Boston Calling Spring 2016 Preview

Now into its fourth year, Boston Calling has expanded to a third comedy stage for its Spring edition, Friday-Sunday, May 27th-29th....
Boston Calling Spring 2016 Preview

Boston Calling Spring 2016 Preview

Now into its fourth year, Boston Calling has expanded to a third comedy stage for its Spring edition, Friday-Sunday, May 27th-29th:

 

 

FRIDAY, MAY 27th

Sia, JetBlue Stage, 9:45 PM – 10:00 PM

Australia’s lovely Sia (QRO photos at a festival) has been winning fans & hearts both on record – such as with 2010’s We Are Born (QRO review) and this year’s This Is Acting – and live (QRO live review). More recently she’s gotten massive mainstream attention, not just for her music but also for her dancers and even hair.
Sia
Sufjan Stevens, Xfinity Red Stage, 8:05 PM – 10:50 PM

Sufjan Stevens (QRO live review) has been all over the map – both literally and sonically. He began as singer for electronica outfit The Faint (QRO live review), but made his name in alt-folk, including his ‘States Project’ of albums about states (though he only made two, for Michigan and Illinois), then had a Christmas album and a music & film project, The BQE (commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the famed Brooklyn-Queens Expressway). And even his return to normal albums was anything but normal, as 2010’s The Age of Adz (QRO review) combined alt-folk harmonies with tech-stop electronics for a unique sound and a unique show (QRO live review). He comes to Boston Calling (QRO photos) behind last year’s return to intimate form, Carrie & Lowell (QRO review).
Sufjan Stevens
Lisa Hannigan & Aaron Dessner, JetBlue Stage, 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM

Songstress Lisa Hannigan (QRO photos) and The National’s (QRO spotlight on) Aaron Dessner team up on the first day of Boston Calling (which Dessner curates…).
Lisa Hannigan

 

 

SATURDAY, MAY 28th

JetBlue Stage

Robyn, 9:20 PM – 10:50 PM

Robyn (Robin Miriam Carlsson – QRO photos at a festival) gained international fame with nineties dance-pop hits like “Show Me Love”, but then retreated to her home base of Sweden until relatively recently. Back-up vocals on Britney Spears’ “Piece of Me”, opening for Madonna in Europe, and being featured on Röyksopp’s Junior (QRO review) all set the stage for her three-part charting Body Talk series in 2010. More recently she has been teaming up with others, such as with Röyksopp on 2014’s Do It Again and with La Bagatelle Magique with last year’s Love Is Free.
Robyn
Miike Snow, 6:50 PM – 7:50 PM

Stockholm’s Miike Snow (a band, not a person – QRO photos at a festival) have been getting serious notice recently with their combination of indie-pop & electro-dance, especially live (QRO live review). After a break, this year they came back (QRO live review) with iii.
Miike Snow
Courtney Barnett, 4:50 PM – 5:40 PM

Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett (QRO photos at a festival) won fans like Rolling Stone and New York Times after her CMJ 2013 performance (QRO festival recap), with funny, rambling lyrics and a deadpan delivery (QRO photos). Since then she’s just gone and won fans outside of just critics with last year’s Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit – including having just played the season finale of Saturday Night Live!
Courtney Barnett
The Vaccines, 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM

The Vaccines (QRO live review) have grown up (somewhat) with 2012’s Come of Age (QRO review) and last year’s English Graffiti, with their garage rock maybe finally earning some all the attention they got (QRO photos at a festival) from debut What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? (QRO review).



Also:

Lizzo, 1:30 PM – 2:10 PM

The Vaccines

Xfinity Red Stage

ODESZA, 7:55 PM – 9:05 PM

Harrison Mills & Clayton Knight managed to put out their debut as electronic duo ODESZA (QRO photos) while still in their senior year back in ’12 with Summer’s Gone, and come to Boston Calling (QRO photos at a festival) off of 2014’s follow-up full-length, In Return.
ODESZA
City and Colour, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM

Dallas Green (QRO photos), singer/guitarist of emo-punk band Alexisonfire, embraces his sad, acoustic side as City and Colour (he’s Canadian, thus the extra ‘u’ – 2005 debut Sometimes only came out in America in 2009 – QRO review), coming to Boston Calling (QRO photos at a festival) behind last year’s If I Should Go Before You.
City and Colour
BØRNS, 3:55 PM – 4:45 PM

Actually from Michigan, not Scandinavia, is singer Garrett Borns, a.k.a. BØRNS (QRO photos at a festival). He’s already graduated to the big-time with last year’s debut Dopamine.
BØRNS
Battles, 2:15 PM – 2:55 PM

Most instrumental-only acts are, frankly, boring to watch live. But there are a few exceptions to the rule, such as Explosions In the Sky (QRO live review) and New York’s Battles (QRO live review). Though they lost Tyondai Braxton (QRO photos with him), the band is still ultra-exciting to see on stage (QRO photos outdoors), even at a festival (QRO photos at a festival), as they come to Boston Calling (QRO photos at a festival).



