “soon, very soon.” However, attendees shouldn’t expect to see the rising star in a venue this intimate again any time soon. If this show proved anything, it’s that this is only the beginning of Mk.gee’s journey.

Boston Calling 2024 Recap: Great Music, Good Weather, Bad Organization

Posted on 05/30/2024 by Andrew Bourque

Review by Andrew Bourque
Photos by Greg Wong & Harry Gustafson

“I left you by the House of Dunks… don’t know why I didn’t come.” – Photo by Harry Gustafson

Another edition of Boston Calling has come and gone. The weekend proved breezy and beautiful, albeit a little sweltering in between gusts. Food was slung from vendors and drinks were cracked open and poured endlessly as attendees flooded the Harvard Athletic Complex for three more days of exhaustion, euphoria and yes, chaos. It’s time for Hot-to-Go Girl Summer everyone!

Friday kicked off with Divine Sweater on the Happy Valley Red Stage as the early afternoon crowd warmed up. Vocalist Meghan Kelleher engaged the crowd, welcoming them to the weekend with her ethereal vocals while the rest of the band effortlessly charmed the audience, running around and engaging with each other throughout.

Read our interview with Divine Sweater from before the festival here!

Reneé Rapp – Photo by Harry Gustafson

As the afternoon continued on, I made my way over to the Allianz Blue Stage to catch piano charmer Kieran Rhodes. The fresh faced singer-songwriter led the crowd with his joyous songs about love, friends & life – beaming with energy as he stood at the piano, flanked by a raucous group of bandmates. “It’s funny because when I’m on stage, I don’t really have any perception of how it’s going except for what’s in my in-ears, so I was like “I think it’s going well [laughs],” as Rhodes reflected. When asked about the notable personalities in each bandmate, Rhodes proudly admitted “I work on them with that, I want to make sure they’re all doing it. We have fun together.”

As the “Disengage” singer sat in his custom baseball jersey on the grounds of the Harvard Athletic Complex, I asked him what his baseball walkout song would be, “Such a good question. It might be a film score. It’s really out there, but it would be How to Train Your Dragon “Romantic Flight,” before continuing, “that’s what I wanna end up doing when I have my own headline shows. I wanna walk out to film scores, I love movies.” Fans can expect more music from Rhodes as he plans to release a new song, “Saratoga, 2017” by the end of June. “I played it in my set today. I wrote that song about true stories in high school with my friends.”

Maris – Photo by Greg Wong

Up next on the Blue Stage is Los Angeles’ MARIS. The pop sensation exploded onto the stage for a show stopping set. Complete with visuals produced by themselves on CapCut, choreography, a tear-away costume, and dancers from Berklee College of Music, the show was simply electric. Giving Misterwives’ Mandy Lee a run for her money, Maris showed little to no signs of slowing down as she ran, high kicked and belted her way through hit songs “Voicemail” and “Crashland”. Stay tuned later this week for our interview with the rising star.

As the sun continued beating down, I found myself needing some nourishment, and what better option than the Italian sub from Flour Bakery & Cafe. Now a Boston institution, Flour Bakery has been happily serving the folks of Boston Calling for the last few years. Perfect for when the sun is beating down and you don’t want to eat something that’ll knock you out. Other notable nibbles throughout the weekend included Dumpling Daughter’s Bao Buns, Shaking Crab’s Shrimp Basket and Blackbird Doughnuts.

Friday rounded out with spectacular sets on the Red and Green stages from Mean Girl Renee Rapp, sensual soul singer Leon Bridges and Irish megastar Ed Sheeran. Rapp made sure to take a moment and alleviate some of the anguish she has caused with her ballad “I Hate Boston”, written about a particularly bad breakup in her past. “In the past… emphasis on the past… I have declared that I hate Boston. I declared it. But in my defense, I have had some trying times in this city. You know what, I’ll say it. I’ve had some exes from your city, Boston. It’s true.” Before reconciling, “but, I’m having a great time now!”

Check out Greg & Harry’s photos from day one below.

