Every May, Henry in the Hub is joined by Mike Snow, co-founder of the Boston Calling Music Festival. The annual festival is held each Memorial Day weekend at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston. This year’s headliners include country star Luke Combs, pop punk stalwarts Fall Out Boy, and Dave Matthews Band.
Boston Calling is also a food lover’s paradise. In addition to Mike Snow, Henry in the Hub spoke with world-class barbecue pit master Andy Husbands of the Smoke Shop BBQ, whose offerings will be on hand at the festival. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Henry Santoro: Gentlemen, great to see you both. Mike, another great lineup this year of bands and of food. How are things coming together?
Mike Snow: Well, it’s great. We’re going to get the rain out of the way and then it looks crystal clear, so that’s one thing off my checklist. Everything else is rolling along, the grounds are getting prepared.
Santoro: When do the flatbed trucks show up?
Snow: First one will be the 15th, but don’t tell Harvard. We start on the 16th.
Santoro: They’re preoccupied right now, so I don’t think they mind. [This year’s festival] is a little old school and it’s a little new school. I’ll have to break out my cowboy hat for Friday night. With so many festivals taking place these days, how long in advance do you guys have to start planning out your lineup of bands?
Snow: It never really stops. We’re having conversations right now for next year. It used to be six months, then turned into eight months, then through the pandemic it kind of turned into a year. The country acts are interesting because those bands always had a long lead time. We used to have a festival in the middle of the country with a partner and they were like a year and a half in advance.
Santoro: What made you take the country route this year?
Snow: Luke Combs called up our talent provider and said “I’m interested in doing festivals.” Not Luke himself, obviously, but his agency. He was interested in going out, Boston’s a great city for him and he’s always had a great time down at Gillette and they just said, “we’d like to mix it up this year, what do you think?”
Santoro: He’s gonna pack that place on Friday night.
Snow: Yeah, it’s going to be big.
Santoro: And one thing that really sets Boston Calling apart from the other festivals is the food. And Andy Husbands, this is where you come in. You’re a veteran at this. This will be the Smoke Shop’s ninth Boston Calling appearance. What is on the menu this year?
Andy Husbands: We’re always having our great barbecue, so a little bit of everything — pulled pork, burnt ends. What I’m excited about is the monster fries. The monster fries is a tray for four — giant tray, cheese sauce, french fries, pickled jalapenos and four different barbecue meats. It’s a monster, it’s going to be great.
Santoro: Weren’t you the food venue who did the barbecue in the ice cream cone?
Husbands: We were. That was us. Yeah, we did that for a long time. Oh, I can’t forget the fried Oreos.
Santoro: What is this, the Big E?
Husbands: They’re phenomenal.
Santoro: What other new restaurants are going to be there? I know that Sally’s Apizza is going to be there.
Snow: Yes, Sally’s Apizza. We learned how to really say it this week. We mix it up every year. I think we have about 30 vendors this year. You’ll need to review the list and plan out your visit .
