In the heart of New England's music scene, a rising force defies the odds, bringing together a diverse array of sounds, artists, and fans. Capulet Entertainment, the brainchild of Estevan Vega, is a testament to the power of passion and persistence in the music industry. In a recent interview, Estevan shared the story behind Capulet Entertainment, the birth of Capulet Festival, his journey in the music world, and his unwavering dedication to making dreams come true.
Estevan Vega, the visionary behind Capulet Entertainment and Festival, introduced himself with the kind of energy and enthusiasm that marks true spirit: "My name is Estevan Vega and I created Capulet about 12 years ago, in 2012," he begins, detailing the company's intermittent start before its full revival in 2018. "First year of Capulet Festival was in 2022. This is our third year now. We're just hoping every year grows bigger and better."
Estevan's artist journey isn't confined to music; he's also an accomplished writer with seven published books in genres like sci-fi, supernatural fantasy, and thriller. "I just love how all the arts kind of blend together to make this dream happen," he reflects, underscoring the interconnected nature of creative endeavors.
The name Capulet, borrowed from the infamous feuding family in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," signifies more than just a nod to classic literature. "So much of art is struggle, and I experience that a lot, even in the book world," Estevan explains. "Our slogan is 'defy the stars.' It's this idea of chasing this forbidden passion, that everything seems out of reach, but you fight for it anyway."
The ethos of relentless pursuit and defiance against the odds is woven into the fabric of Capulet Festival. "Whether I'm writing books or putting on shows or a festival, chasing art is like defying the stars," he says. "It's basically saying, screw the odds, I'm going to go for it anyway."
Capulet Entertainment's growth from Connecticut to Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and New York is a testament to Estevan's commitment to the music community. "A lot of it is just being part of the community and being part of the scene," he shares. "The more shows I do, the more people I meet, the more connections you establish.
This grassroots approach has paid off, with Capulet Festival becoming a recognized name in the music scene. "We've just been able to cement ourselves. When I reach out to venues or managers, they've heard of Capulet. They've heard of what we've done," he says proudly. "The other day I went to a concert and I was passing out flyers for Capulet Fest and I had one of my Capulet Fest shirts on and someone pointed out and said 'Oh Capulet Fest, that's really awesome.' And so they knew who I was, they knew about the festival. That's awesome."
Capulet Fest's lineups feature a mixture of high-profile acts and emerging artists, creating a dynamic and inclusive environment. Estevan's process for selecting and booking bands involves maintaining a keen eye on the scene and a bit of serendipity. "Paris was one that I booked before they blew up. I had heard their name thrown around at different shows, did some research, and thought they sounded really cool," he recounts. "If you only have the mega bands then like the smaller bands never can become the big bands, right? And so you're not really nurturing the scene. I'm a big supporter of, when we do shows, I always push for one or two locals."
This knack for spotting talent early, combined with recommendations and personal fandom, helps curate a diverse lineup year after year. "It's a trifecta: bands I'm a fan of, bands on the come-up, and bands recommended to me," Estevan explains. "It's a big mash-up and then you see what works."
Entering its third year, the Capulet Festival continues to evolve. "Scope has gotten bigger," Estevan notes, highlighting the move from a smaller venue in Providence to a larger one at a Speedway in Thompson. "I had wanted to do Capulet Fest at the Speedway that we are doing it at now, but I felt that I wasn't ready. For a first year, I was a little nervous that it was too big for me to handle." Despite challenges, such as last year's rain-induced schedule juggling, the festival has thrived. "Last year was kind of like my vision of what we wanted and we accomplished that. It was great. All the bands had a good time. We had a good time. The fans had a good time."
This year, attendees can expect more than just great music. "We have vendors, food trucks, beer tents, video game truck, and cool dessert people," Estevan enthuses. "We did our best to showcase different elements within the rock world. There's kind of something for everybody." In addition to great music, the production quality has been revamped and refined. "We have cool LED walls behind the drum kits that show the band's logo and sometimes they have videos and graphic play."
Estevan's motivation stems from a relentless drive to realize his vision fully. "I look at these other festivals like Rockville and just seeing those crowds and acts they're booking. One day it's going to happen," he says confidently. "Every year we get closer and closer."