Saturday saw a tonal shift in the direction of folk and country as we kicked off with The Castellows on the Green Stage, bringing their Georgia-born southern hospitality to the Northeast. Attendees also came adorned in their best denim and cowboy hats ahead of that night’s headliners Jessie Murph and Tyler Childers.

Khruangbin – Photo by Harry Gustafson

But the whole day wasn’t for the range, as Tik-Tok star d4vd took the Green Stage to a crowd of screaming fans. Elsewhere, Boston’s own Cakeswagg commanded the Orange Stage for a rowdy and empowering set, showcasing one of the Hub’s most passionate creatives. “I’m still pinching myself. I can’t believe it, my heart is still racing. I’ve been working so hard on this. This is a dream of mine,” remarked Cakeswagg. Having performed at her first major festival, Cakeswagg also noted some surprise amenities, “something that caught me off guard – in a good way, was right behind the stage in the artist tent, there was tea. When I saw that I was like ‘yes’, and I brewed a nice cup right before I went on stage. Gave me the extra razzle dazzle that I needed.”

Bringing a whole crew with her, the Roxbury native had dancers, an ASL interpreter and local legend DJ Whysham hyping her on stage. “I’ve actually been working with Sham and my choreographer, Kiki, for about five years now. They are my go-to people whenever I feel like we need to do it big, you know? Kiki was like, “yeah, we need six dancers, let’s rock out, cakery…” I’m like, let’s do this. So that’s what we did!” Following the performance, an attendee stopped her on the way backstage to note what a positive impact her music has had on her daughter, “I am a firm believer that we were all created to do something, not just for ourselves, but to make the world a better place. We don’t really feel it or know what it is until someone reaffirms that, so [that] makes me feel good. Life is hard and sometimes you’re like, “am I doing the right thing? Am I in the right field?” So stuff like that, that’s the yes, to keep going.”

Read our interview with Cakeswagg from before the festival here!

Cakeswagg –Photo by Harry Gustafson

Saturday sauntered on with a rousing performance from Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls. Declaring Boston his hometown in America, Turner led the Boston crowd in chants, respectfully enforced moshing and humorous declarations about having anxiety over doing guitar solos. The night took a psychedelic turn as Houston’s Khruangbin graced the Green Stage with their extended guitar jams and warm color palettes. As member Laura Lee Ochoa swirled around in a gorgeous tulle dress, ignorant audience members could be heard dismissing them as they “weren’t even singing any words”. Their loss.

Wrapping up the evening, jam-band king Trey Anastasio & Classic Tab and “Wild Ones” singer Jessie Murph closed out the Red & Blue Stages respectively before handing things over to Kentucky crooner Tyler Childers to send us on into the night.

Check out Greg & Harry’s photos from day two below.

Sunday saw morning thunderstorms give way to blistering heat in the early afternoon as thousands of attendees filled the complex for the weekend’s only sold-out day. Some puddles remained as hot girls and pink ponies alike made their way to the merch tent and then the fields to roast in the sun before their queens took the stage.

Lowell based Tysk Tysk Task opened the Orange stage with their unique blend of woodland aesthetic and raw intensity. Following their set, we were given the opportunity to grab some photos and chat with the band, keep an eye out for that piece coming this week!

Aussies Royel Otis got the Red Stage grooving with their upbeat summer rock. Even pleasing the young crowd with a cover of Saltburn anthem “Murder On The Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. But it was Chappell Roan that the crowd was hungry for, evident by the sea of pink cowboy hats and bandanas that was forming at the Green Stage. The “Midwest Princess” dominated the main stage with the weekend’s biggest crowd. Eardrums were vibrating to the sounds of fans dancing to “HOT TO GO!” and “Red Wine Supernova”. Drone footage captured the sheer scope of the crowd, cementing Roan as one of the fastest rising artists in America.

