From Boston Calling: Saturday Sound Bites

Kenny Hoopla
With the storm casting the future of Saturday in a dubious light, Kenny Hoopla swept in to save the day. Dressed in a casual fit consisting of a T-shirt, jeans, and converse, Kenny relaxed the crowd and managed to ease the worries of a tumultuous day. Orchestrating a call and response for the chorus of “How will I rest in peace if I’m buried by a highway?” Kenny hyped up the crowd with the promise “I'll give you everything I got if you give me everything you got,” before doing a backflip. The energy intensive performance didn't stop there, as Kenny spent most of his set either crowd surfing or in the photo pit handing out high fives left and right. Overall, he managed to deliver an impressively energetic performance in spite of the pressure of being, in some ways, the first act of the day.

By Courtesy of Alisa Regassa

Orville Peck
“Boston, yeehaw,” Orville Peck said, kicking off performances on the Delta Airlines Blue stage following a rain delay. After having his time cut short due to the weather, the country star made the most of the limited time he had while performing an abbreviated set. Donning his infamous leather fringed mask and a cowboy hat, Peck performed his most popular tracks including “Turn to Hate” and “Dead of Night.” Through a mix of mumbled whispers and boisterous crooning, Peck showed off his unique brand of country rock fusion.

By Courtesy of Alisa Regassa

Black Pumas
Led by front man Eric Burton, Black Pumas made a performance to a crowded field of fans feel intimate. Proclaiming his desire to have a conversation rather than a performance, Burton took every opportunity to get closer to the crowd. From repeatedly jumping off stage to pose for photos with the audience, Burton showed his appreciation toward the fans in attendance. While on stage, he found his groove alternating between playing guitar and dancing along as he sang a collection of soulful tracks including “OCT 33” and “Black Moon Rising.” He was joined on stage by the other half of Black Pumas, guitarist Adrian Quesada, and a backing band supporting throughout. Angie Miller and Lauren Cervantes were standouts, harmonizing and grooving while providing backing vocals to complement Burton’s soulful melodies. The band wrapped up the set by performing their Grammy nominated record “Colors” as the audience swayed while singing along.

—Staff writer Alisa S. Regassa can be reached at alisa.regassa@thecrimson.com. Follow 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_.