For Estevan, the ultimate reward is the community's positive response. "When I hear that someone had an amazing experience and they told their friend, that makes me really happy," he shares. "I remember at the Back To School Bash, the first one we did, we had Alesana and A Skylit Drive and just seeing the couples dancing and singing along and making out in the audience. That's what it's about. It's the communal aspect of it that, in this place, we're all kind of the same, you know? In this place, we can be more than what we are out there. And I just want to keep fostering that, that makes me want to keep growing."
As for the dream headliner? "People were the most disappointed that I didn't get A Day To Remember this time," he admits. "We did reach out, but it didn't happen this year. Fingers crossed, it's going to happen."
Estevan Vega's journey with Capulet Entertainment is a story of passion, resilience, and community spirit. "We appreciate people like you who do interviews like this to help us spread the word," he thanked me in our final words, expressing gratitude to fans and supporters. "Thank you for all the help on social media, all the pushes and shares. Every year we can just keep growing."
As Capulet Festival gears up for another unforgettable year, one thing is clear: Estevan and his team are defying the stars, one show at a time. And as the festival continues to grow, so does the community that believes in the power of music to bring people together.
CAPULET ENTERTAINMENT | WEBSITE
Sabrina Amoriello: Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? I think you're muted.
Estevan Vega: Is that better? Can you hear me?
Sabrina Amoriello: Yes. Can you hear me?
Estevan Vega Yes. How are you?
Sabrina Amoriello: Great. How are you?
Estevan Vega Alright.
Sabrina Amoriello: So my name is Sabrina, by the way.
Estevan Vega Good to meet you.
Sabrina Amoriello: Nice to meet you too.
Estevan Vega I'm doing this in my car because it's quieter.
Sabrina Amoriello: I totally understand.
Estevan Vega I'll work. Whatever.
Sabrina Amoriello: You have fewer background noise. I live in Manhattan. I have roommates.
Estevan Vega: Uh-huh.
Sabrina amoriello: It's the life, I guess. So I'm just going to jump right into it because I know you have a show tonight, so I don't want to hold you up too much.
Estevan Vega Yeah, sure. Thank you for doing this, by the way.
Sabrina Amoriello: Of course, thank you so much for sitting down with us. It's like an honor for us to be a part of this. Like I said it in my submission to you guys. There's not many festivals in New England doing this. So we appreciate what you do for the community.
Estevan Vega Awesome.
Sabrina Amoriello” But let's start by introducing yourself, your role in the music industry, and then share a fun fact with us.
Estevan Vega Okay, so my name is Estevan. Estevan Vega. I have been, I created Calculate about 12 years ago, in 2012. And I did it really hard core for about a year, and then kind of went on hiatus for about five years, and then brought it back in 2018. And yeah, first year at Capulet Fest was 2022. This is our third year now. And yeah, we're just hoping every year grows bigger and better, and that our lineups keep getting bigger and better, and that everyone loves it, obviously. Obviously. Fun fact, I also am a writer. I've published like seven books. Sci-Fi, Supernatural Fantasy, Thriller type books. And yeah, so I just love how all the arts kind of blend together to make this dream happen, you know?
Sabrina Amoriello” That's actually a perfect transition to the next question, because I was going to ask you to talk a little bit about who and what Kaplan is, and how your background as an author influenced what it is.
Estevan Vega Sure. A lot of people probably already know, but the Capulets and the Montagues, they were warring families in Romeo and Juliet. It's a very famous play. And for me, I wanted to call it Capulet because so much of art is struggle, and I experienced that a lot, even in the book world. It's a lot of rejection. It's a lot of submissions, and a lot of trying to prove yourself, but people giving you a chance or not giving you a chance, just putting yourself out there a lot. And it's basically me trying to kind of like defy the stereotype and defy the nine to five as much as humanly possible, even though I'm a victim to it now. But yeah, so when I created Capulet, our slogan is defy the stars. It's this idea of kind of chasing this forbidden passion, that everything seems, everything that the dream that's in you seems out of reach, but you fight for it anyway, you do your hardest to make it a reality anyway. And so for me, whether I'm writing books or I'm putting on shows or I'm putting on a festival, chasing art in essence is like defying the stars. It's basically saying, screw the odds, I'm going to go for it anyway.
