When getting home from the first day of Boston Calling 2023, I realized that I still needed to do a better job in protecting myself from the sun. As great a location the Harvard Athletic Complex is, there isn't too much shade on the fields, and the Red Stage's viewing area inadvertently put you right in the crossfire of sun's UVR (ultraviolet radiation) while you're trying to take in a show. With some Philadelphia smoked salmon cream cheese held between halves of a sesame bagel, held between my fingers, I used my other hand to busily dig for a broad-brimmed straw sunhat. Last year, I got a floppy straw hat with a 5.5 in. brim, and two bucket hats from a company called Sungrubbies. Part of what drew me to the company was obviously their stylish forms of protection from sunburns, but another was that they're one of the few companies to have explicitly feminine hats in my hat size. Though cliche lesbian headwear is still pretty much beanies and adjustable "snapback" baseball caps, I want to be able to wear feminine hats that don't necessarily require an appointment with some haberdasher. It's not like I'm trying to find some over the top hat for the Kentucky Derby or a "fascinator" for a royal event, but ever since the release of "Love Actually", I've wanted to be able to rock a cute newsboy cap like Kiera Knightly did. I digress. My Sungrubbies hat ended up getting so many compliments through the course of the weekend. Strangers were asking if they can see shows from the additional shade created by my hat.
With my hat, I grabbed my trusty high waisted flare leg Gap jeans (another challenge for me is finding companies that make a stylish range of clothing for "tall" women, and the Gap subsidiaries are usually some of my top options). I layered my aforementioned Aviator Nation hoodie over a '47 Brand tee that honored a San Diego Chargers brand identity used from the 60's into the 70's. As a proud Hufflepuff from a city where ice hockey teams wear "black & gold", I've found ways to make shades of yellow work in my wardrobe, and I enjoy vintage graphic design. One of my favorite things about '47 is that they get permission from sports organizations to not only dive into an archive old logos and color schemes, but also archived graphic designs. To celebrate the NFL's centennial, the Pittsburgh Steelers even granted '47 permission to upgrade their 1976 Super Bowl tee shirts with better fabric, more responsible manufacturing, and a better quality print. All of those production upgrades were factored into a new shirt that included every graphic detail right down to the bicentennial logo.
I packed some my portable phone charger packs into my Becksöndersgaard bag, and made my way to Alston in time to watch (from 26 meters up) as the Q-Tip Bandits performed at the Blue Stage. That extraordinary vantage point was thanks to gigantic Ferris wheel dubbed "the Spider Wheel". I noticed this amusement ride Friday night, and planned ahead of time to take in the sights when the Blue Stage just happened to open up my day's itinerary. The Q-Tip Bandits are an indie pop band from Boston that entwines an enthusiastic bounce into music that was already remind me of Jason Mraz. It was a cheery way to begin day #2 of the festival.
I got in line for the Spider Wheel as the Q-Tip Bandits were opening their set so that I wouldn't be mid-air when it was time to migrate to the Red Stage to see the Aces take the stage. They're a largely LGBTQ band from Provo, Utah, who the Beaches had been helpfully been talking up the day before. I had already been planning to see the the Aces since Thursday's drafting of my itinerary (you'll see in my Day #3 installment that it was devised like a band's set list). The Beaches recommendation further built up my anticipation. Crystal Ramirez and her band take the stage uniformly wearing blazers. Removed from the days of doo-wop and the Beatles' Ed Sullivan Show appearance, this fashion choice was communicating a specific energy which I've heard comedian Ashley Gavin mention so many times on her weekly podcast ("We're Having Gay Sex"). Knowing that fashion has to work with function, I felt bad for these ladies sweating it out early in their set with forecast that was probably in the low 80's. After the bassist shed her jacket, her bandmates were soon to follow. There set was this indie pop sound that combines a general 311 sound with vocal harmonies comparable to Haim. When it comes to instrumental contributions, Alisa Ramirez's reminded me loosely of a young Travis Barker while Katie Henderson, bassist McKenna Petty, and her sister had this strings dynamic that reminded me of the Edge and Adam Clayton (both of U2). I'm not (yet) a guitar player, but something in the sound of Henderson's guitar playing reminded me of the Edge. If you want a specific example, think of his theme song for the animated series "The Batman" we're the resonance is clear, and undistorted, but seems to echo as if through an empty parking garage. A use of reverb that's like scaling up when an acoustic guitarist moves their guitar to affect how sound waves just deflect along inside the body of the instrument. Both the Aces and the Beaches are going to tour through Boston again this autumn, and I look forward their future shows.
