A top-notch venue, award-winning artists, and an overall good time welcomed Bostonians to Mix 104.1’s annual free concert at the DCR Memorial Hatch Shell on Saturday afternoon. Between pranks among acts and exciting, unique performances, the audience was in for a treat.
MixFest 2015’s star-studded lineup, Rachel Platten, Vance Joy, Andy Grammer, Third Eye Blind, and Rob Thomas , attracted quite the crowd, each bringing their own spin to the concert.
Following a short set by Boston native Emily Desmond, winner of the radio station’s, “15 Seconds of Fame” contest, Platten took the stage. Outfitted in a sleek, denim jumpsuit, she captured the audience with confidence. Newton, Mass. native Platten spoke to the crowd about her excitement of being back in Boston.
“I grew up, like, seven miles from here,” she said enthusiastically.
During a performance of her newest single, “Stand by You,” Platten skipped down a ramp connecting the stage to the ground to sing intimately with screaming audience members.
Immediately following, fists were pumped emphatically in the air during the singer’s major hit, “Fight Song.” Platten covered her face as she stood in awe as the crowd sang along to every word.
Next up was Australian-born, Boston Calling veteran, Vance Joy. Dressed casually in a plain black T-shirt and with an almost timid stage presence, Joy took the stage with just his guitars.
Joy showed off his range in his song, “Georgia,” where his falsetto was front and center. The audience shouted their excitement when Joy switched from acoustic to an electric ukulele, his signature instrument choice for the very popular hit, “Riptide.” The humble Joy thanked Mix 104.1 and the crowd for having him following the song.
Grammer had everyone in the crowd belting out his lyrics and bouncing on their feet when he came out swinging with, “Keep Your Head Up,” after which audience members stayed silent instead of cheering, a prank previously orchestrated by Platten.
The happy-go-lucky vibe was kept up while Grammer poked fun at his current casting on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
“They have me learning all these new things. I’m struggling with it a bit,” he said with a chuckle.
Grammer’s set was energetic, with other well-known songs like “Honey, I’m Good” and “Fine By Me.” He kept not just the audience engaged, but Platten as well, who, instead of staying hidden backstage, had crept to the edge of the crowd to clap along.
The recent release of Third Eye Blind’s newest album, “Dopamine,” inspired the majority of the songs on their setlist. However, to pay homage to the 90’s babies in the crowd, the San Francisco-based band threw it back more than once to their break out songs, “Never Let You Go,” “Jumper,” and “Semi-Charmed Life.”
Rob Thomas rounded out the afternoon with a longer set, featuring his older, “Someday,” and “Lonely No More” and the more recent, “Trust You.” Thomas creatively used the stage, coming down onto a front platform nearly every other song and even climbing up a side fixture.
Thomas emphasized to the crowd his desire for audience members to focus on the moment they were in without worrying about what comes next.
“Don’t think about what you’re doing after this, don’t think about parking, and please don’t think about Monday,” he said.
