Supercrawl 2023 Call For Artists

 

Supercrawl is a free annual outdoor art and music festival held in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, showcasing a diverse and dynamic lineup of music, art, fashion, performance, talks, crafts, food and fun. In 2022, Supercrawl covered 20 city blocks and attracted more than 275,000 visitors over the course of the weekend. Organizers look forward to building upon that foundation at this fall’s festival — Supercrawl’s 15th anniversary — taking place September 8-10, 2023 on James Street North.

Calls for Entry for the next edition of  Supercrawl are now open:

Calls for Food Trucks and Tented Vendors will open in mid-March.

Follow our socials (Instagram, FacebookTwitter) or watch our website for more details!

Supercrawl was founded out of a desire to showcase the city’s cultural vibrancy and eclectic arts landscape, and remains dedicated to honouring, showcasing and celebrating all varieties of creative work. Supercrawl prioritizes curating a diverse and representative festival lineup. We recognize our responsibility to amplify voices that have traditionally been marginalized, both in our community and in society as a whole.

Supercrawl is committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. We strive to create an environment in which all participants may flourish. We are committed to removing systemic barriers to access and opportunity, and welcome artistic proposals from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or economic status. We welcome submissions from artists of all backgrounds,  including but not limited to Indigenous, Black, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, women, people with disabilities, and members of equity-seeking communities.

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Top: Lido Pimienta at Supercrawl 2022 

Supercrawl Presents Broken Social Scene March 17-19 at Bridgeworks

Photograph of members of Broken Social Scene grouped together, gazing into the early afternoon sun
Supercrawl Presents
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
You Forgot It In People 20th Anniversary Tour
Friday March 17, 2023 – with special guests Status/Non-Status – SOLD OUT! GET RESALE TICKETS
Saturday March 18, 2023 – with special guests OMBIIGIZI SOLD OUT! GET RESALE TICKETS
Sunday March 19, 2023 – with special guests Zoon –  GET TICKETS
Bridgeworks (200 Caroline St. N., Hamilton)
GA LIC/AA • $50 (+SC/HST) advance
At the dawn of the 21st century, just as the internet began infecting every aspect of our daily lives, Toronto musicians Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning began building a social network of their own. Like other such networks you’re familiar with, it quickly expanded to include friends, and friends of friends. It became a place where they could live out their best lives or fret about the fragile state of the world. And yes, occasionally, it became a forum for arguments and oversharing.
But this social network didn’t require you to stay glued to your smartphone to take part in it. Quite the opposite: Since debuting in 2001, Broken Social Scene have personified the unyielding, incomparable power of IRL human connection. It’s hard to know what to make of an ongoing experiment like Broken Social Scene.
Is it a band? Not quite. Bands tend to have defined memberships and aesthetics and goals; Broken Social Scene have never been bothered with such limitations. Is it a cult? Nah—some of them have the beards, but they could never agree on the right robes. Is it a collective? Certainly, it can seem that way when you see some 15 people crowding the stage, but BSS aren’t so much a united front as a perpetually mutating aggregate of competing creative energies. Once a two-person basement recording project, Broken Social Scene came to life onstage as a shadowy improvisational entity with a revolving-door roster, each concert a wholly unique experience dependent on the room, the weather, what they ate for dinner that night, and who was dropping in to play.
Where the band’s 2001 debut album, Feel Good Lost, presented BSS as an anonymous ambient project that reflected its humble, homespun origins, their electrifying live performances from that era rallied an extended family of performers with roots in post-rock (Justin Peroff, Do Make Say Think’s Charles Spearin), Latin jazz (Andrew Whiteman), art-folk (Feist), synth-pop (Amy Millan and Evan Cranley, also of Stars), dance-punk (Metric’s Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw), and country rock (Jason Collett). But by pursuing improvisational freedom over commercial considerations, Broken Social Scene set a new gold standard for indie rock in the 21st century with 2002’s You Forgot It In People, an album that pushed the genre far beyond its noisy ’90s slacker roots toward a more sonically expansive, emotionally expressive vision. And with follow-up releases like the blissfully chaotic Broken Social Scene (2005), the rapturous Forgiveness Rock Record (2010), and the intricate, insidiously melodic Hug of Thunder (2017), Broken Social Scene have amassed a thrillingly amorphous, unpredictable body of work.
Throughout their two-decade run, Broken Social Scene have achieved all the markers of modern indie success—rave reviews from Pitchfork, invites to play Coachella and Lollapalooza, multiple JUNO Awards and Letterman appearances, and name-drops in Lorde songs. And their victories have ultimately been Toronto’s, through the establishment of a record label (Arts & Crafts) and music festival (Field Trip) that became rallying points for the local scene and nurtured the next generation of indie upstarts. But arguably Broken Social Scene’s greatest accomplishment is their mere existence, as a conglomerate that continues to defy all logistical convention and musical expectations. They’re living proof that underdogs are most effective when travelling in a pack, that mass audiences can be led into uncharted waters through collective enthusiasm, and that the better world we all dream of begins with community.
In both sound and personnel, Broken Social Scene has changed a lot since their 2001 inception. But one thing has remained constant—at the end of every show, Kevin Drew bids the crowd adieu by telling everyone to “enjoy your lives.” More than just a simple farewell, those words are a call to action—to put down your goddamn phone, get outside, and be part of a social scene of your own.

