Photography by Lizzie Heintz
By Bobby Nicholas
Waiting for your favorite acts at Boston Calling is often filled with anticipation.
David Le'aupepe of Gang of Youths knew how to get the crowd ready by playing the first quick riff of Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" and then going right back off stage. We didn't have to wait long after for the full band to come out and open with the smooth, slow beginning of "Fear and Trembling" off of their last album from 2017, Go Farther in Lightness. As he finished the first verse, he said yelled "Boston!" and the crowd and band kicked it up into high gear.
Le'aupepe wasted no time in getting the energy up.
He danced and moved around the stage during the first song. He was so into it, that when the mic cutout mid-way, he didn't even notice.
Right before they started WERS' favorite "The Heart is a Muscle," Le'aupepe dedicated the song to his father and proclaimed that the song is about "how to love long and how to love well." This was a common theme throughout the Gang's set-always talking about loving and forgiving one another.
In the Arena of the Harvard Athletic Complex, comedian Fred Armisen was performing at the same time.
Le'aupepe acknowledged this to the audience by saying he was glad we came out to see them instead of Fred. He ditched the guitar at this point and showed off surprisingly bold hip shaking as they went into "Let Me Down Easy."
For the next song, Le'aupepe leaped off of the stage and past the barrier right into the crowd as we all sang "Magnolia" together. He jumped back onto the stage after, stating "We're gonna say bye now, is that ok?" The crowd all agreed that it wasn't OK, but we'll survive. He then spouted off a list of 'Thank You's' to many Boston staples such as the cast of Cheers, The Celtics, Allston, Brookline, and "even Quincy." Then we said goodbye with the last song, but I'm sure we'll see the Australian based-band again soon.
