There’s a subtle art to attending a summer music festival. Nailing the fit, knowing when to reapply sunscreen, picking the right food stand with which to refuel, computing the calculus necessary to maintain stamina: these are lessons learned, not taught. Safe to say, our nerves were a little fried thinking about how long it had been since we last stepped into the Harvard Athletic Complex for Boston Calling. Lucky for us the muscle memory hit quick, and after, like, the third set we started to feel like old pros. The fun really began once the sun started to go down, but we’ll get into that later. 

Although this year’s edition was spared from any major hitches, there were certainly some glaring reminders that the world is far from clear of COVID 19. News broke just before Nine Inch Nails took the stage that The Strokes were forced to cancel their Saturday night headlining set due to a positive test. NIN did a truly gracious thing by closing out both nights (and playing entirely different sets was just downright insane), but the sudden change left some fans reasonably upset. Australia’s King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard also had to step away mere hours from their set after one of their members tested positive. 

Sadly, some of the festival’s nagging issues still applied on this go around, too. Yet again none of the festival’s true “headliners” featured non-cis-male members (although the size of the crowd for Friday evening’s Avril Lavinge set on the Blue Stage rivaled any other, so who’s to say), and despite the numerous noise complaints from the surrounding communities, there were sets on the Red Stage that felt completely washed out by the wind. While well-managed, Saturday’s two hour rain delay meant that several sets got cut from the program entirely, including Sudan Archives and one of our preview picks, Worcester’s Frances Forever. Drastic changes in weather are of course out of the festival organizer’s hands, but it hurts fans to miss acts, and it hurts undercard acts who may not usually see such large crowds in front of them, too. While Friday and Saturday’s crowds were more than manageable, the Sunday attendees reached an overwhelming swell at around 5:30PM. The Red and Green Stages were essentially immobile and food option lines ran so long it was hard to differentiate who was getting what. Obviously no music festival is perfect, but we would be keen to see Boston Calling take steps to improve their flaws as their scope continues to expand. 

All of that said, the vibe across the sprawling Harvard Athletic campus was one of shear elation. This was a crowd that dearly missed this festival, and the formatting across its four stages ensured that those willing to maneuver saw a healthy mix of music without ever sacrificing stage time. For a city with a robust, if slightly under-heralded love of rock, rap, pop, dance, and everything in between, Boston Calling does an admirable job in providing at least a little something for virtually every kind of music listener. We would be remiss not to also commend their decision to highlight so many local artists this go around. it would be great to see them continue to lift up our homegrown scene as Boston Calling’s profile continues to rise.

The festival also once again did a great job in securing a wide swath of food options. From highbrow to lowbrow, all kinds of cuisines were available with vegan and vegetarian alternatives to nearly everything served. Adding a cashless bracelet registration option this year to decrease wait times during the lunch and dinner rushes was a nice touch.

Suffice to say our experience was positive overall, and we’re definitely glad that Boston has the capacity to house such a massive endeavor. Here’s a rundown of virtually everything we saw and did as well as a gallery full of shots courtesy of Nick Stalford and Greg Wong.

Day 1:

It’s Friday and the gates to Boston Calling were open once again for the first time in two years. Attendees made their way inside, ready for more of that undeniable excitement that comes from being at Boston’s most exciting weekend of the year. 

Our weekend started on the Blue Stage for Brooklyn indie rockers Pom Pom Squad’s set. Bashing out a whole bunch of songs from their debut LP Death of a Cheerleader, fronter Mia Berrin is magnetic on stage, especially when she drops the guitar to prowl the stage and throw looks at her equally stylish bandmates. Next we rushed just in time to catch Salt Lake-based The Backseat Lovers on the Red Stage. At one point vocalist Joshua Harmon stopped to take note in the Boston crowd that “Everyone’s being nice… for once”. We guess not everyone in Boston is rude to outsiders after all.

