This past weekend I had the privilege of attending Boston Calling. This is a semi-annual music festival held in City Hall Plaza in the heart of Boston. Many big names were at this season’s event like Of Monsters and Men, Hozier, The Avett Brothers, Alt-J, Alabama Shakes, Chvrches, Chromeo, Walk the Moon, and more.

There were 23 bands that played over the course of three days so obviously I couldn’t attend every single one, but I will share the highlights of my weekend in Boston, Mass.

Unfortunately I missed the two big shows on Friday: The Avett Brothers and Of Monsters and Men. I was very upset about this because Of Monsters and Men is one of my favorite artists. All of their music is spectacular and their new album, Beneath the Skin, doesn’t disappoint.

I came into the city for the afternoon and evening shows on Saturday and saw the end of Father John Misty, Walk the Moon, Chromeo, part of Chvrches (hey girl’s gotta take some time to eat), and part of Alt-J. At KCSU, Father John Misty, Chvrches, and Alt-J are some of our favorites. They were just as amazing live as you would expect; full of energy and clear talent.

Being a huge Walk the Moon fan, I was actually a little disappointed with their performance. I saw them back in March at the Filmore and they were amazing. They really connected with the audience in this intimate venue. On the Red Stage at Boston Calling, this was not the case. They seemed detached from the audience and just performed their songs to perform them, not to impact those listening.

Sunday was all about Hozier for me. My current favorite song is “From Eden” by Hozier and I had all my fingers and toes crossed hoping that he would play this song. I lit up, as did most of the audience, when he finally did. He also surprised the audience with his own rendition of “Blackbird” (originally by The Beatles) that was upbeat yet still provocatively moving. Just to break the mold of what he typically does, Hozier also did a cover of “Problem” by Ariana Grande. Not my favorite cover ever, but still a fun way to connect with the audience who didn’t know his work.

Last of the evening was Alabama Shakes. Let me telling you something. The lead singer, Brittany Howard looks a hell of a lot like Woody from The Suite Life on Deck. But man can that girl sing. I had heard a little bit of Alabama Shakes because of the album, Sound & Color, that recently went through KCSU’s CD rotation. Call me dumb, but I didn’t realize the lead singer of Alabama Shakes was a woman. That voice is captivated by so much soul and depth that makes it incomparable.

Overall, Boston Calling was awesome and the lineup had a lot to do with it. How could these bands not be amazing when wrapped up in a weekend package and tied with a bow? If you ever get the chance to go to the city of our country’s roots, make sure its during the weekend of either Spring or Fall Boston Calling. It will be the cherry on top of a wonderful cultural experience.