Chappell Roan – Photo by Harry Gustafson

Cambridge’s own Zola Simone took the Orange Stage next to screaming fans and new listeners alike, catching a wave of post-Chappell set energy. “I am vibrating with excitement. It could be the Red Bull but it’s probably because I’m performing”, explained Simone. “I just saw Bad Rabbits… the lead singer has an amazing voice. The band has great chemistry. I could see them win over the crowd which was really awesome and something I hope to do!”

Making sure to take in the whole experience, Simone found herself in a bathroom next to fellow weekend performer Renee Rapp. “She was lovely. I was just washing my hands when she came out of the stall. I didn’t mention that I was an artist, I just kind of froze, but she was very casual and chill. She carries herself with a confidence that isn’t like she’s better than everyone else, but just that she’s so comfortable in her skin, but still knows that she’s hot shit. She seems the same way that she is in her interviews. It was a great experience.”

To read our earlier interview with Zola before the festival, click here!

Following a brief pause from the sun thanks to some much needed cloud cover, the heat was back on for Megan Thee Stallion. The Texas born superstar was welcomed to Beantown with open arms and shaking asses as she instructed the eager attendees in the ways of “Real Hot Girl Shit”. Hypnotic in her stage presence, it was quickly obvious why her star only continues to rise.

And with rising stars, comes increasing popularity. This was on full display during the transition from Megan to the first headliner of the evening, Hozier. Revealing a glaring error in both the festival layout and artist placement, the crowd for Hozier quickly descended into chaos. Deciding to place the “Too Sweet” singer on the Red Stage, which doesn’t allow for quite as much crowd space as the Green coupled with an obvious attempt at overselling Sunday due to lack of sales for the rest of the weekend, unfortunately came down on the poor concertgoers.

Many were crushed and shoved with no real exit in sight until Hozier left the stage as those around them grew increasingly agitated due to heat and lack of water. It’s worth noting that there was only one designated water refill area with reported peak waiting times of over 2-3 hours, and water from vendors was $5 a pop. When asked about the conditions, a rep for the festival replied, “we completely understand the frustrations and want to apologize for the disappointments, particularly with the overcrowded areas. That’s never the experience we want anybody to have and we’re committed to making numerous changes to make sure that this does not happen again.”

Alvvays – Photo by Greg Wong

With many of us escaping to the Blue Stage for one last show, the weekend came to an end with a lively sunset set from quintessential festival band Alvvays. Free from the chaos, we swayed and danced around gleefully as they performed favorites like “Not My Baby” and “Archie, Marry Me!”, the latter of which culminated in a successful fan proposal, to much applause. Las Vegas’ own The Killers then closed out the festival on the Green Stage with another crowd-pleasing set hitting all of their standouts along the way like “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” and “Spaceman”.

The Thirteenth edition of Boston Calling brought the sunshine, a lot of delicious food, great music, and ultimately some chaos to round out yet another Memorial Day Weekend in Boston.

For more coverage of Boston Calling, click here! For more info on the festival, click here! Check out Greg & Harry’s photos from day three below.

VUKOVI and Calva Louise co-headline Brighton Music Hall

Posted on 05/30/2024 by Harry Gustafson

Photos & Review by Greg Wong

UK rockers VUKOVI and Calva Louise made their Boston debut at Brighton Music Hall on May 22 for the penultimate show of their month-long US co-headlining tour. The evening featured a three-band billing that offered dedicated fans an electric experience that was over too soon. Stellar Circuits sparked things off to begin the evening of hard-hitting vocals swimming in overdriven guitar. Calva Louise experienced some technical difficulties, but were their own harshest critics as they made due with the equipment they had to nevertheless deliver a strong performance. VUKOVI finished out the evening with a concise 10-song set featuring their latest releases. The elated crowd shouted for more, and while they unfortunately gave no encore, VUKOVI left with an excited promise to return.

Check out all of Greg’s photos from the show below.

June 1st is Jake Swamp and the Pine Day at Brighton Music Hall

Posted on 05/30/2024 by Harry Gustafson

By Tanvi Shah

Photo by Lisa Czech

Jake Swamp and the Pine is playing at Brighton Music Hall on June 1st, exactly a year since Drew of Jake Swamp debuted at BMH. Get ready for some new music, new band members, new merch, new jokes, and plenty of swearing.

