• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

CURRENT STREET EDITION

DIG 23.05 – 4/8/21

DAY TWO: ROBYN, ROCK, AND REINVENTION AT BOSTON CALLING

Written by NINA CORCORAN Posted May 29, 2016 Filed Under: MUSIC, Reviews

Robyn at Boston Calling. Photos by Andy Moran.
Robyn at Boston Calling. Photos by Andy Moran.

 

After yesterday’s back-to-back rollout of entertainment-heavy performances, festivalgoers were right to assume Boston Calling’s second day would provide just as much to chew on. What the festival offered instead, however, was a series of changes. There was no abrupt need to accept them (Sorry, Bowie). These were acts of reinvention, artists in transition from their bedroom-bound selves to musicians big enough to face a sea of people onstage. Altercations should be expected when looking at growth, and in music, there’s a right to reinvent yourself. The difficulty comes not with how far a musician pushes themselves, but the degree to which fans accept that push.

 

For those looking to transition to a larger persona, it’s easy to accept their progression. Local opener Palehound took the stage with a bit of fear, wasting no time openly admitting her nerves, but ended it with clear confidence. With new cuts like “Cinnamon” and “Molly” on through to old favorite “Pet Carrot”, she used her guitar skills and addictive vocals—especially when yelling mid-song—to put a foot down in favor of more attention. The same holds true for Lizzo, the Minneapolis-based rapper who burst onstage with enough power and enthusiasm to merit a significantly later spot on the lineup. With a live DJ and backup dancers of all sizes, Lizzo crafted a set full of body positivity, female empowerment, and good vibes at its most basic. Both women are ready for the spotlight and, as their sets confirmed, have both the live energy and engagement to claim it come the end of the year, if not sooner.

 

Reinvention isn’t always for the better. The Vaccines and City and Colour both ditched the succinct hooks that saw their earlier work catch waves of success. Despite nabbing longer time slots in the schedule, both sported updated takes on their own music which doubled as a time to hit the bathroom or grab lunch, coming across like a watered down Arctic Monkeys set and a ‘90s rock singer-songwriter record stuck looping, respectively. BØRNS launched into a hybrid cover of Arcade Fire and David Bowie in an attempt to win over those unphased by one-hit wonders. It didn’t work. Even Miike Snow’s shift into slightly more electronic work left the crowd lukewarm, most only throwing their arms up when the megatron camera panned to them in the audience or, alternatively, one of their few older songs snuck into the setlist.

 

Not everyone looked eager to alter themselves. Locals Nemes and Lady Pills fit comfortably on the small Verizon stage, roping casual onlookers with their folk rock and punk rock songs respectively. Performing at the festival alone was a big step for them. Shifting their styles would have been too much. Electropop duo ODESZA found their voice about three years ago and polish it on the regular ever since then. The two combine trip-hop elements with live horn, instrumental, and string recordings, sharing a mix of joy-centered, bass-heavy beats that are equally as easy to dance to as they are to bob along to gently. Courtney Barnett used her now-honed talent to deliver witty lyrics and straightforward riffs with total charm. Even Battles, the math rock trio who took a long break from performing, did little to modify their setlist, though there’s not much they can do to change their performance style given a good portion is prerecorded and staying on tempo is a must in order for each part to align properly. Those content with where they are saw no need to change their gameplan – and fans could interact with that material as they saw fit.

 

Leave it to the headliner to find true satisfaction in her own reinvention – but at a cost. A large crowd staked out spots at the main stage almost two hours before Robyn was set to perform. Large mirrors scattered the stage, an elevated platform in the center on which she would stand. Once the sun had set, a remix of “Who Do You Love” kicked off the performance and she waltzed out in an orange coat and long, white, Spanish-styled pants – and after a few large waves of cheering, the crowd grew relatively silent. The Swedish vocalist committed to a continuous dance set of entirely remixed tracks. That’s what her music’s for, dancing, but to this audience, it wasn’t how they wanted to dance.

 

Blame it on the 90-degree weather all day. Blame it on the lack of breaks between songs. Blame it on whatever you want. No matter the reason, the majority of the crowd refused to dance to what she prepared: a remarkable curation of variations of her songs, most unraveling like deep house cuts and minimalist dance numbers – all perfect for fans who want to stay footloose all night. Barely five songs in, the crowd thinned considerably, leaving a pool of drunk onlookers ready to dance to anything and diehard fans waiting for Robyn to say it’s all a joke, to lean heavy into the synths, to play their favorite club hits exactly the way they want to hear them. Except for her collaboration with Royksopp on an EP, she hasn’t released an album since 2010. Expecting her to remain content with that material six years later is childish. Getting to see Robyn perform them with gusto, and with such vibrant reimaginings, was a treat. It was a reinvention which felt right, but fans weren’t ready yet. Hopefully day three sees an acceptance of change on both the musicians’ and fans’ end.