For the next two hours, I was trying to get to shows at all four stages, to take in what I could, and I honestly just couldn't comfortably settle in to any of their sets. Sincerely, it was me, and not them (neither of us in the wrong) where I just found myself instead taking in the overall ambience of Boston Calling instead.
At 5:50, Fletcher was getting ready for her set at Blue Stage, learning of musicians mainly through YouTube suggestions, orbital fields in Pandora stations, and headliner's opening acts, I was learning about many of the Boston Calling acts as I was drawing up my itinerary. Fletcher's drawing lesbians like a magnet just happily coincided with my handy-dandy itinerary. I don't know. Half jokingly, I don't know if the abundance of queer female musicians had anything to do with Subaru New England being a sponsor of Boston Calling 2023 (thanks to Subaru even if it just happened that way). I sat on this grassy little hill to the side of the Blue Stage viewing area, and before long there were women (and a few male significant others) everywhere. I quickly became friends with three women who had been fans of Fletcher for some time now. They were describing the history behind bitter break-up songs like "Becky's so Hot (in her Vintage Tee Shirt)", and it got me thinking about when I was first writing about Brandi Carlile back in my old music blog. this was back in 2015, and many of Brandi's songs were break up songs and heartbreak. This was just as Firewatcher's Daughter was marking that upswing into stardom. One of my friend's laughed and said that Fletcher's not quite at that point yet. Instead, their's catchy music about lusting for an ex (where despite a flawed audio setup, the whole audience got into singing along). It may have been a much more imersive and starry-eyed experience for people front and center in the general admission section, but for my little section of the festival grounds it was a moment of fellowship between queer women (transgender and cisgender alike, the spectrum of butch to femme, and good range of ages). And yes, my geeking out about vintage designs on graphic tee's isn't lost on me, as I look back on legions of women talking about Becky and her vintage tee shirt. Not that the graphic tee's that I get are bought "vintage". I collect them like wines or pop art, and can an out of production reboot of 60's AFC merch start to be considered "vintage" in its own right after 4 years?
With Alanis Morissette and the Flaming Lips both taking the stage during the 7 o'clock hour, the main priority among most people at Boston Calling as the sun was beginning to descend was "dinner". Economizing my time, I ate my kielbasa rounds and Jaju pierogis while standing in line for a beverage to wash my meal down. Holding the cardboard basket with one hand and cutting those savory little dumplings was no small feat, and the food was so rewarding. the spices (and the jalapeño & cheddar pierogi) paired very well with the dollop of sour cream.
I was among the mass of people assembled to see Alanis Morissette perform. I credit a good amount of her draw to the success she had the 90's, and wish that Steven Page was there for a performance of "Call & Answer". A lot of the younger crowd have been introduced to the album through its being interpreted into a stage musical. Unllike any other performer at this year's festival, Alanis's set opened with a nostalgic montage celebrating the cultural impact that "Jagged Little Pill" made on civilization. That resonated through Alston, MA as the audience wholeheartedly joined the songstress in singing the album's six hit singles. In songs like "All I really Want", the people got Alanis going to work on a harmonica, but what took me by surprise is when she started shredding on a guitar together with her band. The video techs had us dazzled with recorded dance routines timed with the set, that would change to other grand effects like the fiery rage of "You Oughta Know" and a rain of pink sequins and glitter for "Forgive Me Love". For me at least, Alanis's show was the pinnacle of Saturday's sets. Even attendees from the Flaming Lips show started migrating over to watch.
Figuratively, it was "Sophie's Choice" for many people to decide between the Flaming Lips and Alanis. Nothing against their brand of hipster "indie folk" or their devoted fans of the Lumineers, but after nine ours of concerts, they made for a premiere event that I only stuck around for four or five songs of. This is nothing against the band, or their fans. I simply feel (and don't take this as an insult) that Alanis should have gotten the 9:05 Green Stage position on the schedule. The level of energy and fan appeal was much more fitting of finale to that day's shows. And it wouldn't have left people so torn on how to spend their night, There were 20-somethings who already had make the choice earlier in the day between Fletcher and Noah Kahan. IMO, the Saturday scheduling could've just been better coordinated.
Stay tuned next time for my experiences of Boston Calling 2023 Day #3.
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