From Boston Calling 2024: Khruangbin Soars

The multilingual psychedelic funk band, Khruangbin, stood out among the rest of Saturday's performances at Boston Calling. Following an afternoon of distinctly twang and folk acts, the Texas trio brought their idiosyncratic sound to the festival.

Khruangbin cultivated an air of suave as they criss-crossed the stage in a cloud of fog and the setting summer sun. The group consists of drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, and guitarist Mark Speer. It was clear that each member of the band was preternaturally attuned to their particular instrument, and DJ’s stage presence was some kind of magic. Lee and Speer began “Lady and Man” on opposite ends of the stage and sauntered across a large wooden display with occasional pauses to strike a pose or shoot a look at each other. The band created interesting shapes with their bodies during tunes that combined elements of soul, salsa, rock, and dub. Taken together, the performance was sophisticated, hypnotic, and deliciously surprising.

The band created interesting shapes with their bodies during tunes that combined elements of soul, salsa, rock, and dub. By Courtesy of Gwendolyn M. Ibarra

Their namesake “Khruangbin” is the Thai word for airplane — literally “flying engine” — and festival goers gathered around the Green Stage to hear Lee’s voice float across the field at the Harvard Athletic Complex. Khruangbin’s music is mostly instrumental, which makes their lyrics all the more special. With bittersweet phrases like “You don’t have to be silent / Say to remind me / So we won’t forget” and an LED visualizer of clouds and skies, the performance of “So We Won’t Forget” was idyllic. DJ chimed in with a steady, grounding beat that brought the song to a well-rounded conclusion.

The evening also featured tracks from their recent album, “A La Sala.” Their song “Pon Pón” was written about a Mexican game that Lee played in her childhood and features almost 20 languages including Urdu, Hausa, Dutch, Korean, Irish, and Spanish. The performance of “Evan Finds the Third Room” marked a shift towards a groovier, 60s-inspired sound. Nonsensical, repetitive lyrics and Speer’s pulsating beat restored the crowd’s energy. Songs melted into the next with exciting builds and guitar licks. DJ’s driving hi-hat accented Lee’s smooth voice in their blissful track “Time (You and I).” By the end of their set, it was clear that Khruangbin’s sound is limitless. The band weaved diverse languages, audio distortions, and music styles to create a stunning performance.

—Staff writer Gwendolyn M. Ibarra can be reached at gwendolyn.ibarra@thecrimson.com.