Crew Fest 2023

Coming out of the pandemic, the live music scene exploded in North America, bands and artist from all genres were out on tour for our listening pleasure, the biggest decision this summer was, who do I want to see and where do I want to see them!

As an avid concert goer, I see about 25-30 artist per year play live, and this year was no exception. So that brings me to July 2023 in the beautiful City of Brantford, Ontario and to Crew Fest (formally known as WTFest).

This all day festival got off to a bit of a late start due to inclement weather, but kudos to the organizers for keeping fans updated via email and social media and getting us through the gates efficiently.

While crews set up the main stage for the headlining acts, there was a side stage to keep the early bird fans entertained. The first band to take this stage was The Lad Classic a trio from Toronto, ON bringing their own unique energy to the stage, immediately connecting with the growing crowd.

Next to hit the side stage was 50 Mission, a Tragically Hip tribute band dubbed as Canada's most authentic sounding Tragically Hip cover band. Having seen the real Tragically Hip a number of times live, I have to say it was enjoyable to hear their music continue on.

Skye Sweetnam of SumoCyco

The last band on the side stage was SumoCyco, an Alternative Metal Band from Hamilton, ON; and although I had never heard of this band before this day, I felt like I had been listening to them for years. With killer riffs right from the start, this band commanded the audiences' attention, to the point where you could literally see the crowd grow. But it was the high energy, grace and raw talent of Skye Sweetnam that really charged up the crowd; the band has been described as No Doubt meets System of a Down, and that is exactly what they delivered! And although they were referred to as the side stage headliner, in my opinion this band should have been on the main stage. I have to say, after seeing SumoCyco for the first time I am an instant fan!

Returning back to the organizers for a minute, this festival was very well planned, the parking, layout, facilities and overall vibe was exactly what an outdoor rock concert should be; there was plenty of food venders, Merch tables and beer tents. Areas were provided for people to set up lawn chairs, play outdoor games like corn hole, stand and watch the bands or dance the night away.

Bif Naked

So now on to the main stage, and first up was Bif Naked; a celebrated Canadian artist, growing up in Winnipeg, MB, she has been a fixture of the Canadian music scene for quite some time. She was accompanied by her very accomplished band including music producer, singer, songwriter Peter Karroll. I have seen Bif Naked live before, but what made this experience special was that the band was filming during their entire set for an upcoming documentary, "Bif Naked: One of a Kind". Playing all of their hits under a series of drones and camera booms, the band warmed up the crowd, while building anticipation for their upcoming documentary and the bands that were to follow into the evening.

Now if I am being honest, the main reason for me attending this festival was for the next two bands, and boy they sure did not disappoint. Hugh Dillon took the stage next with his band the Headstones; a true Canadian band with elements of Hard Rock, Alternative and Post-Grunge, a Headstones experience is always a crowd pleaser and no Canadian Summer Festival is complete without a cover tune from none other the legendary and recently deceased (at the time of writing this) Gordon Lightfoot, and his classic story about "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Hugh, always the entertainer from Yellowstone to the Mayor of Kingstown, this accomplished artist knows how to entertain; and a for a good portion of the show he spent it walking through the crowd while belting out Headstones classics.

Hugh Dillon Saluting the Rock Troops

So needless to say, I was very pleased with the performance, and honestly would have been completely satisfied if the night ended there, but there were still two more bands to take the stage. Time for a beer, some food, then back to the stage for some more Rock!

Next up was Our Lady Peace, one of my all time favourite bands and one of Canada's most successful alt-rock bands! Hitting the crowd with their smash hit Naveed, right out the gate the night was in full gear! One of the great things about this band is that they are excellent live and alway put on a great show; Raine Maida is a true professional.

As I mentioned at the time of this event Gordon Lightfoot had recently passed, and another artist we lost around that time was Sinéad O'Connor; as a tribute they sang their version of Nothing Compares 2 U, the Prince classic, made popular by Sinéad . As OLP rocked through the rest of their hits and finished the night with Starseed, the crowed had witnessed yet another incredible performance by an iconic Canadian band.

As the night wound down the last band to take the stage, was the headliner, Live! Led by the only remaining original member of the band, lead singer Ed Kowalczyk, the band sounded every bit as good as the original lineup. As they went through their hits the crowd hung on to every note; and of course no performance from Live is complete without them playing their smash hit, Lightning Crashes.

And that brought an end to the night, with an array of very talented bands and good music. So if you are looking for a true Canadian experience next year and want to spend time with 7,000 to 8,000 of your closest friends, I invite you to check out CrewFest 2024. As mentioned before, I was very impressed with the planning and organization of this event, and the success of the event speaks volumes to all of the hard work put forth by the organizers and volunteers.

I hope that I have been able to peak your interest on Live music on Canada. As we enter the Fall season live music will start to move indoors but it's still out there, and now more than ever bands are playing in more intimate venues. So thank you for following along on another one of our adventures and who knows, maybe some day I will see you in the audience!

Brian Moore is an independent travel blogger, who lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife and three daughters. Thank you for following us as we share Moore Adventures.