New England’s Largest Music Festival Continues to honor local artists

Boston Calling is returning this Memorial Day weekend and the region’s largest and most prestigious music festival is, once again, making sure that New England performers will be represented in front of the tens of thousands of fans that will flock the Harvard Athletic Complex.

Boston Calling first grew out of an idea that blossomed from the studios of the beloved but now defunct WFNX FM. Even the maiden voyage of the music festival, which first occurred on City Hall Plaza, made sure to feature New England’s talent. Passion Pit was among the acts that performed at the inaugural Boston Calling in 2013. The indie pop band from Cambridge, MA had gotten their start in Boston while their founding members were attending Emerson College and Berklee College of Music respectively.

Providence, RI was also ably represented by alternative rock-folk band, Deer Tick. Deer Tick, fronted by John McCauley, had released four albums and were about to drop Negativity and jump further into the national conscious.

Also featured at the very first Boston Calling was Bearstronaut, a Boston synthpop outfit that took the city by storm before calling game at their final show at Great Scott in 2020. Bearstronaut summited rather quickly, accomplishing feats like performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, having a song played at Fenway Park during the Sox playoff run, and performing at the inaugural Boston Calling.

These three acts represented New England aptly and started a tradition that Boston Calling has kept since it’s 2013 inception. Boston Calling has even kicked things up a bit by adding the Orange Stage, a stage that features all local talent, to the mix. The festival organizers do this in addition to booking local talent for the main stages also.

This year, Boston Calling is bringing a diverse group of local acts back up on stage. Latrell James, Megan From Work, Future Teens, Battlemode, Rebuilder, Sidebody, PINKLIDS, Layzi, Copilot, Vivid Bloom, and Nate Perry & Ragged Company are all acts hailing from New England that will be performing at Boston Calling this May. Take advantage of checking out some of their local shows prior to catching them on the big stages at Boston Calling. Who knows, you may be able to say that you caught them live before then blew up.

Root New England will publish features on each of these artists leading up to Boston Calling.

The energy at Boston Calling is unmatched, and it’s not just the headliners that create the excitement — it’s the community of music lovers, the thrill of discovering new talent, and the collective joy of being a part of something bigger than yourself. Whether you’re a local or a first-time visitor, there’s no better way to start the summer.