Hamilton’s music scene: What is and what could be
Music writer Dylan Hudecki asked Hamilton’s music insiders for their opinions about how to keep the local music scene thriving and reinventing itself. Think of it as a suggestion box to turn up the volume on Hamilton.
Hamilton’s music scene continues to thrive as one of Canada’s most active and community-driven creative hubs. Built on a legacy of hardworking, independent artists, the city has long turned out musicians who make an impact far beyond the city limits. That mix of grit, experimentation, and collaboration still defines Hamilton today, where artists move easily between DIY basement shows, neighbourhood venues, and major stages. From arena-filling rock acts like Arkells and Junkhouse to genre-pushing innovators such as electronic singer-songwriter Jessy Lanza and industrial rock band cute, Hamilton musicians have a long history of blending blue-collar authenticity with adventurous creativity.
A big part of what keeps the scene alive is the ecosystem around it. Independent venues, record shops, rehearsal spaces, promoters, and community organizations all play a role in helping artists grow. On any given night you can find live music in bars, galleries, and small clubs across the city, often featuring lineups that blend emerging acts with established local names.
Events and festivals continue to amplify that energy. Every September, Supercrawl transforms James Street North into a massive celebration of music, art, and community, while Festival of Friends fills Gage Park with free concerts and thousands of attendees each summer, and that’s just highlighting a few.
Like many music communities, Hamilton has navigated challenges in recent years, from rising costs to shifting venue landscapes. But the city’s DIY spirit remains strong. New bands are forming, new promoters are taking risks, and new spaces are finding ways to host live music. In Hamilton, the scene isn’t just surviving, it’s constantly reinventing itself, ensuring the next wave of Hamilton music is already forming in basements, rehearsal spaces, and late-night bar stages across the city. In Hamilton, the music never really stops, it just finds a new room to play in.
So what could make it better? Every city needs to evolve and adapt and improve. I asked a wide range of industry professionals, musicians, photographers, DJs, and more, a couple of simple questions. Here’s what they said.
KRISTIN ARCHER, I Heart Hamilton/CFMU
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Are there any venues, organizations, artists or individuals you’d like to shout out for making a difference?
What I love most about Hamilton's local music scene is the strong sense of community. There are so many people in Hamilton creating and there is constantly new music to discover. I am continually impressed at the volume of artists and musicians. I love observing the evolution of emerging talent, as well as seeing the collaborations that happen and the supportive nature of our music scene.
I'm a big fan of the team ANDTHENYOUDIE – a multidisciplinary creative collective that releases music from various local artists like Paulo Leon and The Beans. They also operate the venue Andthenyou (the former Sous Bas space), offering an eclectic mix of DJ nights, live music, and local cultural events. This collective is composed of People of Colour, allies of POC, creatives, and artists who seek to share their lived experience through the power of art. Seeing a new generation of local creatives makes me really excited and hopeful for the future of Hamilton's music scene.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements that, if addressed, could help strengthen or elevate the scene? What would you change?
Since 2020, I am more conscious than ever about making shared indoor spaces accessible to everyone. I would love to see more initiative around cleaning indoor air, such as improved air ventilation and filtration in venues, offering respirator masks, education around why this is so important, and taking the necessary steps to make sure to clean the air we share. As a result, we can decrease the amount of airborne illness. Without our health, we won't have a thriving and long-standing music scene.
LISA La ROCCA, Sonic Unyon
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
I love that Hamilton’s music scene works together. I’ve seen venues support and cross promote each other’s programming, I’ve seen so many artists supporting and helping each other, and organizations working together to make things happen. Our HMAT (Hamilton Music Advisory Team) is so special to me for this very reason: it truly is a group of industry members working together towards a common goal. I also want to shout out to the folks at 905 Fest for all the great work they do for local music. Their motto is Community over Competition!
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
We have so many cool and amazing venues, and the financial equation of promoting concerts year round is definitely hard, but we know we need more mid-sized venues: somewhere between Bridgeworks (500 cap) and TD Coliseum. If you want to do a show for 1,000 to 2,000 people or more, we’re super limited on locations. I also think we can never have enough community support for our major festivals and events. Nationally, we’re seeing a decline in festivals and a lot of festivals having a really hard time making things work. We don’t want any of our great Hamilton institutions to cease to exist, so it’s important to do whatever you can, whether it’s volunteering, attending, sponsorship, sharing social media posts, etc!
