CAPULET FEST – A CONVERSATION WITH FOUNDER ESTEVAN VEGA
By Ralph Beauchamp
Estevan Vega is a dynamic visionary who is the founder and creator of the Capulet Fest. The Capulet Fest is a three day festival, slated for June 28th – June 30th, being held for the second year in a row at the Thompson Speedway in Thompson, Ct. Last year Estevan delivered an awesome line-up of amazing acts. This year his roster is through the roof. He has booked 55 incredible artists any which of could headline any event. Through his boldness and convictions, he has constructed an amazing festival right here in our small state of Connecticut.
As to the artists, Vega has outdone himself. He has booked three top tier headliners in addition to a bevy of other astonishing talent. August Burns Red (Friday), Skillet (Saturday) and Nothing More (Sunday) are on top of each night’s bill. Besides the headliners, Vega has engaged extraordinary groups such as Saint Asonia, Red, Adelitas Way, Taproot, Of Virtue and Horizon Theory. In addition, he has brought in young new acts that are ready to burst like Lightworker, Ekoh, and Gina Fritz. This is going to a monumental experience. Don’t walk, run to pick up your tickets. This should not be missed.
Estevan took time out of his busy schedule to sit down with AMP for this in-depth interview.
AMP: How did you initially get involved in event promotion?
ESTEVAN: I would have to say by accident. First of all, I’m a writer. I’ve written several books. When my 3rd book was coming out, I threw a release concert and I had a blast doing it. Fast forward to a year later and I was approached by someone at a book signing that I believe had attended that show. He thought it would be cool to partner up. So, with my love with music and my prior promotional experience, I thought it was a great idea.
We started out with a different name for the company but eventually we switched it to Capulet at my urging. We then booked our first show. One week before the date, my partner calls me to tell me he is out. The third quasi partner also left. Since the concert was happening that week, payments had to go out. I still went on with the event. In addition, my headliner didn’t show because they had double-booked and didn’t even give me a heads up. Luckily, it was a small show.
It definitely wasn’t the best start for Capulet but it still inspired me. I always wanted to do my version of the Warped Tour here in Ct. I really didn’t have any idea how I was going to pull something like that off. At this point, all I was doing was club shows. Eventually, I shut down Capulet due to the financial burden.
I had this vision but I had to put it to rest for a while. A few years later I resurrected Capulet as my independent publishing outlet. At that time I wasn’t doing any events. In 2018, the concert fire started to burn inside me. We did a bunch of shows and barely survived Covid. In 2020, the Capulet Fest was born. All of a sudden my vision came to life. Here we are in year 3 and it’s getting bigger and better.
AMP: This year’s lineup is sick! How were you able to pull this off?
ESTEVAN: With a lot of hard work and a little bit of insanity. Jimmy Wooten of Gears helped a lot. He’s my pitbull and soundboard. Also, by keeping the pulse of the musical community, we kind of knew what was hopping out there. Add my passion to do great things and my belief to always reach further. What I’m reaching for seemed way beyond my grasp but I was determined to get there. I kept moving forward. I didn’t believe we could get the artists we got last year but we did. This year, I didn’t believe we would get Skillet but we did. The same with Nothing More. It was just great seeing it all unfold.
AMP: The logistics for such an endeavor has to be monumental. Is your staff big enough to handle all the details?
ESTEVAN: We do. I think moving it to the Thompson Speedway was a great decision. The first Fest was only a one day affair and it was held at the Fete Music Hall in Providence. It was a smaller venue but we still had an indoor two stage model. In contrast, the campus grounds of the Speedway are huge. The potential of what can happen is massive. Moving it was a big deal but the Speedway management constantly handle these type of large events. It can hold upwards of 12,000 people. Thank god, last year we were incident free and no major issues arose. We pulled it off and are ready to do it again.
AMP: What are some of the personal strengths necessary to succeed as a promoter in today’s music landscape?
ESTEVAN: Oh boy! I say this jokingly but there is some truth to it, you can’t be a normal person. You have to be a little bit unstable. If you are a person who needs structure or has to see the finish line before you cross it, then this is probably not for you. And what’s funny is I’m a person who likes organization but this life has taught me to embrace the chaos.
In addition, you have to have perseverance and a true understanding of your capabilities. You have to know what your strengths and weaknesses are so you can get assistance when you need it. Having someone to fill in where you are most vulnerable is really essential.
