All Points West Begins With Adam Yauch on Organizer's Mind

Posted on Jul 31st 2009 4:00PM by Steve Baltin
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All Points West kicks off Friday in Jersey City, N.J. with Jay-Z taking over the spot that was originally meant for the Beastie Boys. And while it's one New Yorker admirably stepping in for another, the festival's founder Paul Tollett tells Spinner that finding a fill-in for the Beasties is a tough task. "It is hard to replace the Beastie Boys because as a band, people identify with them so much," Tollett says.

After Adam Yauch's cancer announcement, All Points West, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands organizers all found themselves in the same difficult situation of finding a last-minute replacement for the Brooklyn trio. For Tollett, who has a relationship with the trio that goes back two decades, this was more than just business. "Obviously we're sad for Adam and hope for a quick recovery from that. We promoted the Beastie Boys for more than 20 years. They're friends of ours," he says. "It was a ton of bricks when they said it. It's one thing when you hear about someone who's just a public figure, that's even sad because you grew up with them, but it's different when you actually know them. You don't know even what to think and it takes you a minute, it takes you a moment to even understand. I guess we've got to get back to the business side of it, but this is heavy."

While the overall fan response has been positive and the festival will go on, Tollett is still loyal to his friends. "The Beasties have been great to us over the years and I really wanted them on this show because it's their hometown out there," he says. "I'm hoping we get them in the future again."