A lot has happened in Drew’s life since he last performed at BMH: he’s a married man (congrats!), he’s added electric guitar to the mix, and he’s working on a new EP. However, some things are still the same: Drew still has his usual one jar of Teddies’ Crunchy Peanut Butter as his post-gig snack and he’s still sending yummy vegetarian recipes via his email newsletter.

Joining him on stage are Austin Beveridge on bass guitar, Chris Haley on electric guitar, Jonathan Ulman on drums, Josh Gold on piano and spoons, and High Tea on beautiful background vocals. Opening for Jake Swamp are their good friends Dan and the Wildfire and Coco Smith, who was recommended by neo-soul singer Jill McCracken. Drew is checking off all these collaborations from his bucket list and also said that he would love to officially collab with Copilot and Ben Cosgrove in the future.

For the new EP, Jake Swamp wrote songs from a different place, focusing on a cathartic release of emotions relating to societal pressure. “The songs are a combination of a ‘not-angry-to-a-fuck-you’ vibe that you can bop around and dance hard to.” Inspired by Noah Kahan and boygenius, Drew is focusing on making his songs more relatable, more indie-rock, and wants listeners to resonate with the different emotions in the songs.

One of his new songs, titled “Shoveling Shit,” was inspired by assumptions people have about us millennials — that we’re lazy and our problems are self-inflicted, rather than inherited. In fact, this song has Drew’s favorite lyrics that he’s ever written: ‘I’m told that I am lazy and to quit being complacent/At least I did not inherit my dead grandfather’s racism. It’s time to change your mind. But it’s our fault, it’s our problem; shoveling shit with a silver spoon.’

Jake Swamp even has new limited edition merch in the form of posters and camp counselor shirts because he loves the 70s vintage look. It also pays tribute to all the time Drew spent outdoors at camp, since the outdoors has always been an inspiration for his music.

Jake Swamp has a couple surprises up his sleeve, starting with a secret cover: a folk version of the classic “All Star” (listen to a sneak peek). He’ll also be holding a pre-show picnic at Allston’s Ringer Park with picnic snacks (TBD if Teddies’ Crunchy Peanut Butter can be a pre-show snack)!

“I want people to walk away with their new favorite band and have a fun, safe time while dancing, crying, and having a blast! Let’s get as many fucking people through the doors as possible!” So come on out to Brighton Music Hall on June 1st and spend your Saturday with Jake Swamp and the Pine!

Everything Matters, Nothing Matters with Frank Turner

Posted on 05/29/2024 by Harry Gustafson

By Wendy Schiller

Frank returned to town for a late, intimate show at Big Night Live ahead of his Boston Calling set Saturday. Somehow he made it from Philadelphia where he’d played a midday show that same day, and managed to complete the set still standing by 1AM (Dear reader, we are impressed!) He was supported by friends Micah Schnabel and Vanessa Jean Speckman. Despite burning the midnight oil, Frank brought his usual bantery charm, explaining meanings behind his new material, including a delightful story about a long-lost penpal that morphed into the song “letters”, resulting in a reconnection 27 years later. The new album has a lot to love, including “Girl From the Record Shop” (no meaning to interpret there) and “Somewhere Inbetween” a poignant look at imposter syndrome as a creator in your 40s. Despite a shorter set than usual given the hour, Frank kept the hits rolling with classics like “Photosynthesis” and “Recovery”, with the entire crowd and photo pit singing along. Frank’s hardcore and metal roots shone through with some exuberant crowd moshing that sprung up whether or not he had an acoustic guitar in hand or an electric one. Until next time Frank, you always have a home in Boston, hope he can get some rest soon!

Check out all of Wendy’s photos from the show below.

