Michael Stipe and Brandi Carlile joined forces to cover Elvis Presley at the Gansett Games, an exclusive annual field day held in Amagansett, New York. Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age paid tribute to Tom Petty with his own cover performance. The event, hosted by billionaire crypto investor Mike Novogratz on June 27, assembled a roster of rock luminaries for its closing ceremony celebration.
The Gansett Games functions as a premier gathering for the wealthy elite. The event gained cultural visibility when it received a shout-out via T-shirt reference during an episode of the HBO series "Billions" back in 2022, cementing its status among the power-broker set. Novogratz leveraged that cachet to curate performances from established rock figures, transforming what might otherwise read as another billionaire vanity project into a concert event with genuine artistic credentials.
The pairing of Stipe, the former R.E.M. frontman, and Carlile, the acclaimed singer-songwriter, for an Elvis cover represents an intriguing artistic combination. Both artists operate in the American roots-music tradition, though their approaches diverge considerably. Stipe's angular sensibility and Carlile's soulful, expansive vocal approach could produce unexpected alchemy when applied to Presley's catalog.
Homme's decision to cover Tom Petty carries its own weight. Petty, who died in 2017, remains a touchstone for American rock authenticity. Homme's involvement signals reverence for Petty's legacy while suggesting Novogratz's event attracted musicians willing to engage in serious tribute work rather than celebrity novelty performances.
The gathering illustrates a particular moment in rock culture where legacy acts and established figures continue commanding premium status at high-net-worth events. These performances likely never received widespread documentation beyond attendee footage, keeping the Gansett Games firmly within the private domain of crypto wealth and entertainment confluence.