Ed Sheeran, Tyler Childers and The Killers will headline Boston Calling this year, but they are not the only notable acts taking the stage at the three-day festival.
The headliners will be joined by more than 50 artists, including more than 20 acts from the Northeast.
To highlight these local artists, MassLive will publish profiles on the acts leading up until the festival’s start date.
Billy Dean Thomas
Billy Dean Thomas is one of more than 20 local acts performing at Boston Calling 2024.Courtesy of Billy Dean Thomas
Billy Dean Thomas, also known as “The Queer B.I.G,” is a hip-hop recording artist and producer born and raised in Harlem but currently based in Boston.
Thomas’ band formed in 2015 after they were brought on stage to perform a rap verse during a “Who da Funk It” show at the Iron Horse in Northampton.
The 3-piece rhythm section has since joined Thomas for shows across New England and New York City as well as music festivals like Grace Potter Festival, Otis Mountain Getdown, Harlem Arts festival and now Boston Calling.
“It’s very exciting to be given an opportunity that could potentially launch your career and shift the conversation from being a local act to a national act,” Thomas told MassLive. “I’m definitely honored and hope that my performance opens the door even wider for other black queer musicians to perform at future Boston Calling festivals.”
As the first hip-hop artist to be invited as a resident at MASS MOCA studios, Thomas has received a ton of local and national attention. They have been featured in the Boston Globe, WBUR, WGBH and have performed at venues such as The House of Blues, Grand Point North Festival, The Brooklyn Museum and Spotify, the musician’s website states.
Thomas has been named one of NPR’s 2020 Slingshot Artists to Watch, been featured on “The View” and has been nominated for four Boston Music awards. Thomas was also featured as a songwriter for a Grammy Award-nominated album “The Love” by the Alphabet Rockers, according to their website.
Thomas is now excited to play for the Boston Calling audience because they believe they crowd is “perfectly suited for the level of raging and hip hop” that their group is bringing.
“I think festivals like Boston Calling are exactly for bands like mine,” Thomas said. “I hope to capture the attention of people who love nuance and all things rap, rock and a touch of R&B. I just want to meet new people and gain new like minded supporters.”
Thomas is excited to see similar acts like Kei, Cakeswagg and Meg The Stallion. You can follow Thomas on Instagram for updates on their career.
Boston Calling will take place Memorial Day Weekend from Friday, May 24, until Sunday, May 26, at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston.
Fans looking to purchase tickets for Boston Calling can visit StubHub and VividSeats. More information about this year’s lineup and how to purchase tickets can be found here.
