Boston Calling was a rousing success. Well managed well executed and with just enough diversity to not be a typical ‘fest’ Set smack dab in the middle of City Hall Square Boston became awash with some fantastic vibes.
First off though lets hit some bad points and for the record there were very few. The issue of location was a challenge a flat stretch of pavement surrounded by city buildings make a spectator nightmare. The lack of shade/covering a challenge for those of us with alabaster skin and the people with low tolerance. Oh you beautiful people of Boston. It’s as if you’re born lacking volume control on your speaking voices add a Sam Adams and bullhorns become useless, you are Boston Strong- Strong lungs. Louder than any demographic I have ever heard aside from my friend Concetta’s Sicilian family. Man oh man… so there you go the two negatives are more about the fact that it’s Boston than the event itself, because the event- was near perfection.
Lets tap those positives shall we? The entrances were so well done that they had people holding signs saying ‘event entrance’, yup, as if there were any confusion with all the scaffolding and noise there are human beings to guide you. Police officers( and not the rude and ignorant ones I encountered last year) to happily stop traffic for the crossing of the mobs of folks. Mobs because the fest actually allowed you to come and go with wrist bands for re entry.. a blessing to those of us who get bored or who just need a break from the noise of the fans.
Inside the ‘event’ there was fair priced food and water, easy of flow of lines and god awful portable toilets that made me wish I wore Depends. The stage set up was great alternating from ‘red’ to ‘blue’ stage seamlessly. No wait, completely on time and smooth transition. Jumbo screens set up helped you not miss a thing despite the lack of site line and well, that’s the only other beef, there wasn’t much to see as this years performers weren’t really ‘showmen’ rather just singers with a band. And the sound……was fabulous. Considering it was bouncing off concrete, I was shocked at the clarity.
So the bands, yeah.. well it was a pricey event for the caliber of acts but then again it is Boston. With lesser known if not obscure acts on before 3 it gave a nice thrust of humans after 6pm when the population doubled in minutes. That being said the fall line up should do just the same. I mean c’mon, Lorde will be there.
The crowd win of the weekend had to be Bastille. Who’s annoying little playfulness had me at my wits end. Seriously we need to rethink our standards of ‘Indie” if this kid is really considered that. A corporate endorsed plain boy with a gaggle of co-ed followers- shelf life? A year tops.
K that’s a wrap. We’ll tell ya about the music under separate cover.
