Festival Report: In Between Days Finds Its Footing

Music festivals have become the epitome of the clichés “dime a dozen” and “here today, gone tomorrow.” That appeared to be the case with In Between Days, which debuted last summer in Quincy, Mass., less than 10 miles south of Boston. Despite a single day, semi-solid indie bill, headed up by Manchester Orchestra and seven other acts, it was met with a collective shoulder shrug and poor attendance.

Imagine the surprise then when organizers announced not only would the fest be returning for a second year to Veterans Memorial Field, home to the New England Free Jacks rugby team, but that it would be expanding to two days. Surely madness had set in, right?

There was a method to doubling down though. Instead of revealing the lineup less than two months before the first notes rang out like the first time, organizers pushed out the roster for In Between Days 2.0 the first week of January, days before the traditional heavy hitters like Bonnaroo and Coachella. That left plenty of time to advertise, learn from growing pains and to convince music lovers the fest was a worthy add to the calendar.

What took place this past weekend looked nothing like its predecessor, other than the muted blues, oranges and yellows of the In Between Days logo which deftly indicate the intended end of summer vibes.

Seemingly everyone was talking about the free retro arcade filled with Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and more vintage games. Food and drink options were plentiful resulting in barely a wait in line and a veritable outdoor market with thrift shops, vinyl dealers and various independent merchants was something to invest time in rather than simply provide kitschy window dressing. The organization 1 Million Strong, with a mission of creating sober spaces, had created an alcohol free sanctuary for those needing a break, offering up tasty mocktails as a beverage alternative.

A robust crowd of 4,000 plus people per day at a venue with a 5K capacity signaled success, as did the overall atmosphere and the most important aspect: the music.

Modest Mouse and Lord Huron took on headlining duties, with the former’s triumphant set on day one bringing excitement all around. Veterans Memorial Field was electric as the band ripped through favorites like the fitting “We Are Between,” “Float On” and “Satellite Skin.”

Earlier in the afternoon, emo legends Sunny Day Real Estate, folk rockers Blitzen Trapper and Maine indie outfit Weakened Friends all meshed together seamlessly across the two stages which were situated at a 90-degree angle to one another. Once one act ended, another kicked in, necessitating for many in the audience little more than a quick turn to adjust their field of vision.

Day two avoided any semblance of a letdown with picture perfect weather and inspired sets from indie R&B sensation and multi-instrumentalist Cautious Clay, folk singer Allison Ponthier and indie pop project Yoke Lore, aka Adrian Galvin, who later joined the bluegrass-tinged Trampled by Turtles for a take on Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.”

Electronic duo Phantogram, who easily could’ve commandeered a headlining slot, were the perfect soundtrack to a Sunday sunset with high-top evergreen trees in the foreground. And Lord Huron, who some might’ve been questioning their place on the bill, perked up any naysayers with an inspired performance highlighted by frontman Ben Schneider donning a skeleton mask at one point and bringing Ponthier out to sing on two songs, including the hit “The Night We Met.”

A complete retool of In Between Days made it an unquestionable win for year two, ensuring not just a return for next summer, but rumors from reliable sources saying the 2024 edition will likely swell to three days.

A version of this article appears in this week’s print and online editions of my syndicated Rock Music Menu column under the title “Rock Music Menu festival report: In Between Days finds its footing.”