 

Boston Calling Day 2, Spring 2016

NINA CORCORAN
More from author
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    WHEEL OF TUNES: JULIA HOLTER
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    WHEEL OF TUNES: PANDA BEAR
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    WHEEL OF TUNES: HOP ALONG
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    THE BEST LOCAL EPS OF 2018

Filed Under: MUSIC, Reviews Tagged With: 2016, Andrew Moran, Andy Moran, arcade fire, Battles, BORNS, Boston, boston calling, City and Colour, Courtney Barnett, david bowie, Dig, DigBoston, Fotobom, Lady Pills, live, Lizzo, Nemes, ODESZA, Palehound, review, Robyn, The Vaccines

WHAT’S NEW

IF YOU’RE SURPRISED THE BPD CODDLED AN ACCUSED MOLESTER COP, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION

IF YOU’RE SURPRISED THE BPD CODDLED AN ACCUSED MOLESTER COP, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION

PICS & RECAP: COMMUNITY CANDLE VIGIL HONORING VICTIMS OF ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE

PICS & RECAP: COMMUNITY CANDLE VIGIL HONORING VICTIMS OF ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE

CAMBRIDGE CHURCH MINISTER SPEAKS ABOUT RECENT VANDALISM OF SIGN

CAMBRIDGE CHURCH MINISTER SPEAKS ABOUT RECENT VANDALISM OF SIGN

PRESSLEY MEETS WITH LOCAL 26 WORKERS

PRESSLEY MEETS WITH LOCAL 26 WORKERS

THE HOUR THAT THE SHIP COMES IN

THE HOUR THAT THE SHIP COMES IN

JANEY OFFICIALLY DECLARES THAT SHE WILL RUN FOR FULL TERM

JANEY OFFICIALLY DECLARES THAT SHE WILL RUN FOR FULL TERM

Primary Sidebar

HEMPIRE FREEDOM PACK 25% OFF

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • VACCINE EQUITY NOW! COALITION ASKS BAKER TO ALLOCATE 20% OF NEW DOSES TO HARD HIT COMMUNITIES by SHIRA LAUCHAROEN
  • A NEW PLACE FOR MORE PEOPLE TO CALL HOME IN TOUGH TIMES by MARK EMMONS
  • rally to protest discrimination and crimes against Asian and Pacific islanders during Stop Asian Hate rally on Boston Common in Boston PICS & RECAP: “STOP ASIAN HATE BOSTON” RALLY ON THE COMMON by KEIKO HIROMI
  • IF YOU’RE SURPRISED THE BPD CODDLED AN ACCUSED MOLESTER COP, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION by CHRIS FARAONE
  • A FAREWELL TRIBUTE (OF SORTS) TO MARTY WALSH by DIG STAFF

READ CURRENT MEMBER EDITION

DIG Member 2.1 – March 2021

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG 23.05 – 4/8/21

Footer

digbos

digbos
“We’re not going to survive for 20 more years “We’re not going to survive for 20 more years if we don’t do this [move to a bigger space].” https://digboston.com/how-juliet-hit-a-100k-kickstarter-goal-in-4-days/ #restaurant #business #food #crowdfund #SomervilleMA #coronavirus #COVID19
EDITORIAL: DIGBOSTON SEEKS CLIMATE IDEAS FOR MAYOR EDITORIAL: DIGBOSTON SEEKS CLIMATE IDEAS FOR MAYOR KIM JANEY. Environmental organizations and individual activists invited to submit opinion articles for publication. https://digboston.com/editorial-digboston-seeks-climate-ideas-for-mayor-kim-janey/ #politics @boston_mayor #environment #globalwarming #climate #activist #callforsubmissions #policy #Boston #Massachusetts
“Most are some of my favorite bars or local clas “Most are some of my favorite bars or local classics that I’ve learned to love in my time living in the city. Others just have a great facade that I know would make a great drawing.” https://digboston.com/drawn-but-not-forgotten-local-artist-sketches-beloved-boston-restaurants/ #art #artist #sketch #drawing #Boston #Massachusetts #bar #restaurant
Despite #pandemic hurdles, Mass #music instructors Despite #pandemic hurdles, Mass #music instructors hit new high notes. “My #teaching has gone to another level.” https://digboston.com/the-medium-is-the-maestro/ #education #Massachusetts #coronavirus #COVID19
From the podcast to the book, Wayne Federman chron From the podcast to the book, Wayne Federman chronicles the business of joke-telling. https://digboston.com/the-history-of-stand-up-from-mark-twain-to-dave-chappelle/ #comedy #history #book #interview #Boston #Massachusetts
“I’m calling on some of you to drop by a local “I’m calling on some of you to drop by a local field office and hear what people have to say.” https://digboston.com/dear-reader-the-political-season-is-upon-us-embrace-it/ #politics #commentary #election #Massachusetts
“I think most people agree that we want our publ “I think most people agree that we want our public dollars to go to those companies that are not cutting corners.” https://digboston.com/bill-seeks-to-penalize-contractors-for-unsafe-conditions/ #politics #legislation #construction #safety #labor #Massachusetts
“It’s just shocking to me for Massachusetts, t “It’s just shocking to me for Massachusetts, the state that puts itself forward as this paragon of democracy. Those are just fundamental building blocks of a democratic society.” https://digboston.com/researchers-show-extent-of-lobbying-against-climate-bills-in-ma/ #environment #globalwarming #climate #crisis #politics #lobby #Massachusetts
I was lucky enough to get an extra #vaccine. Here’s how it went down. https://digboston.com/young-healthy-and-inoculated/ #young #youth #student #college #vaccination #publichealth #health #Boston #Massachusetts #coronavirus #COVID19
The MBTA confirmed that it will “fully fund its The MBTA confirmed that it will “fully fund its operating budget in the coming fiscal year and begin to restore cut service.” https://digboston.com/public-transit-public-good-responds-to-restoring-mbta-service/ #transportation #politics #Massachusetts
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Submissions

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]