STEREORUSS, CFMU
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
There's a Nigerian proverb that comes to mind: "A single tree cannot make a forest.” Nothing is more true about the Hamilton music scene and why I love it. We are all working on our own projects but fundamentally stand together and support one another. From the longtime pillars of the scene like Ben Rispin, Mark Furukawa (Dr. Disc), Tarek Funk, and groups like Golden Feather and The Redhill Valleys, there’s so much generosity with time, experience, and knowledge. It really sets the tone for all of us. Then you have artists actively making a name for themselves and raising the bar like AOIFE, Sean Bienhaus, Junestone, WTMSD, Bernadette Connors, Ariana Fig, James Favron, the list goes on. What I'm loving lately is seeing the next wave of musicians doing amazing things and getting younger folks excited about music. Artists like Superstar Crush, Fin Wall (The Commune), Jack Stearns-Ley (SMIT), Sabian Crosswell, and Public Health are blowing me away and taking the music scene to whole new levels. There's a great mix of new and old, different genres, styles, and personalities, all (to lean into the forest analogy) rooting for one another.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
A place is only as good as it sounds. When you walk down James Street during any of the monthly Art Crawls there's a real vibe. But any one who lives there knows on any other given night, it's ghostly (meet me at James and Robert on a Tuesday night). Energy begets energy. I'd like to see more effort from everyone (musicians, the City, businesses) to liven up the streets. Get creative, impromptu, and do things that stand out.
WAX MANNEQUIN, rock singer-songwriter
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
We have a lot of weird locations in our storied city and I like that I can find music in unexpected places, from garages and galleries to libraries and laundromats. The folks at Strangewaves really manifest what I think live music should be all about: shocking and transformational. I enjoy being transported out of my comfort zone. I enjoy waking up somewhere new.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
Like a lot of songwriters, I got my start at open mic nights. In the late ’90s, there was a really hot stage hosted by Martin Verrall and Rosemary Stehlik at the old La Luna. It didn’t matter if you were a straight-up folk songwriter or the freakiest sideshow trainwreck; you were welcome on that stage to hone your chops in front of a discerning crowd. The venue hosted a lot of rising, mid-level “alternative” artists at the time – Rufus Wainwright, Tegan and Sara, Hawksley Workman. The open mic felt like kind of an informal audition to support one of the bigger shows passing through. We need a place like that again.
CHRIS LOUNSBURY, luthier
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
Props to Lou Molinaro continuing to book shows at Corktown well past the heyday of This Ain't Hollywood. Thank you to Into The Abyss for adding their store to the roster of live venues. I appreciate The Bright Room and Ooey Gooey's for being welcoming to all audiences and new local acts.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
Things I would change, someone with the required experience please book shows at Academica Hall. Also, let's all normalize expecting show volume to not injure us. I don't wanna have to use earplugs any more than I want to wear shades to a film.
DON GLEESON, photographer, Hamilton Glowriders
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
The open mic scene, lots of talent and camaraderie. For venues, I think Ooey Gooey’s is doing a great service to the Hamilton music scene, bringing live music back to Hess Village and servicing the up-and-coming acts. For artists, there is a cohort of musicians that are young but have been doing it for a while that really inspire me; Superstar Crush, Bent Neck & the Joints, and Irresponsible Purchase come to mind.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
The lack of a single place to find out who's playing where. Back in the day, we had View magazine, and later in the early days of Facebook, every band and space was there. Now the information is spread virtually all over the place.
FINN OLSEN-BULMER, Karma Farm
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
One thing I love about the Hamilton scene is the genre diversity. At pretty much every show you go to, the bill is stacked with different genres and perspectives, which I think is exactly how people find new music they connect with. A group that embodies that kind of genre-less community attitude is Spiral 8. They're some of the best musicians I know, building a great community around themselves, and they're awesome to see live and play with.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
As more and more small local guitar shops, venues, and record stores close, it leaves a hole in the community that will never be filled by another L&M or Sunrise Records. I think the answer to keeping these places alive is simply for the municipal government to finally prioritize Hamilton's local businesses. A good first step would be more government-sponsored fundraisers, events, and ideally even subsidies for music shops and venues that have proven to be essential to Hamilton’s culture and history.
LEON ROBINSON, Eklipz
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
What I love about Hamilton’s music scene is that people aren’t waiting around for an infrastructure to develop; folks have always made a space and held events. As for shout outs I really like what Tune In Foundation has been doing with The Blueprint initiative. It has helped develop some incredible Hamilton talent.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
I’ve been out of the performance side of music for a bit and have just touched the stage again recently but I’ve been to local venues like Mills Hardware and Bridgeworks to watch shows and I think we have some great spaces to showcase live. I think something that might be cool is a local place where we could get CDs, cassettes, and vinyl pressed, as it seems these are making a little comeback amongst indie artists.
