by Jeff Shaw
According to the Weather Channel, the world’s most famous groundhog did not see his shadow on February 2 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Therefore, an early spring is on the way.
My reasoning for writing about outdoor concerts in freezing February is ground[hog]ed in this furry weather predictor. Early spring means summer is closer than it may appear. February is also, traditionally, the month where summer tour concert tickets go on sale. [And even if you’re more of a Potomac Phil kind of person, relax, he didn’t see his shadow either. Oh, and while we’re at it, Groundhog Day is the definition of a re-watchable movie!]
Cape Cod is known for what you see on-Cape – world class beaches, bustling harbors, iconic bluffs and lighthouses to name a few; though those smells are a close second, salty air, fried clams, steamy chowder, oh my!
A few rungs down the ‘why Cape Cod is amazing ladder’ is for what you hear – sounds. I give you the top venues to catch some good vibrations [Beach Boys pun] on Cape Cod!
Harwich Cranberry Arts & Music Festival, Harwich
The 2024 Cranberry Festival and [affectionately called] Cranjam return at the Community Center Fields on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15, 2024.
This music festival is paired with a craft festival with over 180 vendors. Additionally, local brewery Devil’s Purse provides wine and local drafts. Food trucks are the main calorie option. With free parking and a laid-back bring your own chair/blanket type seating area, what’s not to like.
The two-day annual event started in the 1970s and is creeping up on a 50th anniversary.
Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis
As I wrote a few years ago, you have to catch a show at the Tent. With tandem parking on a gravel lot, the place reeks of old Cape Cod. And sure, so are some of the acts, but you may also be surprised at what tours make a “pit” stop [standing room only concert pun intended].
The current 2024 concert line-up features original acts, tribute bands and comedians. Headliners tend to be announced in the spring, so sign-up for their newsletter to learn about bookings.
Membership enables booking tickets one week before the public and provide express access into the venue on show nights.
Margaritaville Cape Cod, Hyannis
You read that right. Margaritaville Resort Cape Cod is coming for summer 2024—the first New England location for the popular Jimmy Buffet-inspired chain. Waa-hoo!
The resort will be a rebrand for the former Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis. The revitalized resort will have over 270 rooms in addition to an indoor water park, pool, spa and restaurants. While large scale concerts are not part of this rebrand, I’d guess plenty of live “trop-rock” acts will p[l]ay their respects to the late Jimmy Buffett during the inaugural season.
Outermost Roots & Blues Festival, Orleans
About a decade ago, Hog Island Beer Company, located in Orleans, billed itself as “the Outermost Brewery.” (At the time, that geographical self-description was accurate.) Naming their flagship beer, Outermost IPA, sealed it, no matter what Outer Cape breweries (we see you Ptown) would pop up down the road [yup, another subtle Route 6 pun].
So, it should not come as a surprise when the same brewery collaborated with local musicians to create an outdoor concert of the same theme – the Outermost Roots & Blues Festival. Located in the enormous parking lot of Nauset Beach (750 spaces), this fall event returned in 2023 after a brief hiatus due to the pandemic.
Part of what makes this event unique is that it was created locally, managed locally and even a portion of the proceeds from the festival support The Friends of Nauset Beach, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Make sure to add this concert to your shoulder season calendar.
Payomet Performing Arts Center, Truro
Tucked away down a long access road is Payomet Performing Arts Center, a nonprofit located at the Highlands Center in partnership with Cape Cod National Seashore.
Similarly to the Tent, bookings tend to be announced in the spring, so sign-up for their newsletter to learn when new acts are booked. Additionally, membership provides advanced notice to purchase tickets before going on sale to the public. Members also get a discount on tickets for most events.
Martha’s Vineyard Beach Road Weekend, TBA!
To be honest, the news of Beach Road Weekend moving off island/from Martha’s Vineyard, back to Cape Cod, inspired this post.
Certainly a bummer to some, the Vineyard Arts and Culture Foundation announced last month that the Beach Road Weekend music festival and Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series will not return to Martha’s Vineyard in 2024. Beach Road Weekend will relocate to a new home on Cape Cod in 2025.
The concert series debuted in 2019, but then was canceled for two years due to the pandemic. In 2022, the concert returned featuring 30 bands, including the Avett Brothers, Beck and Wilco, with Mumford and Sons headlining the 2023 line-up.
Ultimately, costs associated with these high profile acts, enormous crowds, insurance, transporting equipment (ferrying literally tons of equipment), etc., made it unprofitable/unsustainable/unworkable.
So, the promoters are going to give it another go on-Cape in 2025. Looking forward to sea [coastal pun intended] how the next chapter unfolds.
Until then, Fins Up! [JB]
February 7, 2024