Sabrina Amoriello: I love hearing that. That's how I feel with this too. It's only our first year, and a lot of it is shooting for the stars too and hoping something lands. So hearing it from somebody that's established years after, it's inspiring. So I appreciate hearing that. So Capulet Entertainment has expanded from Connecticut to Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. What strategies did you employ to facilitate this growth? And how has the music scene in New England evolved since you started Calculate?
Estevan Vega: Ah, okay. So a lot of it is just being part of the community and being part of the scene. That allows you to expand because the more shows I do, the more people I meet. The more connections you establish with whether it be with venues, with different bands, with managers, with booking agents, all of that kind of goes hand in hand. But within the scene, you're not going to grow. And so for me, we've just been able to, I don't know, kind of cement ourselves. And the more people hear about Capulet, they're like, oh, okay, and then they do some research, and then they reach out, and it just kind of continues to grow, right? And so when I reach out to these different venues, or when I reach out to these agents or managers, a lot of times I've been doing it for so many years that they've heard of the company. Even if they don't know me personally, they've heard of Capulet, they've heard of what we've done, they've heard of the festival, they've heard of some of the smaller shows we've done. We also have the Back to School Bash, which hopefully we'll be doing again. And so the more you do that, the more you can expand, the more you can grow your brand. And then it's just being cool and working with different people, adhering to the policies of each venue so that they invite you back and allow you to continue renting out the space. Every little step kind of leads you to the next step. So you take a little step and it grows your fan base, it grows your connections, it grows your social media presence, and then the next thing will get bigger. Because now people have heard about that thing. And then the more people hear about it, it's basically like hearing an ad, any movie that's coming out, it's like, you need constant exposure, you need constant exposure to that thing. And then people will eventually be like, oh yeah, I've heard of that thing. I may not know what it is, but I've heard of it. And so they've heard of Capulet and it's funny. So I run a barber shop too, and I have a big banner outside my shop for Capulet Fest. And I've told so many people, this is the third year now of Capulet Fest, but it's been years that I've been putting banners all over the shop. And there's still to this day some people are like, yeah, so what is Capulet? I'm like, bro, how do you not know yet? So it's really just like, you gotta re-educate people and continue just hammering them politely, you know, with your brand and with your information. And hopefully they'll recognize a band that you're bringing into the town, you know, and that grows it too. So it's kind of all, and then it's also doing the grind, going to different shows and passing out flyers, the boring stuff that nobody wants to do, going to parking lots and flagging the cars. And it's like, that's the non-glamorous part of it.
Sabrina Amoriello: Yeah, no, I get it completely. Actually, like our team kind of had issues with that because I was telling them, like, it's all about this exposure, it's who you talk to, it's who you network with. And they just, you know, it's all about the work you want to put in. If you're dedicated enough, you get there. If you're not, it fizzles out.
Estevan Vega: Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Sabrina Amoriello: So you've booked some high-profile talent like Elisanna, Paris, Memphis May Fire. What is your process for selecting and booking bands for your events?
Estevan Vega: So, the interesting thing about Paris was that I booked, I was fortunate enough to book them before they kind of blew up. I had heard, this is back in 2013, I think, I booked them. And I had heard their name thrown around at different shows. And then I did some research on my own and I'm like, oh, they sound really cool. And so I was able to throw them on, I think I put them on a show with my ticket home. And it was a small show, looking back, you know, I'm glad I did the show, but it was like looking back, like we've so much surpassed that now. But I remember watching them play and I'm like, I told my my girlfriend at the time, who's now my wife, I was like, they're going to make it. There's something there that you just kind of know sometimes, you know, and then like shortly after like a year or two later is when they kind of blew up. So that's how that happened is I was able to just get them on the come up. So part of that is just like keeping your eye on the scene and what's beginning to pop off and trying to ride that wave with them on the way up, you know, and so trying to establish that connection before they get so big that they don't return your emails. You know, so that's part of it. Also, some of the bands I'm just a fan of, you know, a lot of the bands.
Sabrina Amoriello: I lost you.
Estevan Vega: Sorry.
Sabrina Amoriello: Totally fine. I'm glad I got you back.
Estevan Vega: I don't know where I trailed off.
Sabrina Amoriello: We were talking about upcoming acts and how you've been able to, like, capture people by being in touch with the scene.
