Boston Calling, darling of the Northeastern music festival circuit as one of the biggest urban music festivals on the planet, has debuted its 2017 lineup. Led by Aaron Dessner, founding member of The National and master music curator for Boston Calling, this festival boasts a whopping 45 acts–nearly double last year’s number. Tool, Mumford & Sons, and Chance the Rapper will headline the festival. For the first year ever, Boston Calling will be held on the 16 sweeping acres of fields at Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston (65 North Harvard Street, Boston), during Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-28, 2017.
The new location will enable Boston Calling to vastly broaden its scope into a multi-disciplinary festival, as this year’s 45 musical acts across three outdoor stages are joined by a cinophile’s dream: an unparalleled film experience produced by Natalie Portman—Academy Award-winning actress, director, and producer–along with compelling food, drink, and visual arts components. More details on each will be available soon.
Early Bird tickets for General Admission, VIP, and Platinum are already sold out, but regularly priced tickets are on sale now at www.bostoncalling.com. Boston Calling’s new layout and artist images from the 2017 lineup can be found here. Boston Calling’s 2017 lineup announcement video can be accessed here.
Says Boston Calling Events, LLC (BCE), Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Brian Appel, “Between our location and lineup, 2017 will undoubtedly be the most exciting Boston Calling yet. We are really in awe of the support and success the festival has seen thus far, and we are more excited than ever by the future. At the same time, we remain committed to our roots and very clear on the elements that make Boston Calling so special.”
Aaron Dessner notes, “We are incredibly excited about this year’s edition of Boston Calling. Moving to our new location has allowed us to expand the programming of the festival to include many more of my favorite artists from different corners of the music world. The addition of the film program curated by Natalie will create a whole other dimension within the festival experience. We can’t wait for May.”
The 2017 Lineup
Known for its musical diversity, Boston Calling 2017 offers a smorgasbord of newcomers, superstars, and artists that teeter on the edge of “the next big thing,” with music that spans over multiple genres to include rap, blues, alternative rock, punk, and soul. Aaron Dessner delivers on his promise to expand his festival’s range and cater to a wide variety of tastes and preferences.
Expect headlining sets from legendary rock band Tool, fronted by infamous showsman Maynard James Keenan; folk rock superstars Mumford & Sons, and the charismatic, seven time Grammy-nominee for awards such as Best New Artist and Best Rap Album, Chance the Rapper.
Bon Iver will return with new Grammy nominated material for their first album in five years, an experimental art piece entitled, 22, A Million. Indie darlings, The xx, have released their hotly anticipated new album to critical acclaim with breakout single, “On Hold,” their first new album in four years as Jaime xx pursued solo projects. And Solange clearly proves she deserves “A Seat at the Table” with her new album debuting at number 1 on the Billboard 200. Run the Jewels will storm the stage hot with new eponymously titled, “Run the Jewels 3”
Artists on the lineup who have a reputation for grandiose live performances and their ability to captivate the audience include Cage the Elephant, Sylvan Esso, Weezer, Major Lazer, The 1975, Sigur Rós, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats, and Francis and the Lights.
Giving attention to solo artists on the rise, Boston Calling will feature Lucy Dacus, named one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “10 Artists You Need to Know” in 2016; Mondo Cozmo, creating a stir with punk-dance singles like Shine and Higher, Australian hip-hop queen Tkay Maidza, and electro soul singing phenom Moses Sumney.
Finally, as with each Boston Calling, local acts will be celebrated. Highlights for this year include Boston’s alt rock favorites Buffalo Tom, hip-hop up-and-comer Cousin Stizz, Worcester’s own The Hotelier, the recently reunited punk band Piebald, and Allston based Vundabar.
The 2017 Location
This year’s Boston Calling will take place at an exciting new location, as the festival moves from Boston’s City Hall Plaza to the fields of the Harvard Athletic Complex. The change in venue has enabled the festival to expand its programming to feature a combination of music, film, and visual art.
