Great Eight: Here’s who we are most excited to see and hear at Boston Calling Music Festival

With 27 bands, five comedians (officially), three days, and three stages, the seventh Boston Calling Music Festival is without question the biggest, most ambitious, and most diverse one yet. And since Robyn is headlining Saturday night, we're ready to declare it the best. But before we start dancing on our own deep in the concrete bowels of City Hall Plaza, it's important to note the sheer quality of this weekend's lineup from top to bottom. Boston Calling added an impressive array of local talent, from folky guitar-rock trio Palehound and future hip-hop superstar Michael Christmas on the big stage to comedians like Lamont Price and Ken Reid delivering the ha-ha on the side. The headliners -- Haim, Disclosure, Janelle Monae, Sia, and that aforementioned Swedish superstar -- all reflect the current climate of pop music like few of the fests before it. And we even hear there's a new Boston Calling beer. While you lick your lips for all that, drink up our official Boston Calling preview, with staff selections on just who we are most excited to party with this weekend.

Prev4 of 8Next
Swipe or use your ← → (arrow) keys

Courtney Barnett, Saturday at 4:50 p.m.

By Rob Duguay

It’s going to be interesting to see how Courtney Barnett takes over the JetBlue stage during the later afternoon on Saturday. Her buzz has been steadily rising ever since her stellar debut Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit came out a little over a year ago, and along with that, she just gained new fans from her performances of “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go To The Party” and “Pedestrian At Best” on Saturday Night Live’s season finale last weekend. Barnett has become an honest and real spokesperson for the awkward girl whose mind races all the time with her unique lyrical delivery. She has this stream of consciousness way of singing that is absolutely amazing; it’s like she’s a beatnik trapped in a millennial’s body. We can’t wait to see what she brings to the table at Boston Calling and all signs point to her having one of the top performances of the festival.

Prev4 of 8Next
Swipe or use your ← → (arrow) keys