HARTFORD, Conn. — After a hard rock music festival ended abruptly with few answers this past weekend, Connecticut’s attorney general is stepping up.
Attorney General William Tong says it’s time for Capulet Entertainment to face the music. That’s the company which put on the third annual Capulet Fest last weekend.
“Nothing makes me more angry than seeing people in our state getting ripped off,” said Tong.
Tuesday, he announced his office is investigating Capulet Entertainment, LLC.
“As a consumer and a fan, what happened to the people who paid for tickets is outrageous, it's wrong and it's unacceptable,” he continued.
Tong says his office has received more than 60 complaints since this past weekend’s music festival gone wrong.
“They should have gotten what they were promised, and they didn't,” added Tong.
The third annual Capulet Fest was scheduled for Friday, June 28 to Sunday, June 30 at the Thompson Motor Speedway.
It promised more than 55 bands over three days, with vendors, food and even meet and greets with the artists.
The event took a turn just hours before it was scheduled to start, as Capulet Entertainment announced it would be changing venues, moving an hour away — and halfway across the state — to the Webster in Hartford.
“Thursday is when we were leaving and were made aware that the venue had changed,” explained Harrison Muffley, guitarist for the North Carolina-based rock band Set for the Fall.
Set for the Fall was scheduled to perform Saturday, their third time playing Capulet Fest.
“We were literally driving, you know, we live quite a bit of a way, and everything was happening as we were on our way there,” Hampton Smith, Set for the Fall’s bassist said. “We had conversations about what to do, but I think unanimously, we just wanted to play; we wanted to play music.”
The band decided the show must go on, attempting to bring a little bit of light to the darkness.
“We tried to be a beacon of positivity in a sea of negatives, but yeah, I still am disappointed with how people were treated as consumers,” Smith added.
Music fan Morgan Jacques bought a one-day ticket plus parking for Sunday — the final day of the fest — which ultimately didn’t happen after staff at the Webster shut it down Saturday night, saying Capulet couldn’t pay the venue fees.
“It was very hectic and unorganized and not fair to us or the bands or the vendors. The vendors got screwed,” said Jacques. “Many people lost lots of money and time. People flew in, people drove, people took time off; I can't explain to you how it definitely affected a lot of people.”
“When you sell goods or services, or a concert, or a festival, you have an obligation not to deceive people, not to lie to them and not to engage in what we call unfair practices, which is to rip them off,” Tong said. “That’s what it feels like right now.”
Fans and bands say they are encouraged by Tong’s investigation.
Capulet Entertainment is an independent promotion company founded in 2012 by Connecticut resident Estevan Vega. FOX61 reached out to Vega for comment but did not hear back.
Capulet Fest's website has been updated with the statement: “ANNOUNCEMENT: Despite our best efforts and due to unforeseen circumstances, Capulet Fest concluded on Saturday night with a spectacular performance by Skillet.”
Tong says his office has been in touch, but only with Vega’s legal team.
If you were impacted by Capulet Fest, file a complaint with the attorney general’s office here.
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Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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