In a shift from its bi-annual model, Boston Calling bypassed its September 2016 festival, making May 2017 its first installment since the May 2016 edition at Boston’s City Hall Plaza. In total, this is the eighth edition of the festival since its 2013 inception.
With its new and expanded footprint of 16 acres at the Harvard Athletic Complex, Boston Calling has tapped world-acclaimed festival designer, artist and sculptor Russ Bennett to bring the look and aesthetic of 2017’s festival to greater heights. Bennett is most known for creating the layout and visual design for such world-renowned festivals as Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, as well as for being the artistic brains behind many of Phish’s visual spectacles, including their historic show in Coventry, VT in 2004.
2017 Music Lineup
Tool
Mumford & Sons
Chance the Rapper
Bon Iver
The xx
Major Lazer
Weezer
The 1975
Sigur Rós
Solange
Cage the Elephant
Run the Jewels
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Tegan and Sara
Brandi Carlile
Sylvan Esso
Majid Jordan
Flatbush Zombies
Wolf Parade
Mac Demarco
Oh Wonder
Danny Brown
Piebald
Frightened Rabbit
Modern Baseball
Car Seat Headrest
Buffalo Tom
Cousin Stizz
Mitski
Russ
Francis and the Lights
Deerhoof
Pup
Whitney
Strand of Oaks
Hiss Golden Messenger
Moses Sumney
Kevin Morby
The Hotelier
Lucy Dacus
Vundabar
Xylouris White
Tkay Maidza
Alexandra Savior
Mondo Cozmo
Further details on Boston Calling’s film experience curated by Natalie Portman as well as more information about the festival’s food and drink components will be shared in the months to come.
Boston Calling is proud to have Delta Air Lines, Miller Lite, Samuel Adams, and 47 Brand as initial sponsors for this year’s festival, and many more partners will be announced in the coming months.
Tickets: Early Bird Three-Day General Admission, VIP and Platinum VIP Passes are on sale at www.bostoncalling.com. Early Bird General Admission Three-Day Passes are available for $245 plus fees; these offer access to 45 bands across 3 outdoor music stages, admission to all indoor, air-conditioned film experience screenings and programming (TBA, first come first serve), access to over 30 incredible food vendors, a wide selection of beer and wine offerings, an array of fun outdoor games and attractions, sponsor exhibits, and more surprises to be announced. Regular General Admission tickets will become available immediately when Early Birds sell out – for $269 plus fees.
Early Bird VIP Three-Day Passes are available for $499; these offer a dedicated fast pass entrance to the festival, premium viewing areas at each outdoor stage, access to an onsite concierge and an exclusive VIP Lounge featuring expanded beverage and dining options, comfortable lounge seating, private air-conditioned restrooms. Regular VIP tickets will become available immediately when Early Birds sell out – for $529 plus fees.
Early Bird Platinum Three-Day VIP Passes are available for $899; these offer all VIP amenities plus access to a Platinum Sky Deck featuring incredible elevated views of the two main stages, a premium food & beverage package that includes a full specially priced bar featuring beer, wine and craft cocktails, complimentary daily signature dishes and gourmet bites throughout the day, as well as complimentary soft drinks, water and other non-alcoholic options, a complimentary on-site parking pass for each day (one pass per transaction), priority admission to all film experience screenings and programming (TBA), and a platinum gift bag featuring exclusive Boston Calling merchandise. Regular Platinum VIP tickets will become available immediately when Early Birds sell out for $999 plus fees.
Private elevated Skybox lounges are also available for up to 50 people; details and pricing are available upon request.
Getting There: Boston Calling is best accessed by the T on the Red Line’s Harvard Square stop; from there it is a short walk to the festival’s main entrance. Boston Calling will also be coordinating with taxi and rideshare programs for safe and easy pickup and drop off points; there will also be bike racks available onsite. At present onsite parking is available only to Platinum VIP package purchasers.
Social Media: Instagram: @boston_calling; Twitter: @boston_calling; Facebook: Boston Calling Music Festival
FestPop Sr. Editor Kayla Ghassemi
