Festivals
Boston Calling 2025 – Day Three Recap & Photos
Harvard Athletic Complex, Boston, MA – May 25, 2025
The final day of Boston Calling 2025 was a melting pot of genres, offering a diverse lineup that catered to rock enthusiasts, hip-hop heads, and indie aficionados alike. If you couldn’t find something to love on Sunday, that’s on you.
It started with local funk crew SNACKTIME, who wore matching Allen Iverson-era Sixers jerseys and blew the grogginess off the early crowd. Nothing wakes you up like a horn section!
Then came Remi Wolf, chaotic good incarnate. She hit the stage in a “Be Proud of Yourself” tee, ready to party, even if her mic wasn’t. Tech issues tried to sabotage the set early on, but Wolf handled it like a champ, cracking jokes, giving her bandmates nicknames, and buying time with banter. Once her vocals finally blasted through, it was on. “Cinderella,” “Hello Hello Hello,” and “Pitiful” lit the crowd up. She even threw in a soulful cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” before launching into the full-throttle finale of “Photo ID.” If Boston Calling gives out gold stars, she earned a galaxy.
Sublime brought the West Coast vibes, their reggae-infused rock providing a laid-back contrast to the day’s earlier acts. Jakob Nowell, carrying on his dad Brad’s legacy, made the set feel both nostalgic and alive. He reminded the crowd it was the 29th anniversary of his father’s passing, then jumped right back into the feel-good chaos. “Let’s play something fast so we can all shove each other around a bit.” The crowd happily obliged.
Over at the Blue Stage, Tom Morello came out swinging. No band, just a man and his guitar, railing against injustice with fury. He got the crowd chanting, jumping, and yelling along to Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” (the uncensored version). He even brought out Chuck D for a surprise drop-in to perform “Prophets of Rage,” because why not?
Chuck D wasn’t done yet. Thirty minutes later, Public Enemy took the stage, bringing that full-force, speak-truth-no-matter-what energy they’ve had for four decades. “Fight the Power” still hits hard. Flavor Flav and Chuck D were steady as ever, and the crowd (including the Gen Z kids) danced and shouted like the revolution was starting right then.
As the sun dipped behind the Harvard Athletic Complex, Vampire Weekend made their return, 12 years after first playing Boston Calling. Ezra Koenig sounded like he hasn’t aged a day. They opened with “Ice Cream Piano,” and hit every note fans could have hoped for with “Step,” “Unbelievers,” “Diane Young,” “Oxford Comma.” It was a warm, breezy, feel-good set that satisfied all indieheads.
Then came the closer: Dave Matthews Band. Fresh off their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, they came out bundled in jackets (Dave joked his was “confining”). “Crash Into Me” and “Ants Marching” got the biggest singalongs, while the extended jams gave fans what they came for. It wasn’t the flashiest ending, but it was warm, grounded, and exactly what a Sunday night closer should feel like.
The rain held off. The merch lines stayed long. The music hit the sweet spot between political fire and indie comfort. Sunday felt like a mixtape built to please everyone — young, old, loud, mellow, radical, or just here for the vibes.
Boston Calling 2025 closed on a high note. Here’s to next year and all the great memories that will ensue!
Check out our photos of Remi Wolf below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
All Photo Credit: Faith Constantine
Festivals
Coachella 2026 Set Times Are Out, With Jack White Added to Weekend One
The schedule for the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is here, and weekend one is already looking packed. Music starts at 1 p.m. PST on Friday, April 10, kicking off three days of tight set clashes, late-night headliners, and one surprise addition.
Headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G lead the bill across the weekend. Carpenter opens things on Friday with a 9:05 p.m. set on the Coachella Stage, running just over 90 minutes. She’s followed by Anyma, who takes over at midnight to debut a new production titled “Æden.”
Saturday belongs to Bieber, who closes out the night with an 11:25 p.m. start. Before that, The Strokes hit the same stage at 9 p.m. Sunday wraps with Karol G, with competing sets from BIGBANG and Kaskade pulling fans in different directions.
The big curveball this year is Jack White, who joins the lineup for a Saturday afternoon slot. He’ll open the Mojave Stage at 3 p.m., marking a return to the festival after last headlining as a solo act in 2015. His appearance follows a recent run of surprise bookings at Coachella, a trend that’s become part of the festival’s identity.
Saturday night also brings Nine Inch Noize—a collaboration between Trent Reznor and Boys Noize—to the Sahara Tent for an 8 p.m. set.
Elsewhere, Coachella is leaning into immersive experiences. A new installation tied to Radiohead, called “Radiohead Motion Picture House: Kid A Mnesia,” will debut near the Sahara Tent. The 75-minute film blends visuals and audio pulled from the recording era of their albums Kid A and Amnesiac, created by Thom Yorke and longtime collaborator Stanley Donwood. It’s free with a reservation, with standby access for anyone willing to wait.
Beyond the headliners, the real challenge this year is picking a path through the schedule. Set conflicts are everywhere: David Byrne vs. Interpol, FKA twigs vs. The Rapture, and a crowded overlap featuring The xx, Dijon, Ninajirachi, DEVO, and more. Late Saturday gets especially messy with PinkPantheress going up against The Strokes, and Sunday throws in clashes like Moby vs. Turnstile.
A few lineup tweaks round things out. Foster the People move to Sunday, and new additions include Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Afrojack x Smiza, Deep Dish, and more.
Weekend two set times are still under wraps. For now, weekend one already looks like a scheduling headache, in the best way.
More information on the festival’s website.
Festivals
Morrissey and The Smashing Pumpkins to Headline Darker Waves 2026
Morrissey and The Smashing Pumpkins will headline Darker Waves Festival on November 14, 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA. Returning to Huntington Beach City Beach at Huntington Street and Pacific Coast Highway, the ocean-side festival will feature legendary performances from over 35 artists across three stages including Simple Minds, Bad Religion, Adam Ant, The Psychedelic Furs, Soft Cell, The Damned, Manic Street Preachers, Gary Numan, Silversun Pickups, Buzzcocks, EMF, Circle Jerks, Spacehog, Marky Ramone and more. Fans can sign up now for the festival SMS list at DarkerWavesFest.com to receive a passcode to the presale beginning Thursday, April 2 at 10am PT with access to the lowest-priced GA tickets from 10am to 11am PT. GA, GA+, VIP, and Ultimate VIP Tickets will be available, with layaway payment plans starting at $19.99 down. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the public following the presale.
GA+ tickets include access to the exclusive GA+ Lounge with shaded seating and air-conditioned restrooms, plus a dedicated entry lane at the festival main entrance, and more. VIP tickets include unlimited entry into the VIP Lounge with preferred viewing area by the main stage, charging stations, air-conditioned restrooms, dedicated entry lane at the festival main entrance and more. Ultimate VIP tickets feature all amenities of VIP, plus access to elevated and unobstructed views of both main stages with shaded open lounge seating, dedicated VIP concierge team, a complimentary locker to store personal items, three complimentary drinks including choice of craft cocktails, beer, wine or non-alcoholic beverages, a complimentary meal redeemable for exclusive food options in the VIP Lounge and more.
Official Darker Waves vacation packages from Jampack pair GA, GA+, or VIP tickets with beachfront stays at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa or The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, and more. Bundles include a dedicated entrance, re-entry access, and commemorative merch.
For tickets and the full list of amenities available in each ticket package, please visit DarkerWavesFest.com.