STEVE McKAY, Twin Within
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
I’m curious about this thing at Ringside. They’re making their space available in 2026 for artists to put on shows at no cost, which is cool (although that’s how all venues used to operate every night of the week). It’s amazing to me how a bunch of venues can dominate for a while and then go out of business. I’ve been thinking back to shows at the Raven and Homegrown, even Baltimore House, and thinking “that was a real moment.” Maybe a place like Ringside or the Blue Grotto will fill the void and become the main HQ for all of these artists who want to create community.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
The struggles are mostly to do with $$ and I’m kinda ticked off with the gentrification piece. The City of Hamilton has ridiculously high property taxes and they lean pretty heavily on commercial properties. Some buildings on Locke Street are $30,000 in property taxes alone. How can we have venues for musicians, when the taxes are $2,500/month before you even pay your lease or your mortgage? It means that the only solution is churches, who don’t pay taxes. I’ve obviously tried to work in that space and it’s cool, but not the same as This Ain’t Hollywood. You can’t get a church to host concerts four nights a week until midnight. So the struggles all tie back to the affordability crisis, I guess.
MIKE KEIRE, Threshold Recording Studio
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
Hamilton's art and music scene have gone through many waves over the years, and if one thing is true with Hamilton, it's that when there is a will there is going to be a way. As someone who came up in the city in the wake of Bob and Dan Lanois as well as Mark Howard’s and Dave Botril's influence and inspiration with Grant Avenue Studio, I have to say that what they did there made a huge influence on me. Knowing that these four music production and engineering legends came out of Hamilton showed me that really anything can happen here. They showed me that investing in Hamilton's culture was important because clearly, "something was in the water" and maybe I could do something with music, too. They truly forged an incredible path … and I challenge anyone to this: Show me another city this size that produces those kinds of heavy weights … I'll wait. And while I grew up in the shadow of that crew, I saw ’90s Hamilton act as an epicentre for all things cred and indie with Sonic Unyon and their extended family of bands and artists. It was a reminder that Hamilton can do cool things locally, nationally and also internationally. I didn't need to move to succeed, why would I? There's cool bands playing everywhere and down on Wilson street is a cool record shop, and in the back is the biggest indie distributor in the country and down the road a little more we had Ani Difranco and U2 recording. Today's Hamilton is in a strange time as we see large development happening and a downtown core being reshaped daily. I see many people making a difference in many ways, but two people that are very unsung and are due for praise are my landlords: Marko Simunovic and Colina Maxwell. So many people have invested in real estate and the arts scene over the last decade while declaring that "arts matter," only to change their tune when opportunity knocked. So it goes. Those two have not only continued to maintain their spaces for the arts but have also protected many people in the arts from exorbitant rent increases or worse, eviction. And if it wasn't for them I am not sure what the downtown arts community would look like. Their dedication and focus on community and culture has allowed many of us to follow our dreams and passions in increasingly difficult times for creatives.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
More support. That's it. Hamilton has its legacy of amazing artists, producers and creative businesses because the economy allowed for it. And I hope to see more people, City officials included, do what they can to protect the little creative crucibles needed for an arts scene to flourish. I would like to see it happen through everything from tax breaks to philanthropic gestures. Early artists and creatives need to be in subsidized or affordable environments while they grow. Previously, the nature of the city's working class roots provided that. Now, those in the arts are vulnerable and if we want to continue to see legends come out of this great city, well, we need to invest in them. I think that is a better idea than a bunch of condos with a Rexall and Subway on the street storefronts instead.
DAVID MacKINNON, Fembots/Drones Over Dufferin
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
I love that it’s big enough and diverse enough to be a real scene but also small enough to still feel like a community. I’m somewhat new to Hamilton and the community has been super welcoming. I’d like to give a big shout out and thank you to Stuart Berman for compiling the weekly show listings in his #hamontlive substack. As someone old enough to remember the alt-weekly concert listings, it just feels right. Also a big shout out to Dylan Hudecki for his unofficial role as the Hamilton music scene social convener.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
The loss of The Casbah and This Ain’t Hollywood has been a blow. There are lots of places presenting live music a few nights a week as an add-on to their regular business but losing a venue that features original music every night hits hard. For a scene to thrive it needs at least one stage that can act as a welcoming stop for touring bands as well as a clubhouse for the local scene or scenes. If you’re lucky, your city might have a few places like this, but one is enough to have a big impact.
