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Tag: City Hall Plaza Boston MA

The Boston Calling Festival: Bat for Lashes & The Airborne Toxic Event; Solange & Wolfgang Gartner

I’m back from Los Angeles with all sorts of amazing stories to tell. But before that happens, a bit of “Boston housekeeping.” Amazingly, tickets are still available for The Boston Calling Music Festival on September 7 & 8 at City Hall Plaza. It’s a great lineup, with Saturday as an indie rock love-fest and Sunday being more of a dance party. So if funds are tight, pick your favorite day and get on it.


In this installment, we have a look at two more bands from Saturday (Bat For Lashes and The Airborne Toxic Event) and two more from Sunday (Solange and Wolfgang Gartner).

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The Boston Calling Festival: Okkervil River & Deer Tick; Flume & Flosstradamus

Okkervil River ~ photo by Ben Sklar Photography

Okkervil River ~ photo by Ben Sklar Photography

Flume ~ photo by Patrick @ HOBOGESTAPO

Flume ~ photo by Patrick @ HOBOGESTAPO



Deer Tick ~ photo by Anna Webber

Deer Tick ~ photo by Anna Webber

Flosstradamus

Flosstradamus


Here are four more bands that will be performing at Boston Calling, Boston’s own music festival, coming up September 7 & 8. On Saturday, following after Lucius will be Okkervil River and New England favorites, Deer Tick. On Sunday, to keep everyone dancing after Big Black Delta, is a beat-maker from Sydney, Flume and Chicago-based DJs J2K (Josh Young) and Autobot (Curt Cameruci), who go by the name of Flosstradamus. The line-up for this second Boston Calling festival is such that you have a stellar indie rock line-up on Saturday and the best of electronic, hip-hop, house and dance music on Sunday, for those who have a specific preference and can only make it for one day. Have a look/listen below at these four, and stay tuned for more of these “mini profiles” leading up to Boston’s big weekend.

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The Boston Calling Festival: Lucius and Big Black Delta

Lucius, photo by Peter Larson

Lucius, photo by Peter Larson

Big Black Delta

Big Black Delta


Continuing my plan to cover at least all the “non-headliners” for The Boston Calling Music Festival coming up September 7 & 8, here’s a little taste of Lucius (performing Saturday) and Big Black Delta (who are playing Sunday). I heard great things about the first Boston Calling festival, so this second one is definitely not to be missed. Especially not one that features bands like Boston’s You Won’t and Bearstronaut, Okkervil River, Deer Tick, Bat for Lashes, Major Lazer, Passion Pit, Local Natives… oh yeah, and The Airborne Toxic Event.

Lucius — is a fairly new Brooklyn-based quintet (just started last year), recently signed to Mom & Pop Music. It features the dual vocals of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, and the dual guitars of Peter Lalish and Andrew Burri.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/92029636″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Big Black Delta is the solo project of vocalist and bassist Jonathan Bates (Mellowdrone). He’s collaborated with several artists including Morgan Kibby, War Widow and Alessandro Cortini.

Get your tickets now for Boston Calling, as it’s liable to sell out just like the last one did.

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Boston Calling Music Festival 9/7 & 9/8: Tickets On Sale Now

Tickets have just gone on sale TODAY for the Boston Calling Music Festival which takes place September 7 and 8 at City Hall Plaza, so I thought I would commemorate the occasion by having a brief look at the Boston bands that will be opening up the festivities on each day. Over the weeks leading up to it, I’ll be doing little profiles about some of the “non-headliners” performing, since that’s how I am here, and it’s actually a pretty diverse and interesting line-up.

I’ll begin by profiling the two Boston bands who open things up on each day. I’ve heard some people comment that it’s a little odd not to have the Boston music scene more strongly represented at a festival that calls itself “Boston Calling.” While I tend to agree, this is also the first festival we’ve had here in Boston, right downtown no less, and there’s always a future (one hopes) to grow and improve. The first festival had two local bands, this one has three (yay Passion Pit!). Maybe the line-up can be expanded, extended into before and after-parties, whatever. Better not to boycott, but to engage in discussion. Off soapbox, on to the music.

You Won’t :: Saturday ::

I’m really happy to see the Boston-based duo of Josh Arnoudse and Raky Sastri a.k.a. the totally charming and really great indie folk outfit You Won’t opening things up on Saturday. The band came into existence in 2011 and released their debut album Skeptic Goodbye (Old Flame Records) in February 2012. This was followed by a U.S. & Canadian tour, a bunch of glowing reports in places like NPR and The New York Times, and more touring this year supporting the likes of The Lumineers, The Joy Formidable and Josh Ritter. Nice to see they’ll get some more high profile exposure with this festival.

Upcoming shows: 6/17 Toad’s Place, New Haven, CT (w/The Joy Formidable) | 6/18 Port City Music Hall, Portland, ME (w/The Joy Formidable) | 6/20 House of Blues, Boston, MA (w/The Joy Formidable) | 7/31 Downsview Park, Toronto, Canada (Edgefest)

Bearstronaut :: Sunday ::

There really isn’t a more perfect band to kick off Sunday’s dance party than Boston’s own Bearstronaut. Polished and well-produced synth-pop with hints of electro, R&B, Britpop, the 1980s… basically a bouncy, happy affair. They released their debut EP in 2009 and were the inspiration for a homegrown record label, Vanya Records, founded by Michael Marotta (the pill, WFNX). Their Moniker single was released on vinyl by Vanya, as was last year’s EP Paradice. Bearstronaut have perform with Passion Pit, fun., Bad Rabbits, St. Lucia, Surfer Blood and others. And in September, they’ll get to kick off quite an inspired Sunday line-up for dance music, hip-hop, R&B, electro and synth-pop aficionados.

Boston Calling: web | facebook | twitter

You Won’t: web | facebook | twitter | bandcamp | soundcloud

Bearstonaut: web | facebook | twitter | bandcamp | tumblr | soundcloud

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