Frank Turner, Micah Schnabel, and Vanessa Jean Speckman at Big Night Live

Cheekface Continues to Do Their Thing

Posted on 05/29/2024 by Harry Gustafson

By Wendy Schiller

Success might be cringe, but Cheekface has to accept that they hit a sold out Brighton Music Hall on Thursday, playing a setlist with several standouts from their 2024 album, “It’s Sorted”. The crowd cheered, line danced, and sang along to “The Fringe” and “I am Continuing to Do My Thing”, along with earlier hits like “We need a Bigger Dumpster”. For those less familiar, the band honestly sounds like a mixture of Cake and the Front Bottoms, with some They Might Be Giants sprinkled on top, a vibe that very much blends with the current craving for 00s nostalgia. It’s very hard to write a compelling song about “finding your social security number on the dark web” and yet, they do it! Their irreverent lyrics and charismatic stage presence leaves a serious craving for more, and hopefully they tour again soon. The band was supported by yungatita.

Check out all of Wendy’s photos from the show below.

Boston Calling Review: Blondshell

Posted on 05/28/2024 by Dan Moffat

by Dan Moffat

Blondshell (photo by Greg Wong)

Sunday at Boston Calling was swamped. Well, that’s only part true. Away from the teeming chaos of the joint Red and Green area, lay the oasis of the Blue Stage. There, Blondshell churned out brilliant 90s inspired alternative rock at 5:50 pm. The style was akin to Hole, Blur, and The Cranberries, with contemporary influences such as Bully, with whom they collaborated earlier this year on a song called “Docket.” Peep the “official visualizer. ”

They started their set with the grunge pomp of “Veronica Mars,” named after the 2004 show with the iconic indie rock soundtrack. They followed with another TV-titled tune called “Cartoon Earthquake,” which ripped. The charismatic Sabrina Teitelbaum’s unique, haunting, cliché-free lyrics stood out. Here’s the chorus of “Cartoon Earthquake”:

“If a rock hit the ground/ And split like a hairline fracture/ A cartoon earthquake now/ It’s me that you’d run after/ And jump the gap/ To get to my half/I wanna trust that.”

I’m guessing this is not going to be their publicist’s favorite takeaway, but one of the best parts was getting away from the Red and Green stage’s massive crowds. We were glad to be able to check out this band in a separate, spacious setting.

We’re not the only ones who dug it. Here’s four quotes from the audience that I overheard after their set:

“They were so good!”

“That was worth it!”

“That was fun!”

“That was so good, I love Blondshell!”

Boston Calling Review: The Killers

Posted on 05/27/2024 by Dan Moffat

By Dan Moffat

The Killers (photo by Greg Wong)

To quote the late music journalist Marc Spitz from Meet Me In The Bathroom: “The [00’s] band that wanted it, and were fucking ready for it, were The Killers.”

Here we are, 20 years after The Killers broke out of the pack of “The” bands. It’s been 19 years since I saw the Killers play a mid-afternoon set at Lolla but I don’t recall much because it was record setting temperature in Chicago and I fell victim to the heat. This year’s Boston Calling was warm but fine, and there was ample filtered water, shade, and sunscreen to be had. In the fog of my first Killers experience, I do remember one thing though, which was that they were the buzziest band of the day.

Not to their detriment, but on Sunday The Killers did not have outsized hype. They followed Chappell Roan, Megan Thee Stallion, and Hozier — who packed the sold-out Harvard Athletic Complex all day long. Hats off to Boston Calling, Sunday’s Red and Green stage booking was a masterstroke in programming.

Enter: The Killers. They began by dialing up “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine,” as singer Brandon Flowers cued the audience to handle the first pass of the chorus. The stage was busy – a four tom drum kit, bass guitar, a few guitars, keys, three backup singers, and a sneaky synth behind The Killers ‘k’ logo.

Even after playing The Dise last night, Flowers and Co. looked amped. Flowers strutted around the stage, frequently climbing up on top of the vocal monitors that barricade the lip of the stage. He’s the only performer I’ve seen all weekend that is not using in-ear monitors, preferring to use a lengthy row of wedges, and then climbing the cabinets in skin tight pants to flex on the crowd.