Glam rockers The Struts lit the Green Stage on fire with their Queen and Def Leppard influenced rock and roll. As generic as the sound may seem, you can’t deny the charisma and performability of lead vocalist Luke Spiller. As we enjoyed a deconstructed gyro on french fries (Gluten- friendly!) from Greco, the crowd grooved along effortlessly. 

Cambridge R&B powerhouse Miranda Rae performed on the Orange Stage next, boot cast and all, delivering one of the standout sets of the weekend. Rae made it look so easy, as she moved around the stage belting her soulful tracks for an eager crowd left hungry for more after a too-short set from one of Boston’s rising stars. 

Rock icons Cheap Trick took the Red Stage next. However, as the band performed there was no denying how quiet they were. Compared to other stages, the sound at the Red Stage was much softer which made it difficult to hear unless you were very close. The crowd still sang along to classics “Surrender” and “I Want You to Want Me”, despite the lack of volume. 

Everyone’s favorite trio of California girls HAIM arrived to remind people why they are one of the best touring acts around. Exploding onto the Green Stage wearing black leather pants and a bra, the three seamlessly swap roles and instruments throughout. Pulling favorites from their three albums including the searing “My Song 5,” tongue-and-cheek “3 AM” and fan-favorite “The Wire”, the sisters would stop for plenty of crowd banter including Este Haim kissing an adoring fan on the cheek before going on to boast about her lack of a gag reflex. 

Milford, MA based Born Without Bones played the Orange Stage to a raucous audience (and arguably the largest one at the Orange Stage this weekend) which continued to prove that there is a desire to see – and an abundance of – worthy talent right in the Boston area. 

Emo-pop punk princess Avril Lavigne closed out the Blue Stage Friday night drawing a headliner-comparable crowd with her hits “Complicated,” “Girlfriend,” “Sk8er Boi” and nostalgic early-2000s aesthetic. Lavigne’s set, along with HAIM helped to (partially) make up for a continuing lack of non-cis-male top-billed talent. 

Following news of The Strokes dropping out due to a COVID case within the band, we left Friday early with the promise of catching Nine Inch Nails’ second set the following night.

Day 2:

Well it finally happened. For the first time in my (Andrew) seven years of festival-going I experienced a weather delay. My luck kept me going until now, but as the clouds moved in Saturday afternoon, it became more apparent that this wasn’t just going away. 

Before the rain, we caught Spanish punk rockers Hinds on the Green Stage. If you ever get the chance, see this band perform live. Fun, rebellious punk music with a heart of gold. Only the delightful lead vocalist Carlotta Cosials could remark about losing “a lot of money” over the pandemic and make it sound endearing and adorable. 

As viral Tik Tok hitmaker Frances Forever geared up to play the Blue Stage, the storm had other ideas in mind. The festival was shut down from about 3:30p-5:30p, an impressively short amount of time given the intense rain, with attendees relegated to the covering of Harvard Stadium or outside the grounds in downtown Cambridge/Allston. Having escaped to The Burren in Davis Sq. (Dillon went back to his apartment in Lower Allston) we began to make our way back inside for music to resume at 6pm. 

Everyone’s favorite gay masked cowboy superstar Orville Peck welcomed attendees back inside with a high energy, albeit shortened set. Rocking through hits “Turn to Hate”, “Dead of Night” and “Lafayette”, Peck shined brighter than we have ever seen from him. Maybe the element of urgency with reopening the gates brought out some extra pizzazz. Yeehaw.

Local favorites Van Buren Records continued to remind people that the locals deserved bigger stages with another tight crowd squeezing into the Orange Stage eager to party with the Brockton-based collective. They played through their biggest hits from Black Wall Street and Bad For Press to a young and enthusiastic crowd who knew all of the words.

The Black Pumas and Run the Jewels hosted a back-to-back shake-off-the-rain party at the Green and Red Stages, respectively. Those eager and willing enough to return post-storm weren’t left disappointed. 

Shortly before industrial rock gods Nine Inch Nails returned for their second set of the weekend, a group of us were pulled into VIP thanks to the generosity of a random stranger. Must have been an effort to fill the area, as VIP sections were noticeably larger than previous years, leading to empty crowd pockets near the front of the stage. 

