As Passion Pit took the stage on Sunday, Sept. 8, the crowd shifted anxiously. By the end of that night, 30,000 people had danced their way across Boston's City Hall Plaza, enjoying the music, culture and excitement of the second installment of Boston Calling. Boston Calling is Boston's first midsize music festival directly in downtown Boston. Music from all genres blasted out of the speakers on the two stages continuously during the two days, and rarely was there a dull moment.

The overall organization of the festival paved the way for the bands to perform at their best. The festival's two stages allowed for an almost seamless transition between acts, eliminating time wasted shuffling bands on and off stage. The crowd filled the entirety of the area in front of each stage, stretching halfway across the plaza. Sound quality was great, allowing one to hear the music from almost anywhere in the plaza. Massive screens next to the stage also allowed listeners to enjoy from a distance because they could watch the show live.

Though the first day lulled slightly during early acts, the tempo and energy picked up as the day progressed, in spite of the heat. Okkervil River and The Airborne Toxic Event brought the energy level up in the midafternoon. The Airborne Toxic Event jammed as many hits as possible into their hour-long time slot, mixing their music with exciting action onstage, as singer Mikel Jollett scaled the scaffolding, dangled his feet and snapped a picture of the roaring crowd. Mayor Thomas Menino also joined in the festivities of the first day, making an appearance to thank concertgoers and to welcome Local Natives to the stage.

Vampire Weekend closed the first day with their jangling, upbeat music, playing hits spanning back to their eponymous first album. The band shined on the main stage, soaking in the noise from the massive crowd and feeding it with a nonstop performance that treated fans to major hits like "Holiday" and "A-Punk" as well as lesser-known hits and some grooving tracks from their new album Modern Vampires of the City.

Vampire Weekend closed their set with two lesser-known gems from their first album: a massive sing-along to "One (Blake's got a New Face)" followed by a perfect performance of "Walcott." Overall the first day provided a great smattering of indie rock bands and closed off with the charming, exciting class of one of the best bands touring today.
While the first day was marked by a mix of raw indie bands and the clean-cut refinement of Vampire Weekend, the second day was a collection of electronic dance music, disc jokeys, and the electronic indie wonderfulness of Boston natives Passion Pit.

The day featured DJs Flume, Flosstradamus, Major Lazer and Wolfgang Gartner, all of whom had the crowd bouncing, dancing, jumping and moving. Throughout all of the acts the plaza became a massive dance floor and outdoor rave. Major Lazer was particularly exciting, causing the crowd to erupt as Diplo, one of the DJs in the group, entered a large inflated ball and tumbled his way across the top of the crowd.

Following the mix of DJ and EDM music, Kendrick Lamar mounted the stage as the festival's only rapper. Lamar delivered a solid set, though he failed to create the excited atmosphere that many earlier acts did. After fans migrated from one stage to another, Passion Pit took the reins and prepared to close out the second day and the festival overall. Singer Michael Angelakos remarked to the crowd throughout the set how great it felt to come back to the city that never gave up on Passion Pit and that supports them even today.

Like Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit provided fans with a catalog of their greatest hits, stretching back to their first EP with songs such as "Sleepyhead." The crowd definitely reacted well to the music, swaying and singing along to the choruses and enjoying Angelakos' onstage excitement.

Overall, Boston Calling delivered on everything that it promised to, bringing some of the most exciting touring bands and freshest music right to downtown Boston and creating an amazing atmosphere with easy access and a great diversity of acts. The third iteration of the festival will be held next May, and it's sure to be one festival you will not want to miss.
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