Boston Calling 2024 Recap
By Isabella Galan
Festival Season is in full swing, and what better way to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend than at Boston Calling at Charles River at Harvard Athletic Complex in Boston, Massachusetts! This three day, four stage, outdoor festival was full of unforgettable music moments and some of the best artists in music including Ed Sheeran, Megan Thee Stallion, Hozier, and more! If you did not get the chance to go to the festival, here is your Z89 Recap.
The Headliners of Day One of the festival were Ed Sheeran and Leon Bridges, however, it is safe to say that Ed Sheeran and Reneé Rapp stole the show. With Rapp’s rocketing to fame this past year and Sheeran’s lasting popularity, Friday’s crowd definitely seemed to be there for the two of them. One of the most memorable moments from Rapp’s set was when she apologized multiple times about how she doesn’t actually hate Boston contrary to her song called “I Hate Boston.” She explained that the song was written during a time where she was struggling with some exes in the city. When she was singing the song at the festival, she even added “That’s not true anymore!” after one of her lyrics. Ed Sheeran also demanded to his crowd of fans dawning years and years of merch that they “lose their voices” singing along.
Day Two was definitely a change for Boston Calling since Tyler Childers was the festival’s first- ever country headliner. All day at all of the 4 stages of the festival consisted of country or country-like acts leading up to Childers. Saturday fans had a noticeably different aesthetic from Friday’s guests wearing cowboy hats, Bass Pro Shop merchandise, cowboy boots, and more. The other headliner Trey Anastasio and Classic Tab gathered a lot of jam band fans, making Day Two a very festive and spirited day.
It is safe to say that even though all days had great acts, Day Three ended the weekend with a BANG! Sunday was the only day of the weekend that sold out with allegedly 40,000 people in attendance in comparison to the approximate 16,000 people who attended on Saturday! The crowd was said to be packed with barely any moving room, and it is said to be because of one artist, Chappell Roan. Roan has been taking on social media and festivals by STORM, and people stood for hours just to secure their spot for her set. Once they got in place for Chappell Roan for her midday performance, there was very little movement in order to wait for Megan Thee Stallion’s set later in the evening. The Killers and Hozier also had incredible sets and drew in a big crowd.
One notable thing about Day Three was the amount of people who needed medical assistance. Many fans left suggestions and feedback from the weekend, specifically from Sunday, and Boston Calling definitely took note. They posted on Instagram the Tuesday morning after the weekend saying “We deeply appreciate the audience, staff, and performers who make Boston Calling possible, and want to acknowledge feedback from Sunday.”
Of course the artists are the main attraction, but it would not be Boston Calling without mentioning the concessions. The main attraction out of all of the vendors, of course, was the iconic “House of Dunkin.” The two-story lounge had two separate lines for each floor where guests waited for free coffee, gift cards, temporary tattoos, and other goodies. Red Bull also had a great concession stand inspired by the Out of Town newsstand in Harvard Square, which drew in a lot of people trying to get free energy drinks!
Overall, Boston Calling 2024 was a great way to kick off the summer with some great music! For more great music while we wait for the next festival, make sure you listen to Your Party Station, Z89 all summer long!