If you haven’t been following Affinity’s Boston Calling coverage about the IKEA dance party stealing the weekend and the emerging female artists you need to listen to this summer… where have you been?
It’s a few days after the festival has ended and I’m still reminiscing about Khalid’s incredible performance. With his killer trendy dance moves, his Dance Dance Revolution-inspired stage setup, and his electric personality, it’s clear to see why I — and many other teenagers — are so enamored by Khalid. (Check out our Insta story highlight of Boston Calling for a few videos of Khalid’s performance at the end.)
Photo Courtesy of Boston Calling/Ben Esakof
But I’m also still reminiscing about how I almost met the legend himself.
The best perk of covering a music festival as press is access to the exclusive press tent. With good WiFi, some shade, and some free food (provided by Tasty Burger and Whole Heart Provisions), the press tent makes you feel like royalty.
The most lucrative part of the press tent, however, is that the artists themselves come to visit it for interviews and other press-related opportunities. I had the opportunity to catch up with Leikeli47 and Lillie Mae for some quick interviews.
A few hours before his Sunday-night performance, Khalid decided to step into the press tent to say hi to everyone. Here’s a Boomerang captured by the Boston Calling press team:
Peace! @thegreatkhalid hanging backstage before he hits the Boston Calling stage tonight 💫 pic.twitter.com/L3Ku8q7oGT
— Boston Calling (@bostoncalling) May 27, 2018
Unfortunately, while he was in the press tent, I was checking out one of my new favorite groups, Dirty Projectors, a few minutes away. So I almost met him… if only I had stayed in that press tent for a little bit longer. (My friends think it’s cool I even have a story to tell about how I almost met Khalid.)
Regardless if you get to meet Khalid though, you will still love his performance. It’s an eye-opening experience to be in a crowd of thousands of teenagers all singing along to the same songs that have helped you through your teenage years. You could tell Khalid, with his smile and upbeat dancing, was having the time of his life performing the songs he thought would never see the light of day.
Photo Courtesy of Boston Calling/Bryan Lasky
He specifically talked about how lucky he is to be playing the first song he ever wrote, “Saved”, in front of an eager crowd that was excited to sing along with him.
There was no better way to end my Boston Calling experience than with an incredible performance by Khalid. Boston Calling continues to grow every year — and I’m excited to fall in love with the event all over again next year.
Cover Image Courtesy of Boston Calling/Ben Esakof