Supercrawl Reveals Expanded 2022 Lineup

Supercrawl is proud to unveil the expanded lineup for the 2022 free festival weekend, taking place September 9-11, 2022 along James Street North in downtown Hamilton, Ontario and presented by sponsor TD Bank Group (TD).

Supercrawl returns to James Street North with a stellar lineup that includes musical performances from headliners Tim BakerThe Dirty Nil, Hamilton Superstars, Sarah Harmer, Lido Pimienta, and Charlotte Day Wilson, as well as Altameda, Tynomi Banks, The Barettas, Blind Mule, Breeze, Nuela Charles, Dearly Beloved, Ellevator, Espanola, Fame Cartel, Golden Feather, Sarah Good & The Bads, Hamilton Children’s ChoirHamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Brass Quintet, The Hidden Cameras, Cam Kahin, Shawnee Kish, LOONY, Loviet, Olivia Lunny, Eamon McGrath, Nezqwik, Northern Cree, OMBIIGIZI, Lydia Persaud, Lido Pimienta, Pleasure Craft, Queen Cee with GSSO and Duckai, Amanda Rheaume, Tallies, Julian Taylor, TRP.P, and JJ Wilde.

Supercrawl 2022 will also feature an interactive residency from Pittsburgh’s post-industrial art rock performance troupe Squonk, who will bring their touring production “Hand to Hand” to the festival for shows on September 10 and 11. This don’t-miss event, a rare international date, will be only the second time Squonk has staged “Hand to Hand” in Canada.

This year’s festival will also feature visual and performance art from Asli Alin, All Our Relations Collective, Mary Anne Barkhouse, Kiera Boult, Dawn Hackett Burns, Joseph Farrugia, Melissa General, Skawennati, and Brandon Vickerd.

Supercrawl 2022 will host fashion showcases from Ark Collective, Ashes, Domenication, Dope Chief, The Eye of Faith, Heart Collector, Kiki’s Closets, Leave Your Mark, M218, sariKNOTsari, Shedo, The Thrifty Designer, Tout Sweet Vintage, True Hamiltonian and more, in addition to the always sensational Sapphyre Poison Drag Extravaganza.

Festival-goers will also enjoy Theatre + Dance from Alegria Dance Company, Defining Movement Dance, David Hudson Dance Company, Monica Plant x Jungle Ling, Society for the Prevention of Spectacle, Tommy Taylor, and Eshe Yildiz, as well as a weekend-long Authors + Talks roster featuring Charlie Angus, Sifton Tracey Anipare, Michael Barclay, Gary Barwin, Ralph Benmergui, Nic Brewer, Sally Cooper, Terri Favro, Sydney Hegele, Lorraine Johnson, Jon-Erik Lappano, Eddie Lartey, Fareh Malik, Judith McCormack, Robert McGill, Sheila Murray, Aimee Reid, Jamie Tennant and other great readers, plus Friday-night local author signings with Gary Barwin, David Collier, Denise Davy, Jaclyn Desforges, Margaret Nowaczyk, Benjamin Robinson, Brent van Staalduinen and more.

Supercrawl will also offer dozens of food trucks, scores of craft vendors, plus a Family Zone packed with creative options for children and youth. Announcements on all three, as well as festival schedule and map, will follow in the days and weeks ahead.