Also:

Palehound, 12:55 PM – 1:25 PM

Battles

Verizon Stage

Lady Pills, 6:50 PM – 7:20 PM

Sean Sullivan, 5:25 PM – 5:40 PM

Orlando Baxter, 5:05 PM – 5:20 PM

Lamont Price, 4:50 PM – 5:05 PM

Nemes, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Kelly MacFarland, 2:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Ken Reid, 1:40 PM – 1:55 PM

Lamont Price, 1:25 PM – 1:40 PM
Kelly MacFarland

 

 

SUNDAY, MAY 29th

JetBlue Stage

Disclosure, 9:20 PM – 10:50 PM

British electronic duo Disclosure (QRO photos at a festival) spin beats to close out Boston Calling (QRO photos at a festival).
Disclosure
Janelle Monáe, 6:50 PM – 7:50 PM

The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter (QRO photos at a festival) nicely crosses between the urban and alternative genres, from signing to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Bad Boy Record to opening on tour with of Montreal (QRO live review with of Montreal). She has since risen to amazing heights (QRO photos) with 2013’s The Electric Lady, from festivals (QRO photos at a festival) to guest singing on mega-hit single “We Are Young” by fun. and even becoming a face for CoverGirl (QRO photos at a festival).
Janelle Monae
The Front Bottoms, 4:50 PM – 5:40 PM

New Jersey punks The Front Bottoms have only been growing since their 2011 self-titled debut full-length (QRO review).
The Front Bottoms
Vince Staples, 3:00 PM – 3:50 PM

While Boston Calling isn’t as heavy on the hip-hop as some other festivals, it did a choice lyricist in Vince Staples (QRO photos at a festival). The Long Beach native first came up with others, such as in the group Cutthroat Boyz and in association with Odd Future (QRO live review), but has since made a name all his own (QRO photos at a festival).
Vince Staples
Also:

Christine & The Queens, 1:30 PM – 2:10 PMQRO photos

Christine & The Queens

Xfinity Red Stage

HAIM, 7:55 PM – 9:05 PM

Sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim, along with drummer Dash Hutton (QRO photos at a festival), only started putting out music in 2013, but have already been turning heads (QRO photos), thanks to great single “Don’t Save Me” and debut full-length, Days Are Gone (QRO review). They come to Boston Calling (QRO photos) after getting numerous high-profile fans – and even playing the legendary after-party for the Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary with Prince!
HAIM
Elle King, 5:45 PM – 6:45 PM

Songstress Elle King (QRO photos at a festival) encompasses country, soul, rock, and blues. She’s also, randomly, Rob Schneider’s daughter…
Elle King
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, 3:55 PM – 4:45 PM

The ‘Screaming Eagle of Soul’, Charles Bradley is one of the many great soul singers to emerge from Brooklyn’s DapTone Records, which also brought the world Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (QRO live review) and Budos Band (QRO album review), but Bradley more than stands on his own, from festivals (QRO photos at a festival) to hotels (QRO photos at a hotel) to topping the bill at the one-and-only Apollo Theater (QRO photos)!
Charles Bradley
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, 2:15 PM – 2:55 PM

From Portland (QRO photos in Portland), but also New Zealand, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (QRO live review) impressed a lot of ears with their self-titled debut (QRO review) and last year’s Multi Love, both of which managed to be avant while also still rockin’ (QRO photos at a festival).



Also:

Michael Christmas, 12:55 PM – 1:25 PM

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Verizon Stage

Black Beach, 6:50 PM – 7:20 PM

Ken Reid, 5:25 PM – 5:40 PM

Kelly MacFarland, 5:05 PM – 5:25 PM

Lamont Price, 4:50 PM – 5:05 PM

These Wild Plains, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Orlando Baxter, 2:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Sean Sullivan, 1:40 PM – 1:55 PM

Lamont Price, 1:25 PM – 1:40 PM
Kelly MacFarland

 

 

For festival website, go here: http://bostoncalling.com/

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