DAY ONE
Fans eagerly made their way to Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy, MA last weekend for the second ever In Between Days music festival, a weekend which promised great music, games, food, shops, and more! This year saw two stages vs last year’s one, which allowed for many more artists, including a respectable number of bands part of the local Boston music scene.
Saturday started out strong with performances from local artists Gypsy Moths, Carissa Johnson, Paper Tigers, Dutch Tulips, and Shallow Pools along with some other smaller indie artists. The two stage setup allowed for nonstop music for both days with little distance for fans to travel between sets. I was able to catch at least part of every single artists’ performance, which is typically impossible at larger festivals! Later in the day we saw Weakened Friends, The Beths, Slothrust (my personal favorite set of the day), and Sunny Day Real Estate, who performed quite appropriately during the sunset of the beautiful first day of the festival. Once it was dark, Modest Mouse came out for a 1 hour and 45 minute set to close out the night, and by then fans had packed onto the field to catch their show!
Something unique about the In Between Days festival is what goes on besides just the music. This year, fans could enjoy three packed rows of shops at the back of the field, which ranged from selling vintage clothes to beauty products to beverages. I had the chance to stop by a few of these shops, including taking a trip to the 1 Million Strong sober supportive tent, which had samples of some delicious zero-proof beverages. There was also a retro arcade which featured games from the ‘80s like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and more!
DAY TWO
On Sunday, it was time to do it all again. Once again we had a day of non-stop music started off by some small and local bands, including the phenomenal Mint Green, Dwight & Nicole, Miko Marks, and Kat Wright (who gave a fantastic performance despite feeling under the weather). The crowd seemed to fill in much earlier on the second day, with a respectable amount of people there to see Allison Ponthier’s set around halfway through the day. She was followed by Yoke Lore, the multi-talented Cautious Clay, and the bluegrass-y Trampled By Turtles. The festival was closed out by one of my personal favorite bands, Lord Huron, who played a wonderfully catchy set (Ben Schneider’s creepy skull mask included).
Overall, the In Between Days festival was a great time for fans of all ages to come out and enjoy a laid-back weekend of music, food, and more, and I’m excited to see what they will have in store in 2024!
Words and photos by Julia Finocchiaro