Supercrawl is a free, not-for-profit outdoor music and arts festival that showcases the cultures, businesses and creative people in Hamilton’s downtown core. It is both an acclaimed tourist event with national profile and a celebration of the city’s creative vitality. On an annual and ongoing basis, Supercrawl provides opportunities to local artists and performers, showcasing them alongside their regional, national and international peers.

Supercrawl Productions, Sonic Unyon Records, Music Cities Events, and the City of Hamilton present the fourth global edition of the Music Cities Forum at Bridgeworks (200 Caroline St. N., Hamilton) on September 7 & 8, 2022. Featuring talks and presentations, live music and networking opportunities, the Forum will explore how the city’s growing and diverse music scene fits into the city’s plans for economic and social development. With Canada being the eighth largest music market in the world,  Ontario is a consistent leader in the national music industry, home to 44% of the nation’s music publishing and recording jobs. Hamilton’s local music scene is a growing, dynamic and eclectic mix of songwriters, musicians, producers, performers and live performances. The city is  increasingly known as a destination for music, and boasts a strong, collaborative and diverse music industry that offers a solid base for continued growth, collaboration and celebration. MCF speakers will include Ace Piva (Tour Manager, Addiction Recovery Coach and Mental Health Advocate), Adesegun Adeosum (CEO & Founder, Made Entertainment), Anders Kastrup Christensen (Head of Partners, Nus Nus & Distortion), Astrid Hepner (Founder & CEO, Hamilton Music Collective), Debbie Spence (Business Development Consultant, Creative Industries, City of Hamilton), Jonathan Bunce (Artistic & Executive Director, Wavelength Music), Lisa La Rocca (Director of Operations, Sonic Unyon Records), Matthew Peterson (Programs Manager, Transitmatters), Mike Tanner (Manager, Music Sector Development, City of Toronto), Sarah Falzon (Lawyer, Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland, LLP), and Tim Potocic (President & Owner, Sonic Unyon Records) among others. For more MCF information and event tickets, click here or visit  musiccitiesevents.com.

Supercrawl Lineups: A Dozen Years of Dazzling Music

ONE FESTIVAL. TWELVE SEASONS. HUNDREDS OF PERFORMERS

Since 2009, Supercrawl has hosted a vibrant range of compelling and contemporary musical talent. Whether through the signature on-street festival weekend, partnered presentations, club series, or ticketed events, Supercrawl consistently showcases the best of local live music alongside national and international artists.

Photograph of Sifu Amayo, lead singer of Antibalas, who performed at Supercrawl 2014

The kaleidoscopic roster of Supercrawl alumni runs into the hundreds and includes A Tribe Called Red, The Acorn, Jeremie Albino, Allegories, The Altobeelays, Alvvays, Matt Andersen & the Bona Fide, Antibalas, Arkells,Art Pop EnsembleAscot Royals, Astral Witch, Athanase, Rich Aucoin, AveragesAvrha, AysanabeeBackbiters, Bad Dates, Bad Waitress, Bahamas, Tim Baker, Adam BaldwinThe Bandicoots, James Barker BandBasement Revolver, Bathing,BB Guns,The Beaches, The Be Sharps, Beef Boys, Beelays, BegoniaBeliefs,Belle GameRidley Bent,The Beverleys, Big Fir, Big Wreck, Bile Sister,Bill and the Art Crawlers,Billy Moon,Billy Talent,Everett Bird,Rae Billing & Crybaby,Black Baron,Black Collar UnionBlack Rhino Riot,Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, Blandlord, Blunt Chunks,Bocce,

BonjayKate BoothmanBorn in the Eighties, Born Ruffians, Jessie BowerBowjia, BoyhoodCharles Bradley, Bravestation, Broken Social Scene, BrosThe Bros. Landreth, Brott Opera, Bruce Peninsula, Brusque Twins, Jennifer Budd, Buddah AbusahBasia Bulat, Katie Bulley, Thomas Cade, Cadence Weapon, Ben CaplanCaribou, Carmen on Tap, Carpenteers, Casper Skulls, Jennifer Castle, Catl, Caveboy, Century Palm, Change of Heart, Nuela Charles, Tanika Charles & the Wonderfuls, Evelyn Charlotte-Joe, Chastity, Chelsea Light Moving, Rita Chiarelli, Paul Chin, Choir! Choir! Choir!, Choose Up, Chore, Nicole Christian,City and the Sea, Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs, Laura Cole, Comet Control, Command Sisters, The Commissionaires, Cootes ParadiseCoszmos Quartette, Cowlick, Coy Haste,