It also helps to have a wife who believes in you. Someone to support your dreams even though she thinks you’re crazy. I had a father who instilled in me a strong work ethic. He’s past and I think about him often. He truly set me up with a sense of purpose. He always wanted me to follow my dreams. My dad pushed me as a writer and helped me out when I had issues as a promoter so I wouldn’t fall on my face.
In addition, you have to truly believe you can accomplish something that is way beyond your normal aspirations because I thought I couldn’t pull off a large festival with 55 killer bands but I succeeded. Something gave me the courage to persevere.
AMP: I know every band you booked is special but do you have any particular artist(s) you’re excited to see.
ESTEVAN: Obviously all the headliners. I’ve been listening to Skillet since I was 12. As to August Burns Red, I’m a huge fan even though when I first listened to their album Messengers, I wasn’t totally on board. My musical tastes were different when I was younger and slowly got harder as the years progressed.
When I first dipped my toes into the rock pool, initially it was very tame. Then I would experiment with a little harder music. I then started to enjoy the aggressiveness of certain metal songs. When I first heard Underoath, I thought that was a lot of screaming but I liked their catchy melodies. It got to the point that I was actively seeking out bands with dirty vocals. Now I totally enjoy bands like August Burns Red.
For sure Nothing More. I met Mark (Vollelunga) pretty much before anyone knew who they were. I was doing a book signing and he was walking past my booth. Our conversation now seems somewhat comical. I was telling him about the struggles of being an author and he was expounding on all the band’s trials and tribulations. He was wondering how long either of us could continue before we had to face reality. Two or three years later, they put out their self titled albums and everything changed. They get signed, tour the world and get nominated for a Grammy. It’s been amazing watching their trajectory. Their success gave me hope. They are a total inspiration.
Apart from them, I’m friends with Joe from Lightworker and their new album is great. Saint Asonia with Adam from Three Days Grace is another high. I’ve been trying to get Blessthefall for three years. Actually, the question is kind of hard since the whole lineup is stacked. I’m looking forward to all of them.
AMP: You are also an accomplished author. Do you feel the dynamics between creative writing and music promotion intertwine?
ESTEVAN: I do. It’s seems all areas of my life connect. I’m also a barber and that is another creative field. My writing and music promotion are definitely creative. They all intersect. All three aspects of my life are essential for my artistic spirit. That’s why I give all three a 100% effort. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t.
I never planned to be a barber. It was never on my vision board. I wanted to write books and hopefully make one into a movie. Then my love of music weaseled its way in. Now, how does barbering fit into the scheme of things. It allowed me to buy my first house, get married and have kids. Barbering allows me to provide for my family. It gave me the means to pursue my dreams.
AMP: Your Facebook game where you gave hints concerning the upcoming band announcements was really cool. How did you come up with such an inventive promo?
ESTEVAN: I was just thinking up a way to engage people in a more effective way than last year. Last year we just made back to back announcements till they were all done. We got some engagement but we wanted to push the button further, We wanted to increase the hype in the community. I felt the best way was to throw out hints and let people start guessing who it was. Everyone was piggy backing off everyone else’s guess until it became a fun game. i was only going to do this with the first few announcements but it became such a fun activity we continued all through the lineup. It became a community adventure.
What’s funny is that there were a few players that no matter how abstract my clues were hit it on the nose. I would say “Crap, I still have three clues left.” How do I keep them guessing? So, sometimes I wouldn’t answer or I would answer in a cheeky way.
AMP: How did you pick up sponsors for the festival?
ESTEVAN: It’s hard. We don’t have as many as we wanted. You have to prove yourself. I wanted Monster this year but they felt we weren’t at their level yet. Having a successful track record last year definitely helped land the ones we have. I would love to say we have all the major players. So, Monster and the rest of you guys, if you are reading this, WE Want You! Hopefully when you ask me the same question in 5 years time, I’ll have a different answer.
AMP: Any last words for your attendees?
ESTEVAN: I hope you are as excited as we are. This has been 10 months in the making but in reality, the culmination of a twelve year goal. I do believe it was god given because of all the hurdles I had too climb. On all levels including personal, financial, mental and spiritual. The whole event is a constant strain with all the negotiations, contracts and problems. I sometimes wonder why I do this and put such a burden on my family, But the fact is we are still here and working on year three. That’s what gives me strength.
I really hope the attendees are beyond pumped because this lineup is sick. We are finally getting to see an explosion of talent due to a lot of determination. Prepare to have an awesome time and an unbelievable experience. We are feeding off all the positive vibes we have received. People are truly excited and they should be.
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