Despite the unusual cold and rainy conditions this year, Boston Calling still shined and brought a weekend full of music, good eats, and fun for everyone around! This years fest saw headliners Luke Combs, Fall Out Boy and Dave Matthews Band put on a fantastic show with a standout undercard of Avril Lavigne, Cage The Elephant, and T-Pain, amongst many others. The festival brought out fans from different demographics and music taste, seeing as Friday was more centered to country fans, Saturday for pop punk, and Sunday for the indie/alt lovers. Overall it was a good mix of acts for everyone to enjoy. We were so excited to be there amidst all the action and have all the scoop on all the excitement and our standout acts from all three days at Boston Calling.
Day 1
Bebe Stockwell
The ever so charming Bebe Stockwell had the exciting job of kicking off Boston Calling on Friday at the Green stage. Though it was a cold and rainy start to the day that didn’t stop Bebe from bringing the warm vibes. She released her debut EP, Driving Backwards, earlier this month and performed tracks like “Call Me By Your Name” and had the crowds attention from the start. What a fantastic way to kick off a great festival.
Kyle Dion
Another standout set from Friday at Boston Calling was Kyle Dion. Kyle hails from Florida and effortlessly blends R&B, soul, pop, and more, making him one of the most dynamic artists of his generation. Dion has released three acclaimed albums, SUGA (2019) and SASSY (2021), and most recently SOULAR (2025). All of them showcasing his signature falsetto and genre-defying sound. He put on a fantastic set at Boston Calling at the Blue stage and had the crowd up and dancing early on in the day.
Holy Roller
This Richmond, VA based group is quickly proving that they intend to be the new face of southern rock. The band played the green stage to a growing crowd early on in the day, absolutely blowing away everyone watching. They has been dominating the east coast, selling out nearly every show over the last year, not to mention some outstanding performances that landed them as festival favorites at Bristol Rhythm & Roots and Red Wing. Their sophomore album, Good Religion is out now and boasts some seriously riff-heavy, yet deeply intimate songs that are best played L-O-U-D.
Megan From Work
Now moving over to the orange stage which hosted amazing local Boston talent, we had Megan From Work absolutely slaying their set. Lead singer Megan Simon commanded the stage in their playful suit t-shirt outfit, and the joy of their set brightened up the festival even as it was raining pretty steady at that point. The band is from Manchester, NH whose songs are tight, hooky, and fun, but underneath that catchy surface there’s powerful emotion at play. Along with playing their newest release, “Life Into A Movie,” the band sprinkled in covers such as “American Girl” by Tom Petty, displaying their pop-punk range.
T-Pain
One of the best sets from the festivals first day arguably was none other than T-Pain himself. T-Pain was over on the blue stage and he drew possibly the biggest crowd at a non headline stage. Even though it was raining a bit harder now and it was near the end of the day, everyone there was dancing and gave it their all, including T-pain. He brought along his signature set pieces, such as columns with arches that housed the DJ booth and large statues of himself surrounded by twisting shrubbery. What a sweet setup. T-pain brought the energy for his entire set, and the crowd couldn’t get enough of it. What a way to close out Friday.
Day 2
Valley
Canada’s best –Valley got things off to a stellar start to day two of Boston Calling. They brought the vibes early on despite yet another cold off and on rainy day in Boston. The band had one of the coolest backdrops which featured a giant flower field and their name in a pretty sweet font. The imagery comes from their latest album Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden, to which the band played quite a few songs off of including “When You Know Someone”. Drummer Karah James even sported a Red Sox jacket to the crowds delight. The band know how to put on a fun set and it was evident at Boston Calling for sure.
The Maine
Next up on the green stage right after Valley was Arizona rockers The Maine. Saturday was certainly the day more geared towards the pop-punk and emo crowd who live for nostalgia. Lucky for The Maine they are definitely a part of that all. Being a band for over 20 years now The Maine are no strangers to this scene. Eager to play Boston Calling, the band came out in their signature all white suit look. Lead singer John O’Callaghan made sure the crowd was into it early on and got them up and grooving. The band is all about crowd participation so they even had a fan come up and sing parts of their song with them, even having a Boston Calling security guard come up for fun as well. It was such a fun set that had everyone in the crowd singing along.
Lucius
Now back over on the blue stage, Lucius played such a mesmerizing set. The band hails from New York and are a four-piece indie pop group. Dressed in all matching red, the band played songs like “Old Tape” and “Stranger Danger,” off their new self-titled album. They had the crowds attention from the start, and everyone was jamming along. This Boston Calling performance in particular was meaningful for vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, both of whom are Berklee College of Music alums. So in a way it was sort of a homecoming for them, what a sweet moment and a fantastic set.
Cage The Elephant
Commanding the green stage was Cage the Elephant who definitely brought the heat to their set. It had finally stopped raining during their set which was a huge plus. Even the sun came out which made things even better. This band is one of the most dynamic entertainers of this time, and they for sure delivered. Lead singer Matt Shultz is a mad man in the best way and was running around the stage with the utmost energy. Even at one point running through the front of the crowd to get up close and personal with fans. Guitarist and brother Brad Shultz also got in on the fun and went into the crowd to play guitar with fans. It was one of the most electric sets of Saturday for sure.