Estevan Vega: Sure. Yeah. So, I mean, having a pulse on the scene is huge. And then also, like, sometimes people will just email me or message me on Instagram or Facebook and tell me, like, bands that I should mention too. Most of the time I've already been following them and I'm watching the trajectory. And so, and then sometimes it's a new band that I haven't heard of that. I'm like, oh, how come I haven't heard of this? And so, um, yeah. So, like, like 0936, he was one that someone had recommended that I get for Capulet Fest. And I, I had not heard of, I had heard of him. I've seen his logo, but I hadn't heard the music before. And so I checked out the music and that's when we reached out. So there's all, it's kind of both, you know. It's, it, there's, or it's actually like a trifecta. It's like, there's bands that I'm a huge fan of. There's bands that are on the come up. There's bands that get recommended to me. And it's just kind of, you know, a big, a big mash-up and then you see what works, you know.
Sabrina Amoriello: Yeah, definitely. I think that's one thing that stands out for us about Capulet Fest, above, like, corporate type festivals. It's like, you guys showcase everything from big acts to in the middle to smaller acts. And I think that's just so important with the festival. You got to do everything.
Estevan Vega: And yep. Well, that's the thing too, right? If you only have the mega, the mega bands, then like the smaller bands never can become the big bands, right? And so you're not really nurturing the scene. It's like, that's why I'm a big supporter of, when we do, when we do shows, I always push for one or two locals because it's like, that's how you keep your area, you know, happening. That's how you keep big bands coming through. Like, there's another main reason why I started Capulet was like, there's bands that just weren't ever coming through New England, or they weren't coming to Connecticut. You know, sometimes they would hit Boston or New Hampshire, they would hit New York or Jersey, and it's like, man, dude, I want them to hit my home state, you know? And so that's another reason why we started Capulet too. So. Yeah, it's important. You got to give those local acts a platform.
Sabrina Amoriello: Yep, yep. So you're now entering your third year, as you mentioned, with Capulet Fest. How has the festival grown and changed since its inception? What can attendees expect?
Estevan Vega: Yeah, definitely. Well, our first year, I would say, like, scope has gotten bigger, right? So our first year we did it in Providence at a smaller venue. We still did two stages. It was only one day. And so, like, I learned a lot that first year. I had wanted to do Capulet Fest at the Speedway that we're doing it at now, but I felt that I wasn't, like, ready. For a first year, I was a little nervous that, like, it was too big for me to handle first year. And so I wanted to start off smaller, give myself an idea of, man, like, I had never booked 22 bands in one day going, uh, opera, going back and forth between the two stages, and, like, it was a lot for my first time ever doing something of that size. And so that's why I wanted to keep the first year kind of smaller. And the second year, I partnered up with another person and, like, you know, we really grew it and brought it to the Speedway. And so that's kind of, last year was kind of like my vision of what we wanted and we accomplished that. It was great. Like, all the bands had a good time. We had a good time. The fans had a good time. The only sucky thing was that it rained on Sunday on and off. And so, like, we had to, like, juggle around the schedule and the set list. And some people didn't love that, but we made it so that every band played. So maybe we had to shift their time a little bit, but every band got to play. So as far from my perspective, I think that was a win where no attendee lost on that, you know even though I feel like we had to shift things around and it wasn't amazing. Um, I mean, all the bands still played and it was still awesome, you know. And so that was, that was cool. Um, I would say we grew in the sense that, I mean, our stage is awesome. The outside stage is awesome. The inside stage still crushes. We have cool LED walls behind the drum kits that show the band's logos and sometimes they have videos and graphics play. So that's awesome. We have vendors. We have food trucks. We have beer tents. We have this year, we're doing a video game truck to kind of keep the teams and tweens. And who knows, college kids, and I'll play Call of Duty or something or Super Smash Bros. So that's cool. We're trying to do new, innovative things. We got some cool dessert. People come in, you know. So yeah, it should be a good time. There's a lot, there's a lot to enjoy outside of the festival aspect of it, like the music side of it. So even if, you know, even if your boyfriend or your girlfriend really likes this band or whatever, there's still, there's cool vendors. There's, you know, there's that's awesome. There's, you know, the beverages that are awesome. And then on top of that, like we really did our best to showcase different elements within the rock world. So we have like emo bands. We have metal core bands. We have death metal. We have brick and pop punk alternative. So like, I don't know, there's kind of something for everybody I feel at this, at this festival.
