Attorney General William Tong is launching an investigation into this weekend’s Capulet Fest.
“What happened to the people who paid for tickets is outrageous, it’s wrong and it's unacceptable,” Tong said during a press conference, adding his office has already received 60 complaints as of noon Tuesday.
Fans have been voicing frustrations over what was billed as a three-day hard outdoor rock music festival at Thompson Speedway Mortorsports Park.
At the last minute, Capulet Entertainment LLC announced the event was moved to the Webster Theater in Hartford. It was also condensed into two days, with some of the performances canceled.
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“We definitely should be getting a refund for Sunday, because we paid for a show we didn’t get to go," said Krystal Johnson, a Rhode Island woman who went to the event.
Capulet Entertainment owner Estevan Vega also runs Joey’s Barber Lounge in Colchester. Employees at the shop said he wasn’t available to comment today.
Tong said his office has made contact with Vega’s lawyers, but so far he hasn’t heard an explanation about why the event was moved and shows were canceled.
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“There's no statute that says a concert promoter is supposed to do x, y and z, they’re just not supposed to lie to people,” Tong said.
Vega announced the venue change on Thursday, the day before the event. Some fans and bands said they only learned about it through social media or others attending.
“Wouldn't you think you should kind of stay in touch with them and notify them of what’s happening,” Magic Moment vocalist and manager Andrey Bozyrkin said.
Bozyrkin said Magic Moment is offering refunds to fans who purchased tickets directly through the band, although so far no one has requested one from them.
Other bands have offered free tickets to future shows.
“The fact that some of these bands are doing more than the promoter, it says something,” Johnson said.
Tong suggested fans can also contact their bank or credit card company to ask for help. He added it’s too early to say how the investigation will conclude, including whether he can help fans recover any refunds.
“I obviously want to do the best that i can for fans, but i obviously want to make it clear that i don’t know that Capulet's a big company,” he said. “I don’t know what Mr. Vega's financial position is. I don’t know where the money is.”
