A little rain couldn’t stop the first day of this year’s Boston Calling Music Festival from being a shining source of some great music. From local acts like Battlemode to legends like T-Pain, read more about what the first day of the festival had to offer.
Warm and Sunny, Even in the Worst Weather: Bebe Stockwell
A cloudy day couldn’t stop Bebe Stockwell from opening up the festival weekend on a sunny note. Clad in a floral yellow dress, she brought warmth and energy to the stage, singing indie folk songs from her recently released EP Driving Backwards. In addition to playing the EP’s title track, she entranced the audience with songs like “Call Me Be Your Name” and “Ruined.” She even regaled the audience with a cover of “Home” by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, making the song so much her own that it blended seamlessly into her performance. “Love Me Back,” her first single, rounded out the set, concluding the first show of the festival. “This has been my dream for so long,” she told the audience about playing at the festival. “I’m from Boston, so this is just magic.”
Most Likely To Be In An 8-Bit Video Game: Battlemode
Have you ever seen someone play a musical solo on a Nintendo Gameboy? We’d expect not – unless you saw Battlemode’s set on the Orange Stage. The Boston-based trio put on a high energy electropop performance, playing songs using both synths and acoustic instruments to create a complex soundscape. Of the instruments used, the electronic saxophone and talk box connected to a Gameboy were the most intriguing, truly capturing the attention and curiosity of the crowd. During their set, the band also took time to talk about the importance of local music and venues, calling out Boston venues like the Jungle and O’Brien’s Pub that the crowd should support in order to keep the local music scene alive.
Infinite Heavenly Harmonies: Infinity Song
For New York-based band Infinity Song, the only rule of the show: have fun. And fun, indeed, was had. With songs like “Metamorphosis” and “Slow Burn,” it was impossible to not shimmy along to the rock/R&B quartet while listening to their incredible musicianship and intricate harmonies. Highlights of their set included “Pink Sky” – which had the crowd singing along to the refrain of “maybe I’ll be something special” – and “Hater’s Anthem,” a song that went viral online following its release in August 2023. The performance was truly a family affair for the band, as the four members are all siblings, and their father was in the front row of the Blue Stage. He was present for their expansive cover of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, which featured numerous guitar solos and musical interludes to really transform the song into one fit for Infinity Song.
You Can Call Me Rose Whenever You Want: Thee Sacred Souls
Perhaps the grooviest set of the day took place on the Blue Stage when Thee Sacred Souls appeared in the afternoon. The R&B/soul trio was joined by backing vocals, guitarists, and percussionists, as well as the occasional trumpet, trombone, and saxophone to create a captivating stage full of sound and texture. After opening with their song “Easier Said Than Done,” the band played through a number of their soulful songs, like “Running Away” and “Love Comes Easy.” Even when it started raining during the set, the energy couldn’t be brought down, and lead singer Josh Lane hopped the barricade and ran amongst the crowd. When he later returned to the stage, they ended the set with “Can I Call You Rose?,” a beautiful song to end a beautiful performance.
Most Fun Calls and Responses: Latrell James
For Bostonian Latrell James, performing his songs for the world is what he’s wanted to do for as long as he could remember. The Orange Stage audience was packed with family and friends, eager to see James’ set despite the constant rain. He performed songs like “GLAD TO BE ME” and “Traumatized” early in the set, tearing up the stage with his rapping and exuding a warm and energetic stage presence. Due to his family in the crowd, however, he didn’t sing alone for long: for his performance of “PDB,” he pulled his sister Tori onto the stage to perform their song together. He ended his set with two new, unreleased songs, engaging the crowd with calls and responses of “damn!” and “sit your broke ass down and be quiet.” It was an incredible set for one of Boston’s favorite local rappers, and surely we’ll see more of him in the city soon.
Most Likely To Bring the Party With Them, Wherever They Go: T-Pain
Boston Calling is certainly a momentous occasion, and T-Pain came dressed for the festivities. With his bright teal suit – and accompanied by DJ Montay’s matching magenta suit – the Floridian rapper had the whole crowd dancing the night away. Throughout his set, he played his anthemic club tracks, starting with “Up Down (Do This All Day).” Other hits included “Bartender,” “Booty Wurk (One Cheek At a Time),” and “Blame It.” While many of these classic party songs were expected, T-Pain kept the crowd on their toes by mixing in covers of songs like Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” and Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” as well as sampling bits from songs like “FE!N” by Travis Scott and “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar. Perhaps it was an homage to his fellow artists – or maybe he was just having fun.