Having never seen NIN before, I (Andrew) had an idea what to expect, however expectations were shattered upon the band kicking off their sprawling 22-song set list including “Sin,” “God Break Down the Door,” “Head Like a Hole” and a cover of David Bowie’s “Fashion.” With each song, frontman Trent Reznor would lean into the microphone, gripping it tight in both hands, delivering every line with such ferocity. Taking a few moments to pause, including a gracious and poignant speech about how far they’ve come and what it means to be able to step in and cover for bands like Foo Fighters and The Strokes, Reznor would then just jump right back in, ready to melt our faces clean off.

Day 3:

The third and final day of Boston Calling said goodbye to clouds and rain and hello to crowds and sunshine.

Kicking us off on the Red Stage, OOMPA was one of the best of the weekend. She really brought the energy and stage presence needed for an early set in direct sunlight, and the crowd showed up in droves even at 1:45pm in the afternoon. Between Oompa’s charisma, backup dancers/vocalists, guests, and their infectious music, this is clearly a star on the rise. Wouldn’t be the first time a BC opener was catapulted to superstardom. Feels like we’re due for another. 

Next I (Andrew) finally rode the “Spiderwheel” Ferris wheel, benefiting Music Drives Us, which works to keep music education/practice in schools to catch beautiful views of Cliff Notez’s hometown set on the Blue Stage. It’s also a great choice if you’re looking for a good breeze amidst the heat. 

Paper Tigers and Horsegirl kept things going on the Orange and Red Stages, respectively, as the heat began to reach its peak. It didn’t stop the crowd from piling in, as Sunday was noticeably busier than the rest of the weekend – and honestly more than most in Boston Calling’s in memory. 

Stranger Things breakout star, and Newburyport-native Joe Kerry made his BC debut as part of psych-rock outfit Djo. Kerry’s recognizable twangy vocal and chill musicality felt right at home in the sunshine. 

Now time for a snack, and what a time it was. Making our way over to the Chicken and Rice Guys stand, we were greeted with two lines. We learned due to electrical problems and subsequent delays that customers were being made to order and pay in two separate lines which caused some understandable confusion, only bolstered by the fact that they inevitably ran out of rice. It’s a festival – **it happens. However, from the line(s), Cults sounded fantastic as they performed on the Green Stage. A little creepy, dream pop for our afternoon treats. 

Back at the Blue Stage, indie superstars Japanese Breakfast arrived for one of the more anticipated sets of the weekend. Still coming off of a stellar year between their smash hit record Jubilee and frontwoman Michelle Zauner’s side projects composing a video game soundtrack and writing a bestselling memoir, Crying in H Mart, she was ready to prove the hype. Another reminder of why festivals are so exciting is when Zauner drove by us in a golf cart on our way to the porta potties. Celebrities, they’re just like us!

On our way back to the land of the Red/Green Stages, we caught Cape Cod residents Crooked Coast with another jam packed set at the Orange Stage (almost like the local acts are popular enough for a main stage! Who’da thunk?). 

Crowd pleasers Modest Mouse and Weezer closed out the Red Stage which further proved that the sound quality at the Red Stage was not cutting it. Crowd’s singing along were louder than the bands, with the wind carrying the sound away even from a decent spot near the stage. However, both bands still managed to keep the momentum alive with hits like “Float On” and “My Name is Jonas.” Weezer stopped to recognize that despite the fact they have been covering Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” recently, they would not be attempting such a feat in the presence of the rock legends themselves. Instead they chose their chart-topping cover of Toto’s “Africa.” 

As the crowd grew larger and larger (and larger) in size, “Heat Waves” hitmakers Glass Animals performed on the Green Stage, showcasing fan favorites “Life Itself,” “Pork Soda” and even Zaba throwback “Gooey” for the OG fans. Metal masters Metallica ignited the Green stage for the final act of the weekend, continuing to prove that you only need millions of dollars and decades of experience commanding your genre to truly put on a legendary rock concert. 

That’s all.