William Crighton, Cross Dog, The Crowleys, Crrotting, Crystal Journey, Customaries, Aron D’Alesio, Danko JonesThe Danks, Dead Tired, Dear Rouge, Dearly Beloved, Death From Above 1979, Matthew de Zoete, Diamond Rings, The Dill, Dilly Dally. Dinner Belles, Dinosaur Bones, The Diodes, Dirty Frigs, The Dirty Nil, Discography DJs, Dizzy, Dizzy Spells, DJ Basco, DJ Ollie, DJ Spinn, Doldrums, Doobie Freaks, Don Vail, Doomsquad, Dr. Draw, Kevin Drew, Ducats, Dwayne Gretzky, Earth Wind and Choir, Eccodek, Dan EdmondsEgyptrixx, Eight and a Half, Electroluminescent, Elk, EllevatorElliott Brood, Joel Elliot and Thin Lines, Ellis, John Ellison, The Elwins, Emay, Engine Empire, Eschaton, Essen, Etiquette, Julie Fader, Fake Palms, Family of ThingsFast Romantics,

Fateh, Michael Feuerstack, Jeremy Fisher, Jeremy Fisher Junior, Five Alarm Funk, Flesh RagNorman Foote, Four Tet, Pete Fowler, The Franklin Electric, Fresh Snow, Danielle Fricke, Friendly Rich, Frog Eyes, Fruiti, Fry Truck, F—-d Up, The Fuddles, Evangeline Gentle, Hannah Georgas, The GertrudesGet Off the CopTim Gibbons, The Goddamn Goddamns, Golden Feather, Good Luck Shop, Sarah Good, Great Lake Swimmers, The Great Machine, Jacques Greene, Jeremy Greenspan, JG Ballad, Grey Lands, Greys, Grey\\Water, Groove MachineGUH, Guilty Pleasure, Hachey the Mouthpeace, Jordan Haller, The Halluci Nation, Hamilton Children Choir, Hamilton Conservatory for the ArtsHamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Hamilton Suzuki School of Music, Hamilton Youth Steel Orchestra

Handsome Sultan, Haolin Munk, Harlan Pepper, The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer, HarrisonHarrow FairRon Hawkins and The Do Good Assassins, Hayden, Piper Hayes, HEALTH, The Heartbroken, Hello HarvardMatt Henderson, The Darcy Hepner Jazz Orchestra, Tim Hicks, The Hidden Cameras, Rebekah Higgs, High Kites, High Note Ramblers, Lacey Hill, Hollerado, Matt Holubowski, Holy Data, Hotel Mira, How to Dress Well, HSY, Humans, Huren, Ikonica, Illitry, Iskwé, Island PeopleJambassadors, Jamie xx, Jaunt, Jess and Tay, BA Johnston, Jon and Roy, Julianna Jones, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Julie & the Wrong GuysJunior Boys, K’naan, Harrison KennedyThe Kents, Shawn Kerr, Kestrels, kid YEARS, Kiesza, The Killjoys

King ParkKingdom Shore, Taylor Knox, Kode9, Komodo, Kotek, Chantal Kreviazuk, KROYL-Spex, Joey Landreth, Language Arts, Daniel Lanois, Jessy Lanza, Lava Dolls, Bettye LaVette, Ada Lea, Alyssa LeClair, Lee Harvey Osmond, The Legendary Turnstylez, Hamilton Leithauser, Hubert Lenoir, Les Trois Accords, Letters to Lions, Terra Lightfoot, Lightmares, LightsLindy, Little Junior, Live How You Live, Lone RhuLonely Parade, Lost In The TreesDJ Donna Lovejoy, Lowell, Sarah Lowes, LTtheMonk, Luckystickz, Luna Li, Corb Lund, Catherine MacLellan, Dan Mangan, Shanika Maria, J Mascis, Mayor McCA, Eamon McGrath, McMaster Cybernetic Orchestra, Ryan McNallyThe Marble Index, Melissa Marchese, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, Matt Mays, Mean Old Hammer, The Medicine Hat, MegativeMelted Faces, METZ

