BY BRITTANY DANIELLE for WEEKLY VOLCANO 12/12/25 |
After a full decade of championing emerging and local artists, strengthening music communities, and turning small-stage dreams into touring-circuit realities, CapCity Presents is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, not with a speech or a gala, but with the thing they believe in most: live music.
A self-starter, Andy Moreno entered the booking world by seeing a need and stepping into it. Moreno, owner and operator of CapCity Presents, began as a rapper booking his own shows. As he continued, touring musicians started asking him for help, and a snowball effect began.
As he began to fall out of love with making music, he discovered a new passion in booking shows and tours for artists he believes in. Moreno says, “There is a reason I wanted to be an artist. I fell in love with hip hop at a young age. I felt like I had something to say. As time goes on, I continue to discover music from people with so much more important things to say, people from different parts of the world and entirely different backgrounds.”
He continues, “I am not going to sit here and say that I knew what I was doing in the beginning. It was a learning experience from the get-go. I did not have a mentor. I was emulating what I was seeing other promoters do and inputting my own twist. Although I lost the passion of making music, I found solace in building bills and creating evenings of excitement.”
Thus CapCity Presents was born. Cap is short for Capitol. Moreno explains, “I wanted to represent my city, Olympia, which has had, and still has, a reputation for being a small city with a vast arts and music scene. It started when Joey Cristina, Jestin Peterson, and I decided we wanted to build one company touring musicians could come to, and we would put on shows individually. As time grew, I took over the ship and made it my own. I would not have gotten any of this started if we had not put our heads together though.”
Moreno has now been booking shows and tours for ten years. He cares deeply for the artists he works with, listening, collaborating, and ensuring that each venue he books is a good fit for their audience and goals.
He explains the inspiration for the ten-year anniversary music series, CapCity Nights: “Considering it was ten years ago, it only seemed fitting that we celebrate. While a one-day festival would have made the most sense, it would not have made sense to rush into it, as it would need about six months’ lead time. I then decided to incorporate some venues that aided in my growth. Le Voyeur, the Pig Bar, the Crypt, and the Eastside Club Tavern have been fixtures of the Olympia music community, and I can proudly say that I have booked legendary shows at those spots.”
He adds, “Wild Child is the newest venue on the block. Even though they have been in business for under two years, Keely and Emily have put a lot of love and soul into that space. The Wild Child family has been welcoming, and I cannot express my gratitude in words.”
Moreno’s network extends widely. “Some artists on these bills I have known for a long time. Some have recently entered my world. These musicians have impacted my music tastes in ways I cannot deny, and I hope to showcase their talents to the Olympia community.”
CapCity Nights spans five nights in December across five venues and features seventeen artists, including musicians, drag performers, and DJs. Moreno is meticulous in his planning. “I love the organization of shows from start to finish. Every event is a mission, a checklist, a project. I like to think of myself as an anthropologist. This job allows me to meet people from all over the world.”
Looking ahead, Moreno wants to increase engagement. “Live music attendance took a hit after the 2020 pandemic. The world is open, and there is clearly a market for entertainment. My goal was to make booking a full-time job, and in nine years I did that. I want to see bigger names come through my city so they can witness the magic I experience regularly.”
He also sees a need for broader regional recognition. “What we need more than anything is for agents and bands to realize that Seattle is not the only market in Western Washington. There are music communities in Bellingham, Everett, Bremerton, Tacoma, Olympia, and even the Longview area. There are venues in Yakima, Richland, and Spokane. Washington State has a lot to offer. Even if a band plays Seattle on their tour, they can still play another market and not sacrifice ticket sales.”
Tickets are now on sale. Two of the five nights are all ages; the rest are 21+. Get out there and see what your South Sound music scene has and support the people behind the artists. Congratulations to CapCity Presents and to Andy Moreno for ten years. Here is to another ten.
Tickets at www.purplepass.com. Follow @CapCityPresents on Instagram and Facebook for tours and local shows.
