Michael Christmas performing at Boston Calling 2016. Photo by Ross Ketschke
By Alex LaRosa:
At 12:55 p.m., on an overcast 63-degree day, Boston Calling’s third and final day kicked off with an enthusiastic “What up, Boston?” After his DJ (Fresco) dropped a beat, a jovial Michael Christmas bounced onto the stage with a big smile, and didn’t stop until his 30-minute set was done.
Accompanied by the DJ and a hype man dressed in an Arsenal Football Club shirt, Christmas kept the momentum strong throughout. His beats were deep and party-ready, and his rhymes met the expectation of hip-hop’s standard, with enough marijuana and women in his lyrics to satisfy everybody. Christmas’ flow was also strong; his simple hooks were easily picked up by the respectably sized audience that had turned out to see him.
He also showed a humorous side, spitting rhymes about young ladies in the club, video games, and exceptionally large male genitalia. Halfway through the show, he threw a hat out into the audience, which excitedly grappled for it. Then when he announced he would give another to the most “turn’d mother {expletive}” in the crowd, the next song was met with wild excitement. By the end of the song, he had awarded the hat to a tie-dye-clad gentleman named Jake, who received applause from those around him.
Michael Christmas on stage at Boston Calling 2016. Photo by Ross Ketschke
Christmas floated between goofy and grounded, offering not only his shameless lyrics, but also offering praise to his host city. Referring to Boston Calling itself, he said, “Yo, I used to come to this… Now I’m performing.”
As the music continued, he emphasized his desire to keep the crowd jumping, even going so far as to say, “I want to see the ground caved in!” He and his on-stage crew continually counted down to beat-drops, keeping the fans moving.
Although he was given the tough spot of opening up the festival’s third day, Michael Christmas kept things moving and gave Boston Calling a consistent danceable vibe. Coaxing his audience to scream as loud and long as they could, he raised his hand out to the audience, bellowed mightily himself, and then departed.
Boston Calling’s final day had begun on a high note.
