As Beach Road Weekend 2021 gets underway this week, producer Adam Epstein also has his eyes on the future. On Thursday, as he continued to juggle logistics for the upcoming weekend shows along with this past week’s shows at the Loft, he announced the lineup for Beach Road Weekend 2022.
“As if it wasn’t enough to do this year’s festival, we decided to plan the next one and open a club,” he said by phone from his temporary office at the former Stone Bank on Main street Vineyard Haven.
Next summer’s lineup will be headlined by Beck, Wilco, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, the Avett Brothers, Aoife O’Donovan, Billy Strings and Khruangbin.
“I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it,” Mr. Epstein said.
“Khruangbin is the secret sauce here,” he added. “They’re selling out every venue and this is their first announced Boston metro engagement.”
Beach Road 2022 is currently planned for August 26-28 next year, pending approvals from the town.
For Mr. Epstein, programming a full lineup of over 20 bands for next summer, accompanied by this year’s smaller event, is proof that his company is still alive after a pandemic year that put a pause on his entire company.
“The essence of our business is to create live gatherings with people celebrating the artists they love,” he said. “But that wasn’t happening during the pandemic. We were totally shut down.”
“But it was important to us and our staff to use that time,” he added.
The company set a goal of getting bands locked in place over a year ahead of time, a rarity in the industry, in order to announce it by this summer’s concerts, in part to show it could be done and also to give Islanders first crack at buying tickets at reduced prices. Weekend Pass sales for next summer will begin at noon on July 25, sold only at the Beach Road Weekend pop-up shop located at the Santander Bank Building at 75 Main street in Vineyard Haven.
“Anyone who purchases $30 or more at participating businesses and brings in the receipt can buy a full weekend pass for next year for $99,” Mr. Epstein said. “You can see 10 bands a day for $33 a day.”
As Mr. Epstein looks to the future and keeps his feet firnly planted in this week’s logistics, he admits he has a lot on his plate but is more than happy to take whatever comes.
“The only way to do it is you can’t say no,” he said. “You say yes to everything. We don’t let obstacles get in the way. I know that sounds cheesy but I’d like that to be on my gravestone.”
For more information, visit beachroadweekend.com.
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