Brantford, Ontario Crew Fest 2023

Brantford, Ontario once again hosted their annual music fest, Crew Fest. Formerly called WTFest, this year fans were treated to Bif Naked, Headstones, Our Lady Peace, and Live on the main stage. We were amongst the 8,000 to pack Lions Park for the event.

The day started off very rainy, prompting the event to be pushed back a few times. Gates eventually opened once the clouds passed by and the sun appeared. Due to the delays, a local band, Otherwives, who won a battle of the bands contest for a main stage slot, had to be cut from the schedule.

Canadian punk rocker, Bif Naked, hit the stage at 6pm. They performed a variety of songs spanning their career, including Love Myself Today, Tango Shoes and my personal favorite Let Down. Bif joked around with the crowd about current events regarding aliens and UFOs as a lead into the 1998 song Spaceman.

Up next was Canadian punk/rock band Headstones. A band that usually tours in the fall/winter, this was a rare summer show. A band that never disappoints, A band worth seeing, every time you get the chance. Singer Hugh Dillon, known for his disdain towards cellphones and cameras during his set, was in rare form this evening. He was all smiles and jokes in between songs like Losing Control, When Something Stands For Nothing, and the classic Tweeter and the Monkey Man. The personal highlight was their cover of Gordan Lightfoot’s The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

As the sun went down, Our Lady Peace took the stage. The Canadian rock band seemed to be the favorites of the evening. They started their set off with the classic Naveed, before playing the their tribute to Sinead O’Connor by covering her infamous song , Nothin’ Compares 2 U. The setlist that evening also included the song written about the effect Gord Downie {Tragically Hip} had on singer Raine Maida, Ballad of a Poet.

The music festival came to an end with the American rock band Live playing a near 90 minute set. The band currently only has one original member, singer Ed Kowalczyk, and touring musicians, guitarist Zak Loy, bassist Chris Heerlein and drummer Robin Diaz. They played hits like Hold Me Up, Freaks, I, Alone and ended the night with the infamous Lightning Crashes.

Below is a gallery of some of our favorite photos of the evening.