Fall Out Boy
Being one of the most anticipated headliners this year, Fall Out Boy sure didn’t disappoint. Over the course of a nearly two hour set to close out day two at Boston Calling, the Chicago rock band truly thanked fans for the memories, as they played hit songs off of each of their eight studio albums. Fiery pyrotechnics, attached to the end of Pete Wentz’s bass, lit up the stage. The bands crowd interactions and overall stage presence are what truly sparked their set and how much energy the crowd had. With how many different set changes and theatrics happening, the show felt like a fever dream in the best way. You couldn’t ask for a better way to end an already spectacular day two of Boston Calling.
Day 3
Sam Austins
Day three got off to a great start thanks to Sam Austins rocking the blue stage early on in the day, amidst a few rain drops. Sam Austins is a Detroit born artist who blends genres and pushes creative boundaries. Austins’ 2021 debut album, HOMELESS STAR, is a tribute to Detroit that captures the city’s spirit. His 2023 EP, Boy Toy, showcases his genre-bending skills and evolving artistry. He was owning every moment he was on that stage and the crowd was eating it up and dancing along with him. Such an amazing way to kick off a great final day of the festival.
Goth Babe
Sunday was the day for the more indie lovers crowd and what a perfect day for Goth Babe to be there. Goth Babe is the indie project of lead singer Griff Washburn. He really set the tone for his entire set, having the crowd fully into it all, enjoying every moment. About midway through the set, they invited two lucky fans to ride inflatable Cheez-It floats, creating an environment that truly celebrated music lovers. One of the fun standout sets of the day for sure.
Remi Wolf
Remi Wolf truly shined in her Sunday midday set, despite all the technical audio issues she endured. While she was beautifully singing “Cinderella,” her mic kept cutting in and out and was causing issues, not allowing her to sing fully. Despite the horrors, Remi was a great sport and did a short “Stand up comedian” bit while she waited for the technical issues to be fixed. Even though she claimed she’s not much of a comedian, the crowd sure was laughing at her silly banter, with segments like how she started using ChatGPT as a therapist, telling everyone to loosen up their hips, toasting to the crowd with her red Solo cup, and giving us “Defying Gravity” realness. All was good after the issues were fixed and she continued to have a fantastic set, playing songs like “Pitiful” and “Liz.” So despite the trouble thrown her way, Remi was still excited to be at Boston Calling and she thanked the crowd for all their patience.
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend made their triumphant return to Boston Calling since playing the festival back in 2013, when it was over at City Hall. The band opened with “Ice Cream Piano,” followed by “Classical,” “Unbelievers,” and “Step.” The crowd was eager to have the band back in Boston and you could tell just by how electric the energy was for their whole set. The band set the tone for the rest of the night. It was going to be hard to live up to a set like that.
Tom Morello
Back over at the Blue stage, Tom Morello was absolutely shredding away, to the crowds delight. Of course many may know him from being in Rage Against The Machine. Tom has always been heavy on politics and didn’t shy away from speaking on certain topics in his set, which we love to see. Tom also attended Harvard University so being back on Harvard grounds and playing there was extra special for him and made his set even sweeter. He played a variety of high-energy tracks, even bringing out Chuck D to perform “Prophets of Rage” by his group Prophets of Rage. His performance of “Like a Stone” by Audioslave was a particularly heartfelt moment. He dedicated the song to the late Chris Cornell, which was a bitter sweet moment. Tom had one of the standout sets on Sunday for sure, as he shredded away on his guitar into the night.
Dave Mathews Band
With Boston Calling coming to a close on the last day, we had one more act to take the stage, our last headliner, Dave Mathews Band. And what a way to close out a fantastic weekend of music. The band graced the stage and the energy was electric from the from the start. This band has some of the most dedicated fans it seems, some waiting it out for hours. They played an eclectic, expansive set that gave every member of DMB a moment in the spotlight and gave the fans a treat with their setlist. They played hits like “Ants Marching” and “What Would You Say”. Nearing the end of their set, they played a cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.” Mesmerizing, visuals graced the screen and the crowd cheered loudly as they closed out a wonderful weekend of music.
Festival Atmosphere
Boston Calling always delivers when it comes to the overall festival vibes and the atmosphere around, and this year it was even better despite the cold and rainy conditions. It doesn’t matter who is playing or which of the three days it is, everyone is always having a great time and you can see it on their faces. Fans made the best of the rain and mud each day, some not having a care and just going wild dancing in the rain.
Boston Calling also always hits it out of the park with their food and drink choices. Popular menu options for 2025 included Dumpling Daughter, PieSons Pizza, The Smoke Shop BBQ, and Greco. For drinks a selection of beers and hard seltzers including Sam Adams, Heineken, Truly, and Josh Wine, something everyone can enjoy. New this year to the food lineup was Amelia’s Acai , Flip The Bird , Sally’s Apizza, Summer Shack , New England Provisions, and Pennypacker’s, all with great variety.
The energy was high all weekend long and people were enjoying their time at the festival. Boston Calling always does a fantastic job at putting together a festival that has unique and diverse talent from multiple genres so there’s something for everyone, as well as their amazing hospitality. That’s why it proves to be one of the best music festivals on the east coast. We had a blast at this years fest and we can’t wait to see what next years brings!
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All photos (except for Dave Mathews Band) taken by Erin Crowley
