By Stephanie Eisemann, news correspondent

As Government Center closed for renovations, nearby City Hall Plaza underwent a transformation of its own as it was converted into the spring Boston Calling Music Festival May 23-25. There was free food, cold beer and music galore as 21,000 people gathered to experience what is quickly becoming a cornerstone of life in Boston.

Amongst the headliners were Jack Johnson, The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, and Brand New. These performances were highly anticipated, packed, and energetic.

“These acts were curated by a group of people including Aaron Dessner of The National, The Bowery booking team, and us here at Crash Line,” Boston Calling co-founder Brian Appel said in an email.“We felt it was a compelling mix of artists, and also left room for us to book out a well-rounded September bill as well.”

The atmosphere on Sunday night as Modest Mouse closed out the concert was one representative of the entire experience; a massive amount of people coming together to simply enjoy live music outdoors with one another at the onset of summer. Nothing could sum up Boston Calling more than the crowd filling the plaza singing along to “Float On” while some danced with glow-in-the-dark hula hoops and others polished off their last cans of Angry Orchard. The final performance of the night capped off a day full of outstanding artists and some unexpected favorites.

“Tegan and Sara kicked butt. The ASL interpreters nearly stole the show, they rocked out pretty hard,” said sophomore communication studies major Meghan Gannon. “I watched Bastille from the balcony while munching on some free pretzels, so that was pretty sweet. Brand New was… loud. And if you saw a group of seemingly insane people dancing like maniacs at the back of the Modest Mouse crowd, I was in there somewhere. It was a great day, and closing it out with a giant dance-off really made it perfect.”

Still, the stand-out performances were not the ones that were highest billed. The best act Friday was Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Even without their token female singer, Jade Castrinos, they brought a pumped up beat and a melodic twinkle to the festival that was both intimate and exhilarating, and the crowd assisted with the first acoustic version of the song “Home” to make up for her absence.

Saturday was bright and sunny, strange for the deep, depressing, emo/indie stylings of The Neighbourhood, but really there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing an awesome performance of “Sweater Weather” without actually needing a sweater.

“The change between how they performed last year to now is staggering, and they’ve really come a long way as a band,” said Alan Nolan, recent Northeastern graduate and friend of The Neighbourhood’s lead singer, Jesse Rutherford. “Jesse is still Jesse, though. The same guy who crashed on my couch, had more energy than I think it is safe for a single human being to contain at one time, and just a generally really genuine person. I’ll go see his band every time they come to play Boston, just because it means I get to see my friend and how he’s progressing with his work.”

A surprise crowd-pleaser that day was Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls,an English band that balanced easy listening and dance music with the help of the harmonica. The Brits made us Americans work that weekend, between Frank Turner’s jumping jacks and Bastille’s crouching and jumping, there was not a moment to rest for fans in the crowd. Bastille, of course, was a major highlight, with fans staking out a front row spot early to get the most of the sensational up-and-comers.

“Bastille; hands down [my favorite], if you could be bothered to put them down,” Dominic Catalano, asophomore engineering major said. Catalano was in attendance all three days, and his only suggestion for improvement was “better placement of the tech booths and stages.”

While Bastille stole the show, opening act Tigerman Woah! should be praised for their lively performance, magnificent beards and farmer-inspired outfits.

“They all look like they could be on the show ‘Duck Dynasty,’” sophomore English major Aislyn Fredsall said.

Another noteworthy opener, Maximo Park, performed second on Saturday, after Magic Man, who entertained the first wave of attendees. Lead singer Paul Smith’s theatrical performance style – almost as if he were telling a story to his audience – made for an engaging show that paved the way for Walk Off the Earth’s more mellow sound. All the acts fused together to create a stellar lineup, incorporating everything from synth-pop to punk to folk.

“We enjoy working on Boston Calling because we spend a whole year planning it, and then get to watch it all happen live. It’s the ultimate payoff,” Appel said in an e-mail.

All that work did indeed pay off, as the positive feedback poured in.

“It was my first Boston Calling, and the fall lineup looks even better – I’ll definitely be going back,” Gannon said.

Performers for the fall festival, Sept. 5-7, include The National, Lorde, Childish Gambino, The 1975 and Neutral Milk Hotel.

Photo by Rebecca Sirull