Sabrina Amoeriello: Yeah, everyone was raving about last year to me. I bought my ticket for this year. I know Fallon's covering it. I'm just going for fun. I can't wait to experience it. But that's awesome. I saw you guys got the video game and all the food trucks. I mean, you guys are giving back to the community the best way you can. I couldn't appreciate that more. I know Connecticut's usually dead with music festivals and stuff like that. So we need you guys.
Estevan Vega: I know. That's why we're trying to keep it alive. We're trying to do something here that I've never seen here, you know.
Sabrina Amoriello: Yeah. And we would love to help you guys. Anyway, if we could toss money in next year, whatever it is that you guys need, we would love to help you guys do it because I know it could be awesome. We're doing something this year and I know it can add up. It gets expensive.
Estevan Vega: Yes. Very quickly. A lot quicker than people probably think.
Sabrina Amoriello: Exactly. So as someone deeply embedded in the music industry, how do you stay motivated and inspired to keep pushing the boundaries with Capulet Entertainment and the festival?
Estevan Vega: I think the main thing for me is like going until I see my vision fully realized, you know, like I look at these other festivals like Rockville and, you know, you know the big ones. And just seeing those crowds and seeing seeing some of the acts that they're booking, you know what I mean? It's like, man, one day it's going to happen. One day it's going to pop off like that. I think so that's what kind of keeps me going, like knowing that I haven't reached that yet and we still have a ways to go and we're getting there every year. We get closer and closer. I mean, every year I'm always kind of like amazed at the talent that we've been able to secure, you know. Some of these bands I never thought we would we would book and we're booking them. And so it's believing that we can get there and you see little steps of progress happening and so that kind of gives you the hope, the faith to believe that, yeah, okay, next year we can do more and then next year we can do more and so on and so forth. And then also piggybacking off of that, basically what you said, that other people spread positive word of mouth and then now you want to come. And so that like, that makes me really happy, you know. When I hear that someone had an amazing experience and they told their friend about it and now their friend comes and then hopefully they have an amazing experience and they tell a friend and it goes like that. And the other day I went to another concert and I was passing out flyers for CapuletFest and I had one of my CapuletFest shirts on and someone pointed out and said, oh, CapuletFest, that's really awesome. And so they knew who I was, they knew about the festival
And so like, that's awesome, you know. And like, you know, when you go to one of the shows like some of the ones that I've booked and I see like I remember at the back-to-school bash the first one we did, we had Alessana and Skylight Drive and just seeing the couples dancing and singing along and making out in the audience. And I'm just like, that's what it's about, you know. It's the communal aspect of it that like, in this place we're all kind of the same, you know. In this place we can be more than what we are out there. And I want to just keep, I want to just keep fostering that and that makes me want to keep growing, you know.
Sabrina Amoriello: Exactly that. It's all about community in this scene, especially in music. That's what makes it. So my final question for you is if you could book any band Dead or Alive to headline CapuletFest who would it be and why?
Estevan Vega: Oh, man. Well, I think people were the most disappointed that I didn't get a data-remembered this time.
Sabrina Amoriello: I know that's a hard one.
Estevan Vega: So I'm hoping that we can get then at some point. I would say right now that's a big one. There's a long list of bands that I really want to bring in. But I would say because I wasn't able to get them this year, and we reached out just so everybody knows. We did reach out, but that one didn't happen this year. But, you know, fingers crossed it's going to happen in some way.
Sabrina Amoriello: Yeah, it'll happen. I believe in you guys. Well, thank you so much. If there's any last words you want to leave our audience with, I'll leave the mic to you. But thank you so much for taking this time to talk with us. Have fun at your show tonight. And I'm excited for the festival.
Estevan Vega: Definitely. We appreciate people like you who do interviews like this to help us spread the word. So thank you. Thank you to all the followers who are watching this or reading this if this is a written interview. Thank you for all the help on social media, all the pushes and the shares. Thank you. We appreciate that. Thank you so much for coming with us. And I hope your fans stick around and keep coming to the shows and keep coming to Capulet Fest. And every year we can just keep growing.
Sabrina Amoriello: Awesome. Thank you so much.
Estevan Vega: All right. Peace. Thank you.
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