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Boston Calling 2025 kicked off on a rainy day one with performances from Thee Sacred Souls, Sheryl Crow, and Megan Moroney.

Thee Sacred Souls

The first day of Boston Calling 2025 was gray and rainy, and the Allianz Blue Stage leaned into the melancholic weather with Thee Sacred Souls’ set. Without much of a precursor, the soul group launched into a blissfully groovy and melancholy tone with their track “Will I See You Again?” As the set went on, the lead singer Josh Lane stalked from one side of the stage to the other, crooning out to the crowd with a smile. There weren’t a lot of frills attached to the set, and the show focused on the singers’ talent instead of overly produced visual effects. This left the performance feeling raw and personal, directed straight at each audience member.

The thoughtful atmosphere intensified as rain began to fall from the sky in earnest halfway through the show and the group jumped into their 2024 track “Lucid Girl.” As guitarist Shay Stulz licked out a solo, Lane sat beside him and bounced his head, showing an appreciation for the band behind him.

Energy levels soared upwards as the set reached its finale. As the band launched into its song “Running Away,” Lane jumped down from the stage and into the crowd, weaving between fans as he sang, “He’s running away.” After Lane’s reappearance on stage, Thee Sacred Souls rode this fun energy into their final track, “Can I Call You Rose?” After the group had charmed Boston Calling with its chill yet lively energy, the crowd was happy to let Lane call them “Rose” under the rain.

Sheryl Crow

“Who here actually goes to Harvard?” Sheryl Crow asked on the Green Stage at Boston Calling. “Well, my drummer went to Harvard Bartending School. I think that’s a cool education, right there.”

The rain didn’t bother Crow on Boston Calling’s main stage. Bouncing around the stage with a T-shirt and a smile, Crow joked with her backing band and waved at the crowd. She rocked through her iconic ’90s and ’00s country-pop hits like “If It Makes You Happy” and “Real Gone.” Her set didn’t have many visuals at its start, focusing instead on close-ups of Crow onstage.

This changed a bit as Crow’s act neared its end. In an attempt to bring some southern warmth to the cold Boston afternoon, Crow kicked off “Soak Up The Sun” as the screen behind her lit up with starbursts of burnt orange and red, illuminating her in toasty light. This portion of the set brought a bit of the South’s sun to Boston, even if just for a few minutes.

While Crow was all smiles for the set, she was a bit more solemn as she kicked into the last song “Every Day Is a Winding Road.” Crow brought attention to the fact that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a cause that she is known to support. The final song reminded Boston that it’s okay not to know exactly where you’re going.

Megan Moroney

As the evening grew dim at Boston Calling, static ran across the Green Stage’s screens, and cryptic footage of astronauts began to flit across the stage. As the dramatic visuals transitioned into a still shot of a moon, a somewhat asynchronous figure emerged at the top of the stage’s staircase — Megan Moroney, clad in a red dress and white cowboy boots. She launched into her track “Man on the Moon” with confidence, crooning out in a classic country voice about sending a no-good man to outer space.

“I am in awe of you guys in the rain and still having a good time,” Moroney admitted to the crowd as she wrapped up her first few songs.

Moroney spent most of her set grinning and waving at the audience, indifferent to the rain and playing guitars that shifted from baby blue to pink to white, perfectly embodying the country rocker look. The visuals behind her — pink flamingos, flashing red hearts — brought a feminine twist to her country vibe, and kept the energy levels high even in the downpour. Occasionally, the energy became a little more subdued, like during her performance of “I’m Not Pretty,” but, for the most part, Moroney was all smiles during her set.

Overall, Megan Moroney lit up a grim Boston day with Southern smiles, contrasting her achy-breaky heart love songs with her charming stage presence.

—Staff writer Hannah E. Gadway can be reached at hannah.gadway@thecrimson.com.