Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will play Friday at Boston Calling.
Credit: Laure Vincent Bouleau
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have enough of a following that the word “cult” sometimes comes up when discussing the band. Is it the hippie attire that the members and fans favor? Is it that there are enough members to build a sustainable community?
Christopher “Crash” Richard, who is a backing vocalist for the band, says he almost wishes the band were a cult.
“There are a lot of religions where they pass around the collection basket and you’re supposed to give 10 percent of your weekly income,” he says. “And it’s tax-free, so if anybody wants to give …”
He laughs before giving the matter a little more consideration.
“We play music, and that’s what’s important to us. The following is just one of those great rewards for our commitment and passion for what we do,” he says.
The band will likely reap those rewards this weekend as they play Boston Calling. When we speak to Crash, he’s about 40 miles outside of Boston, visiting the parents of his girlfriend. He says there’s not much to do in Kingston, Massachusetts, but that’s the way he likes it, especially a day before going back into the thick of it with a festival gig. The Magnetic Zeros have played their share of fests, with their breakthrough hit, “Home” gaining much momentum from the festival circuit in 2009. Crash says a good festival is all about attention to details.
“I notice that if you show up on site and the artist is well taken care of and the ticket buyers who are attending the festival are taken care of, and all of the little things were taken care of, then you know it’s going to be a good time.”
Crash says he knows Boston is going to be an especially good time: “I just like the way people are there,” he says. “It makes for a good time. People aren’t afraid to come out of their shell.”
For more info on Boston Calling, visit www.bostoncalling.com.
