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Provincetown’s Washashore Festival is back and bigger than ever with “the love child of Elton John and David Bowie” Jake Wesley Rogers headlining the festival and Tony Award winner John Cameron Mitchell , as weekend host.
Produced by Provincetown Brewing Co., Crown & Anchor and Tangle-Made Productions, this year’s Washashore Festival takes place over two days, October 7 and 8, instead of the usual three days, with the festival hoping to present a new version of itself -even. .
“We’re trying to show another side and what we can do,” said Erik Borg, co-owner of Provincetown Brewing Co. “Then from there we hope it becomes our focus, which is this kind of This immersive, city-wide affair really lets everyone get in on the action, no matter what title they want.
What is the Washashore Festival?
The Washashore Festival was born from an idea between Borg, co-owner Chris Hartley and then-brewery partner Trevor Pittinge in 2019, shortly after Provincetown Brewing Co. opened. The trio wanted to create a music festival queer show highlighting emerging talent in the context of Provincetown.
“We really wanted to develop this festival that was a little bit of a south-southwest style for Provincetown,” Borg said. “We wanted it to be immersive, multi-location, a place where Provincetown is sort of a playground and there are shows in different places around town. It’s kind of like a choose-your-own-adventure.”
Now the festival is owned and produced by Borg, Jonathan Hawkins of Crown and Anchor and Aaron Clayton. And for their third year, Borg hopes this will replace the previous ones.
“We want queer artists on stage and we want it to be a cohesive, truly community-based expression of creativity on stage and with the audience,” Borg said. “We’re really excited about the direction the festival is going this year, with the quality of the talent and the staging. We hope we can attract as many people from Cape Cod as possible because we want it to be a pilgrimage of sorts for people who like live music.
When it comes to artist selection, Borg said it’s about showcasing talented artists from all genres.
“We want to show the widest possible range of creative performances on stage,” he said. “We’re trying to bring in different types of musicians and performers that some people might not have heard of or wouldn’t be exposed to, and that they can become fans of and that they can be exposed to across the Washashore Festival.”
As the first queer music festival in Provincetown and Cape Cod, Borg and his fellow producers wanted Washashore to intend to showcase Provincetown as a place for queer creativity.
“Provincetown has been this queer haven, has been for a long time, and we really wanted to build on this kind of renewed reputation of Provincetown as a place where you go to be exposed to queer creative expression,” Borg said. “We see this as sort of continuing a legacy, but also modernizing it…and bringing more people together to be a part of it. We want it to be more inclusive than Provincetown has been in the past. … It’s not just for queer people, but it’s for people who really want to celebrate and share their creative expression.
Jake Wesley Rogers to headline this year’s Washasore Festival in Provincetown
Go big, not home, seems to be the motto of this year’s Washashore Festival. Tony Award winner as host, a headliner that Elton John described as a resemblance to his younger self and a night at City Hall? Everything is happening this year.
John Cameron Mitchell, who you may know from “Hedwig and The Angry Inch,” both the pre-Broadway series and the 2001 film, will be your host and guide the audience through all the fun to be had.
“He’s going to sing a few songs and be a constant presence on stage throughout the weekend,” Borg said.
On Saturday, the festival kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at the Crown & Anchor with the second annual “Net Gala” followed by performances by Boyfriend, a New Orleans-based “rap cabaret” musician, and Drizzy Bravo. The evening ends at 10 p.m. with a Provincetown version of Mitchell’s monthly “Mattachine” party, named after the Mattachine Society.
On Sunday October 8, Wasahore takes over the town hall for the first time in the history of the festival. DJs Andrew Lennox and João Santos will put you in a party mood with an original set at 7 p.m. At 8 p.m., Korean-American synthpop guitarist Superknova returns to Washashore for the second year in a row.
Then at 9 p.m., it’s time for the big event as Jake Wesley Rogers, Bowie-John’s love child, takes the stage.
“He’s truly incredible and up-and-coming, a pop singer-songwriter who’s kind of like the love child of Elton John and David Bowie,” Borg said. “Actually, Elton John himself (said) you could describe him as reminiscent of a young Elton John. So it’s pretty cool that we got him. We’re really excited to bring in someone who is really on the rise in Provincetown.”
Babes & Bois will close the festival with their Clam Jam after-party at Crown & Anchor at 10 p.m.
Where can I get tickets?
Tickets for this year’s Washashore Festival range from $65 to $200 plus fees depending on which one you purchase. A ticket for Saturday’s events costs $65. For Sunday’s Town Hall concert, tickets cost between $70 and $110. A festival pass costs $135 and a VIP festival pass costs $200.
Tickets can be purchased online at washashorefestival.com/ and the event is 21+ only, so keep that in mind before purchasing. Also bring your ID to get your bracelets.
Frankie Rowley covers entertainment and the arts. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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