13 Reasons to Join Some Of The Most-Buzzed Next-Gen Queer Music Artists (and In-The-Know Fans) At A Provincetown Festival Next Week

Washashore Festival is a choose-your-own-adventure of fast-rising queer artists in one place for one weekend. A week from today, the queer music underground event of 2022 takes the stages — also the beaches, streets, and alleys — of America’s oldest Artist colony.

For more than a century the queer resort town of Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod has nurtured generations of queer artists, playing host to their creative retreats and performances. Be part of this generation’s re-invention …

Organizers compare this second annual gathering to early Burning Man or South by Southwest with future-defining artists, a still-growing festival designed support the creative energy and inspiration on stage and off. Get in on something special at the very beginning.

Good reasons to be there:

1. Fresh off slaying the Lollapalooza Festival, headliner JORDY is taking the main stage of Washashore Festival with his queer pop confections that settle in your brain and stay there. The high-energy performance and the bops speak for themselves. JORDY is a queer superstar in the making.

2. Electro Pop and Qya: Opening the festival with a flamboyant bang (and a mustache for the gods) is Zee Machine, who has been putting out music with Grammy-winning producers and just went and got himself profiled by People Magazine. Rumor has it that the electro-pop crooner could even cross paths (hopefully on stage) with his old college pal Qya Cristal – who has emerged as the unrivaled queen of Provincetown stages everywhere over the past two years. Check out Zee’s song “FCKSHTUP!” on Washashore’s first wave artist announcement video below.

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3. Soulful Rap: The soulful rapper and crooner Rae Khahlil will deliver the festival the cathartic closing set that we will all want and need. If you want to know what you’re in for, check out her Tiny Desk Concert appearance that left us kinda speechless.

4. Queer Beer: Have you ever tried queer beer? Provincetown Brewing Co. – one of the driving forces behind the festival (and the queerest brewery in America) – is transforming its already eclectic taproom into a full-blown performance venue for some stripped down sets. If you don’t already know PBC, check their flagship beer The Bearded Mistress and the limited-edition collaboration merch they did with Bike Athletic jockstraps.
5. Blessed by Ani DiFranco: Speaking of the PBC stage, it wouldn’t be a queer music festival without a stamp of approval from the goddess Ani DiFranco. Her independent label Righteous Babe Records is sending three of the Righteous Babes themselves to deliver the stripped down feels.
6. Man on Man: For all you rock purists, Faith No More’s o.g. keyboardist Roddy Bottum is back with his boyfriend in new outfit Man on Man, bringing an indie-rock distortion that’s soaked in gay pop confidence.
7. CHRISTEENE: The queer underground’s “Beyonce on bath salts” CHRISTEENE will headline the main stage at Crown & Anchor with her full band for a set of extreme avant-garde, sweat-inducing emotion. Will there be butt plugs? Maybe! Is it high brow or low brow? We don’t know, but we do know it will leave you changed.
8. Fall Destination: Provincetown in the Fall. Yeah, summer is great, but Provincetown in October is like nothing else. This is when the iconic gay haven’s witchy, fairy splendor really shines. Give yourself the gift of experiencing Provincetown in a whole new light. (Literally, the light hits different here in the Fall).
9. Boston Connection: Were you there when…? Come meet and party alongside JORDY, Aiida, Zee Machine, Nectarine Girl, Qya Cristal, Diana DeMuth, and many more. Washashore is a Boston-area homecoming for the latest generation of barrier breaking, line crossing eclectic queer talent. They were nurtured here over the last few years and spun out to the rest of the country. This year they’re coming home, changed and followed.
10. Activist Rock: SuperKnova, the queer trans activist turned rocker will be ripping it on her guitar at the Red Room, Provincetown’s hidden basement club that transports you straight to New York’s East Village.  Check out her track “Power!” featured on Washashore’s 2nd artist announcement video below.

11. Indie Pop: Your gay indie pop bestie, Kelechi, is riding a wave of some hit songs this summer, including this one featuring fellow Washashore performer Zee Machine. Our bet is that they combine their unique forces on stage at the Washashore Festival to play their hit song together live for the very first time.
12. Country Music: Gay country star-in-the-making Sam Buck is coming off a tour with Rostam to fill the Provincetown Brewing Co. venue with his unique brand of provocative, echoey country. He put out a new album in July that Paper Magazine wants the world to know about.
13. Red-Carpet Gala: The festival launches with an only-in-Provincetown red carpet gala. Join us at Washashore’s 1st Annual “Net Gala.”  And the category is: fish.  You are not going to want to miss opening night!

October 7-9, the authentic queer music underground event of 2022 takes main stage (beaches, streets, and alleys) in America’s oldest Artist colony. Provincetown is a fishing village, drinking town. The AHS-haunted, Bros-location has been nurturing generations of queer artists and performances for more than a century. Be part of it.

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Erik Borg is a partner in Provincetown Brewery and an organizer of the Washashore Festival. He is a former reporter for the Provincetown Banner.

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