By Andy Sears
The third day at a festival always seems to be the day you get the most of insincere responses to “how you feelin’ Boston?” from the artists. If you’ve gone all three days, by the third you no longer care about what your wearing or trying to make any sort fashion statement. You’ve switched from your boots, or your chucks to full on cushion soled sneakers because your poor feet literally feel bruised from standing on concrete over the course of the past two days. The truth is people that go to Boston Calling for all three days are an anomaly. It’s just simply not a destination festival. Its more about picking and choosing a day and a few bands you like and taking a trip to downtown Boston to see them. On Sunday, that strategy might be the easiest to pull off. Usually, at the end of the festival weekend there’s a bunch of extra tickets floating around one way or another, and the for a festival that seems to have no comprehensive theme, Sunday’s line up is truly all over the place. So whether its through corporate sponsors that have no idea who to give tickets away to, or just people’s extras, finding a relatively cheap ticket for Sunday is incredibly realistic, and its not sold out anyway. With that being said, here is our last artist by artist preview for Sunday’s strange line up.
Day 3: Chef’s Choice
BALLROOM THEIVES:
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
1:00
WHERE:
Red Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Folk Rock / Americana
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Another local act that recently released their first debut album a A Wolf in the Doorway, and played a sold out record release show at Great Scott.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
They’re on a record label called Blue Corn Music out of Austin, TX. That combined with their country sound will make you wonder if they’re from Boston or Austin?
THOUGHTS:
One part Lumineers, one part Civil Wars, the result is Ballroom Thieves.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Lantern” featuring the Maine Youth Orchestra. It’s always inspiring to see young musicians doing fun projects like this.
HALSEY
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
1:35
WHERE:
Jetblue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Pop, Electro Pop
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
My little cousin who knows I like a lot of different types of music recently asked me if I had heard of Halsey. I said “no, should I?” She’s in the 7th grade.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Her bio directly from her website reads, “I am Halsey, I will never be anything but honest. I write songs about sex and being sad.”
Also, after her appearance at Boston Calling she heads out on a massive tour with Imagine Dragons.
THOUGHTS:
There’s a lot of artists trying to be hybrids between Lana Del Rey and Sia. Is Halsey just another one of them or something more? Apparently Capital Records thinks something more because she’s living proof that being a big label can still get you some pretty big opportunities.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Ghost”
ILOVEMAKONNEN:
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
2:20
WHERE:
Red Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Hip Hop
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Obviously his huge hit “Tuesday” featuring Sir Francis Drake.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia, “At the end of 2009, the singer was released from house arrest and put on probation for four years, after he had accidentally shot and killed a friend. Then, he enrolled in a cosmetology school and became a part of a group called Phantom Posse.
A fresh do and and an accidental murder rap. Baller.
THOUGHTS:
He’s got an interesting cadence and voice, along with a few huge hits from the past year.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“I don’t sell molly no more” That’s fine, I don’t do molly no more.
THE LONE BELLOW:
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
3:05
WHERE:
JetBlue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Americana (folk, alt-country)
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
I always get the Lone Bellow and Lord Huron mixed up. The only thing that really sounds the same is the first two letters of their name, but perhaps because they’re both Newport Folk Festival alumni I have a hard time deciphering them apart. Now after their last album, I can officially say I prefer Lord Huron, but the Lone Bellow is solid in their own right as well.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
“The band announced in early 2014 that they would be recording a new album with producer Aaron Dessner of The National.”
It’s all about making the right connections people.
THOUGHTS:
This band seems to take themselves too seriously. Is there someplace I can sit down? I might enjoy this set, but not standing up.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Green Eyes and A Heart of Gold” One of their more upbeat songs.
CHET FAKER / LUCIUS:
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
3:55
WHERE:
Redstage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Indie-rock
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Fronted by two lead singers, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, their coordinated stage presence can be a little creepy, but the songs are genuinely catchy and good.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Wikipedia, “The band started its formation in 2005 when Wolfe and Laessig met while attending Berklee School of Music. After becoming friends together and casually singing under the name Lucius, they moved to Brooklyn to develop their careers.”
