In Pictures: Boston Calling

All photos by Kara Korab

For being only two years old, Boston Calling has it down. As The Quad covered previously, the three day festival was held downtown in City Hall Plaza with a lineup of 23 bands playing on two different stages. The festival attracted not only Boston and Massachusetts locals, but people from all over. We talked to fans who had traveled from as far as Pennsylvania and Canada to attend this year’s festival. But with a lineup including big name bands like Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Jack Johnson, Tegan and Sara, Bastille, and Brand New, who could blame them?

The festival had a little bit for everyone, and the folks at Boston Calling did a great job organizing the days by genre. Friday was a more folk-oriented crowd. Saturday was the more for indie-alternative rock fans. And Sunday was a great mix of, well, everything else. Here’s our recap of the weekend in photos:

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Friday

Lineup: Cass Mccombs, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Jack Johnson.
Highlights: Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe spending more time in the crowd than on stage, Ebert asking a random fan in the crowd for a story and getting the most genuine “Music Changed my Life” speech that left everyone’s eyes damp, Mayor Marty Walsh making a surprise appearance to talk about how cool Boston is (we agree), and Jack Johnson and Alex Ebert singing a song together.

Saturday

Lineup: Magic Man, Maximo Park, Walk Off the Earth, Warpaint, The Neighbourhood, Jenny Lewis, Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls, The Head and the Heart, The Decemberists, and Death Cab for Cutie.
Highlights: All five members of Walk Off the Earth simultaneously playing the same instrument during a cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Warpaint’s general babeliness, Jenny Lewis’s rainbow blazer, Frank Turner getting the entire crowd to join him in jumping jacks, The Decemberists’ beautifully poetic set in the pouring rain, and the perfect lighting during Death Cab for Cutie’s set.

Sunday

Lineup: The Box Tiger, Tigerman WOAH!, The Districts, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Built to Spill, Phosphorescent, Tegan and Sara, Bastille, Brand New, and Modest Mouse.
Highlights: The general rowdiness of Tigerman WOAH! and Kevin Landry swinging and dancing with his upright bass, Brett Netson of Built to Spill playing with lit a cigarette on his guitar, guitarist Vincent Accardi of Brand New having the most energy on stage ever and collapsing into his amps and the crowd, the crowd atmosphere during Modest Mouse, and the general “wow this was a damn good weekend” feels.

For more photos, be sure to check out The Quad’s Facebook page. 

About Kara Korab

Kara Korab (CAS '14) is a photographer and sometimes writer that hails from Silver Spring, Maryland but if you ask her she will probably just tell you DC because let's be honest you're not really sure where Maryland is. On a typical evening you can find Kara at some live music venue blowing up instagram and getting 'way too into it.' Kara is studying International Relations and History and studied abroad in both Paris and DC and probably talks way to much about it.

View all posts by Kara Korab →

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