Mexican Slang, Haviah MightyMississippi BendsModern SpaceAriane Moffatt, Mokomakai, Monowhales, Monster Truck, Jacob Moon, Moon King, Motel Raphaël, Motëm, Mother Leads, Mother Tareka & the Rebel Funktion, Mount FarewellMountain of Wolves, Muffled Suitcase, Benjamin Muñoz, My Brightest DiamondMystery Machine, Nailbiter, The National, The National Academy Orchestra of Canada, Nautiluss, nêhiyawak, Angela Nethersole, Sarah Neufeld, New Hands, Willie NileNot Of,Nyssa, Jesse O’Brien, Chris Oday, Odonis Odonis, Of Gentlemen & Cowards,​ ​​Oh Susanna, Ohbijou, Ohmme, Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, Opera Hamilton, Operators, Lindi Ortega, Osito, The Pack AD, Paley & Francis, Owen Pallett, Pandaléon, Peter Pankhurst, Gabrielle Papillon, Brant Parker, Partner,

Passion Pit, Fred Penner, Paula Perri, Sandro Perri, PersonsPet Sun, Petra Glynt, Pick A Piper, Pineapple GirlsThe PistolettesPlants and Animals, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Poesy, Poor Nameless BoyNeeraj Prem, Kelly PrescottPS I Love You, Pucumber Sasssquatch Family Band, Pumps, Rah Rah, Rarity, ReaderThe Reason, The Recklaws, The Redhill ValleysLee Reed, Repartee, The Rest, Rexford Drive, Amanda Rheaume, Rhythm Express, River Tiber, Sam Roberts Band, Ben Rogers, Neena Rose, Shealagh RoseSean Rowe, Royal Canoe, Royal SeasRules,Run Maggie Run, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Serena Ryder, The Sadies, Said the Whale, Buffy Sainte-Marie, John K. Samson, Sandman Viper Command, Scattered Clouds,

Scratcha DVA,Sensei, Several Futures, Sha Bang Bang, Shad, ShadeSharon and Bram, Andy ShaufAnnie Shaw, The SheepdogsNaomi Shelton and The Gospel Queens, Shout Out Out Out,SIANspheric, Simon and The Alexanders, Mike Simonetti, Simply Saucer, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Single Mothers,SINS, SkiffsSkirt Check, Alfie SmithC.A Smith, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Snowblink, So Young,Ben Somer, The Sorority, John Southworth, Speedy Ortiz, Spoon, Spruce Invaders,Ginger St. James, Alex St. KittsStarsThe Strangers, The Stinkbugs, Steve Strongman,The Strumbellas, The Sugarman 3, Sun K, Suuns, Tomi Swick, Tanya Tagaq, Rory Taillon, Theo Tams, Tarantula X,Teenage Head, Ian ThomasThought Beneath Film, 3:1Timber Timbre, Michelle TitianTo Our Divide,

Tongue Fu, The Trews, Trickbagttwwrrss, TUNS, Turkey Rhubarb, TurnstylezTV Freaks, Jeff TweedyTwin Within, Vallens, Heather Valley, The Vanishers, The Vaudevillian, Menno Versteeg, Vierance, Viet Cong, Voodoo Glow SkullsWalrus, Ruby Waters, Willie Watson, Wax Mannequin, Weaves, Bry Webb, Sam Weber, Weekend Riot Club, White Cowbell Oklahoma, White Crowleys, Whitehorse, Wild Domestic, Steven WilsonThompson Wilson, Wintersleep, Wish, Witherow & Wynands, Womb, Wooly Mantis, ​Donovan Woods, Hawksley Workman, Max WrayWTCHS, X Ambassadors, Yamantaka//Sonic Titan, Lori Yates & the Drugstore Cowboys, Yo La Tengo, Young Galaxy, Young Rival, Yukon Blonde, Zeus, The Zilis, The Zolas, ZONES and Zoon.

The list will grow even longer with the reveal of Supercrawl’s 2023 musical lineup in summer 2023.

 

Video shot on location at Supercrawl 2019 by Thrillhouse Studios

TOP TO BOTTOM: Antibalas at Supercrawl 2014;  Arkells at Supercrawl 2014;  Broken Social Scene at Supercrawl 2018; Fateh at Supercrawl 2019; iskwé at Supercrawl 2018; Sharon Jones at Supercrawl 2015; Buffy Sainte-Marie at Supercrawl 2019; The Sorority at Supercrawl 2019; Spoon at Supercrawl 2014;  Tanya Tagaq at Supercrawl 2017; Yo La Tengo at Supercrawl 2013

Supercrawl Insiders