THOUGHTS:
This is an excellent last minute fill in for Chet Faker who dropped out last week due to an injury. Lucius is a great band that has been touring relentlessly behind their stellar record Wildewoman.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Turn it Around”
JASON ISBELL:
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
4:50
WHERE:
Jetblue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Folk, Americana
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
The former Drive By Truckers member traded in their brand of southern rock for a singer-songwriter brand of classic country.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Isbell’s band, the 400 Unit was named after “a psychiatric ward of Florence, Alabama’s Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital, which is now named the Behavioral Health Center, or One North, and is located on the hospital’s first floor.
Did you write “Fire and Rain” there? No? Then its a lame band name, but hey I guess you gotta call the compadres in your band something.
THOUGHTS:
This is the most country act of the bill. The band plays and jams like an alt-country act, but Isbell’s voice makes them more of just a straight country act than say a Ryan Adams or Wilco. I enjoy Jason Isbell the most when he plays slide guitar. Its the closest thing your going to get to an Allman Brother at the Boston Calling.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Danko/Manuel,” a song about Richard Danko and Richard Emanuel from a band simply known as the Band.
VANCE JOY:
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
5:55
WHERE:
Red Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Indie-pop/folk
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Well, obviously that “Riptide” song.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Vance Joy is the stage name of James Keogh, via wikepedia, “”I was going through a Peter Carey phase and reading a lot of his books. There’s a book called Bliss. The main character’s name is Harry Joy and his grandfather is Vance Joy. He’s the storyteller and a crazy old man. Plus, I thought it was a cool name.”
Any experts on Australian literature? No? Cool story bro.
THOUGHTS:
Another Australian artist, the Aussies are really on top of their music game lately.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Mess in Mine” just to give you a break from “Riptide”
TV ON THE RADIO:
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
7:00
WHERE:
JetBlue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Indie Rock
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
The episode of Portlandia when Fred’s date is being analyzed by a dating lie detector and he gets called out for saying he knew the guys from TV on the Radio. Out pops Tunde Adebimpe to verify Fred was a casual first date exaggerator. Also, my first introduction to TV on the Radio was through Phish’s cover of “Golden Age” which if you’re into that kind of stuff is arguably better than the original. Last but not least, Kyp Malone also recently made a brief cameo in Comedy Central’s Broad City, proving TV on the Radio, is no stranger to TV.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Adebimpe covered the Pixies song “Mr. Grieves” under the TV on the Radio moniker at the beginning of his career, layering his voice over forty times.
THOUGHTS:
I’m a late comer to the greatness of TV on the Radio, but have recently fallen in love with their entire catalog. I missed their show this winter at the Paradise so this will hopefully make up for it.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Will Do” is quite possibly their most well-known and well done track.
TENACIOUS D:
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
8:05
WHERE:
Red Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Comedic Rock
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
“That’s not LSD, it EPT,” a great moment in gross out comedic history where Kyle Gass poops out a baby.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Their first concert they let the audience choose their band name. The options were “Pets or Meat”, “Balboa’s Biblical Theatre” and “The Axe Lords Featuring Gorgazon’s Mischief” (Gass’ personal favorite). “Tenacious D”—a basketball term used by commentators to describe robust defensive positioning in basketball —did not get the majority of votes, however, but according to Black “we forced it through”
THOUGHTS:
I like comedy, and I like music, but I don’t necessarily like them together. This will be a fun set either way though and I know a lot of people enjoy the D. I would like to think I’ve matured since I was first exposed to Tenacious D, but the truth is that this brand of comedy never was for me.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Fuck Her Gently” fellas, listen closely.
PIXIES:
WHAT TIME IS/ARE HE/SHE/THEY ON:
9:20
WHERE:
Jetblue Stage
SIMPLIFIED GENRE:
Classic Indie Rock (is it sad that I felt it was necessary to add the classic part on?)
THE FIRST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF THIS ARTIST:
Growing up in and around Boston, I seem to always be meeting a lot of people say they’re related in some way to one of the members of the Pixies.
MOST INTERESTING ONLINE TIDBIT:
Via Boston.com “Charles and I were roommates at first and we were in The Fenway. Then we moved to Allston afterwards. We were rooming together and, after a while, we met girlfriends there and we parted ways.
Allston rock city represent.
THOUGHTS:
The Pixies to close out the major music festival in their hometown is a noble choice.
ESSENTIAL TRACK:
“Where is my mind” is a timeless song. It really seems to be the song that defines the band and the slacker rock era they helped influence.
Tickets are still available for Sunday via Ticketmaster $75