From Boston Calling: Sunday Sound Bites

Japanese Breakfast
Hot off of an appearance as the musical guest on the season finale of SNL, Japanese Breakfast performed to a packed crowd on the Delta Airlines Blue Stage. The Grammy-nominated indie pop band led by vocalist Michelle Zauner dazzled the crowd with her psychedelic vocals and a heavy dose of horns. The band wasted no time, opening with “Paprika” followed by “Be Sweet,” the two biggest hits off of her 2021 project “Jubilee.” As the day grew long under the sweltering sun, attendees enjoyed the set in unique ways, bouncing along to “Everybody Wants to Love You” while resting on inflatable structures scattered at the outskirts of the stage's boundary. With attendees sprawled out over not only the designated stage’s area but the surrounding hills and grass patches, Japanese Breakfast's lo-fi groove was just what attendees needed, leaving them refreshed and rejuvenated for the remainder of the festival.

By Courtesy of Jen A. Hughes

Peach Tree Rascals
It’s never easy to play the first set of the day at a music festival. It’s even more difficult for a feel good alternative group facing an army of hardcore metalheads camped out in advance of Metallica’s headlining set scheduled to run later in the evening. In spite of these challenges, Peach Tree Rascals, a music collective from San Jose, Calif., won the hearts of even the toughest attendees throughout their set on Sunday. The group was led on stage by vocalists Tarrek Abdel-Khaliq, Joseph Barros, and rapper Isaac Pech, while members Dominic “Dom” Pizano and Jasper Barros supported on keys and guitar. The rambunctious crew worked the crowd through a collection of feel-good songs including “Mango” and “Fumari” as Abdel-Khaliq jumped from the stage to high-five audience members. After a short pause to lead the crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” celebrating Barros, the band closed out the show with their viral hit “Mariposa.”

By Courtesy of Boston Calling / Alive Coverage

Glass Animals
Following Japanese Breakfast, Glass Animals took to the Green stage. The British indie rock band delivered their set smoothly, quenching the afternoon heat with their unique sultry R&B/rock sound. With the background of a basketball hoop, neon “POOL” and “MOON” signage, and flickering palm trees, their stage was as whimsical and serendipitous as their name. The Oxford quartet featured songs from their sophomore album “How to Be a Human Being” like “Pork Soda,” during which Dave Bayley actually held up a pineapple! Singer Dave Bayley sang with passion, his distinctive smooth vocals flooding the Harvard stadium in tropical vibes. They wrapped up the set with their most popular summer anthem “Heat Waves” — fitting for such a sunny day — making the crowd sway to and fro to the lyrics “Heat waves been fakin' me out.”

—Staff writer Alisa S. Regassa can be reached at alisa.regassa@thecrimson.com. You can find her on Twitter at @alisaregassa. Staff writer Jen A. Hughes can be reached at jen.hughes@thecrimson.com. You can find her on twitter @JenHughes_