For “Smile Like You Mean It” the jumbotron went for a tight shot on the mean-mugging bearded bass player. Flowers continued to peacock around with “come at me” hands. He’s got us singing along, doing hey-ho call-and-responses. He’s throwing his hands up in the air, and now our hands are up in the air. On “Run For Cover,” guitarist Ted Sablay took a running guitar solo. On “When You Were Young” they closed the main set with a pyrotechnic shower of fireworks behind the band.

The stage was emptied except for lingering smoke as The K’s took a quick break. The band took an encore, featuring an excellent arrangement of “Mr. Brightside,” which began down-tempo and weird, and then somehow surprisingly kicked into the original guitar arpeggio, blasting the OG version straight into our ear holes at full speed.

Drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. took over the reins by leading the band through a jammed breakdown. A UNLV music major, Vannucci motioned for silence with his hands, and then conducted the audience. He split the stadium into three parts, left, center, and right and waved to control our volume by swatting up for cheering and batting down for silence.

After a final cheer we reluctantly left the football field and bid farewell to Boston Calling 2024.

Boston Calling Review: Ed Sheeran

Posted on 05/25/2024 by Dan Moffat

Ed Sheeran (photo by Greg Wong)

by Dan Moffat

I know Ed Sheeran detests music journalism, and probably thinks he needs another review like he needs another cut in the face, but here goes:

The jumbotron preamble involved an animated equals sign covered in butterflies, which played on loop for a few minutes while the audience settled in. The sun had just set and indigo twilight illuminated the cloudless sky. I’ve spotted a plethora of planes flying right over our heads so either we’re on a busy flight path or there are a lot of curious pilots leaving Logan.

Out strolled Ed Sheeran, the mega pop star who set a Gillette stadium record last year by himself with 71,723 tickets sold. For Boston Calling, Sheeran showed he wasn’t above playing a festival headliner spot at Harvard Athletic Complex. How does one go from playing where the Patriots play to the Harvard Crimson in one year? Lucky break for Boston I guess – and like Sheeran’s ability to record live instrumentals in sync, we had good timing on our side as well. So he was in the neighborhood and thought he’d stop by, I suppose. Throughout the set, Sheeran excitedly mentioned his one-off 10th anniversary show in New York earlier this week, for which he had to relearn a number of songs off his blockbuster second album, X, some of which he’d never even performed live.

As soon as Sheeran entered the stage, the crowd snapped to attention. Acoustic loop, thunderous thumping on the guitar body for a kick drum effect, and then delivered the vocals to “Castle on the Hill.” I’m not using extreme adjectives for effect, the thump on the guitar sounded titanic, and I almost felt bad for the neighbors – especially since Ed’s set ran over the allotted time. I don’t think Sheeran’s used to playing short sets within a festival’s tight time frame.

The whole day suddenly felt like it was actually just 25 opening acts for an Ed Sheeran concert, as the football field full of fans sang along rapturously and swayed on the astroturf, unlike anything I’d seen all Friday long. A powder keg of energy, the four time Grammy Award winner ripped through hit-after-hit while donning his casual red flannel and green Nike high tops. Many of the performers on Friday were comfortable in the slow-mid tempo range, so Sheeran’s quick hitting pop strumming was a welcome high.

He liberally shared backstory on a number of tunes. He wrote “I’m a mess” in the shower, “The A Team” was unpopular until it wasn’t – and then became his first hit. “Eyes Closed” was written in the span of a month between a friend’s sudden death and their funeral. He commented on how when he was at the Celtic’s second playoff win on Thursday, he remembered how Irish the city Boston is, so he wanted to share that he himself is a product of two Irish parents. He then sang us an acapella folk song called “The Parting Glass.”

As I mentioned before, he played his full time – and then some. With two songs to go, he said he’d already gone over by five minutes and then launched into his loudest tune yet, “Shape of You.” LOL. He closed out with “Bad Habits,” the audio was instantly gone, the lights quickly turned off, and we shuffled out.