The year 2017 was a big one for Boston Calling. It marked the music festival's move from City Hall Plaza to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston. The decision fundamentally changed the identity of the festival, yet allowed for growth — and lots of it. With the new location came a new stage, a Ferris wheel, food trucks for miles, more music, and enough room to double the weekend attendance.
Front Row Boston captured the momentous energy of the year by recording several performances. From the quirky Deerhoof set that kept the crowd going in the rain to the guy who skipped prom to catch Mac Demarco's set, you can find and watch them all below. And set your Facebook reminder now: on Friday, May 22 at 7pm ET, we're hosting a watch party for Brandi Carlile's 2017 breakout set.
Mac DeMarco
Mac DeMarco breaks in the new third stage with a rowdy performance complete with broken instruments, barefoot crowd-surfing, and a lot of swearing. In DeMarco's words, "this set was a real shit-banger."
Mitski
Mitski shatters the glass ceiling with a performance that includes songs from her 2016 breakout Puberty 2, an album that encompasses themes of love, femininity, and connection. She tells us, "I am a natural introvert; it's not that I become a different person on stage — I think I finally become myself on stage."
Deerhoof
Deerhoof delivers one of the more eccentric performances of the weekend, keeping the crowd lively as it started to rain. Drummer Greg Saunier chats about the band's various recording strategies over the years, and how he avoids helping his bandmates load the rented mini-van.
Kevin Morby
Kevin Morby kicks off day two on the green stage with an energetic performance. He talks about how much he enjoys when people discover his music at festivals, his favorite guitarists, and more.
Mondo Cozmo
Mondo Cozmo kicks off day three on the red stage with a spirited performance that includes the hit "Shine." Frontman Josh Ostrander talks about what motivates him to write — and how he knows when a song is finished.