LORETTA HALE, The Loretta Hale Big Band
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
Hamilton is home to some of the hardest-working musicians I’ve ever met — the level of talent in this city is truly unmatched. We’ve also been lucky to connect with incredible music lovers and supporters through The Hamilton Blues Lovers, Escarpment Blues Society, Ensemble! Cable14, CHCH, HMG, all of the festival/events/venue teams and the many wonderful people we meet at our shows and concerts around town. With so many fantastic venues here, it’s tough to choose favourites, but for original music I especially love The Westdale, The Gasworks, Bridgeworks, The Staircase Theatre, Friends of the Casbah venues, and Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
Overall, I think Hamilton has a great music scene with incredible small and large venues. For many people, the real challenge is simply knowing where to go and when to catch emerging and established artists. Fortunately, we do have some great online Hamilton publications that feature a calendar for all bands, including Only in Hamilton’s The Hammer, Hamilton Blues Lovers, The Vibe Hamilton, To Do Canada, HAMILTON CITY Magazine, and Tourism Hamilton. With so many places to promote shows, though, music lovers could really benefit from a more unified page that aggregates all shows happening in the city while still promoting each community and music collective. If made available to everyone, I believe this would benefit the community with an easy way to see what great new music is happening in Hamilton every single day!
LEE REED, hip-hop musician
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
I love that the Hamilton scene has always punched above its weight. We have a ton of top-tier music to celebrate. I’m proud to be a Hamilton musician. I will highlight, it’s been an exciting time for Hamilton hip-hop. Shout out to the young homies Smoothie Lou, Ktriggs, James Favron, Hoss Bowman, The Greenhouse Collective. Shout out to Canadian hip-hop veterans Cadence Weapon and Danny Miles that have made Hamilton their home. Shout out to my brother Tarek Funk, who’s been building with a full band again. And a big shout out to the OG’s Eklipz and Realistic, who have emerged from a long hiatus; Eklipz hitting us with a beast of an album at the end of 2025, Alignment Assignment (check it on Bandcamp).
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
Sadly, I think the biggest obstacle to a thriving music scene is outside our control: rent and cost of living. The scene was stronger 10, 20, 30 years ago because Hamiltonians, and specifically young Hamiltonians, could easily afford rent and food, leaving them some money leftover to go out and see shows. But, nowadays, folks are struggling to make ends meet. So $10 to $30 at the door, and $10 to $15 per beer has become a luxury for most young, working class people. This means: less people attending shows; venues closing, or having to download costs to artists to stay afloat; young working class people working extra jobs or extra hours, instead of making music; scenes slowly sliding to safer, more mainstream-sounding music, to cater to older tastes. I think anything that can make the scene more regularly affordable for young people would be a welcome boost. Maybe music event grants that catered to dozens of smaller-scale, smaller-venue events, throughout the whole year, instead of focusing all the money on large-scale, one-weekend music events, that are already sponsored by banks and realtors.
DEREK WEENING, Ray Whimsey/The Capitol Bar
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
I’ve always loved the DIY, local-pride aspect to the music scene here. All the little underground venues, songwriter nights, etc., happening in warehouses and framing shops. The Hamilton Rockers is also a very cool indicator of how everyone is on the same team. Tim Potocic must be commended for his efforts as well. He’s put in his time, and has become very successful as a result of his support for Hamilton’s music scene. Lou Molinaro is king though. That guy’s got a ROLODEX.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
Obviously, all the venue closures are a concern, and in particular the smaller ones. Not every act is ready to play Bridgeworks. When I moved here 10 years ago, there was an open mic almost every night. You could get an opening slot at This Ain't Hollywood. There was also Art Bar, Baltimore House, and Casbah. I think that if people invested a little time and money in creating spaces for live music, the community would support and thrive in a new room. The talent is here, it’s just caged in people’s basements right now.
MARK FURUKAWA, Dr. Disc
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
One of the things that sets Hamilton's music scene apart – and above – from others is the collaborative and supportive spirit that embodies it. Over the years, I have had a chance to promote numerous live music events, in conjunction with Dr. Disc, and the camaraderie shown by different bands and artists sharing the stage with one another at these events is unique and special. I think that speaks of the close, tight-knit, "we all rise" mentality that only a more intimate music scene like Hamilton's can foster. As far as crucial and transformative figures in Hamilton's music community I would like to personally recognize Astrid Hepner, founder and CEO of the non-profit Hamilton Music Collective charitable organization. The primary initiative spearheaded by Astrid and the HMC is called An Instrument for Every Child, the aim of which is to provide instruments and music lessons to grade school children free of charge. Over 9,000 children have participated in and benefitted from the AIFEC program, filling the void that music education has felt due to funding cutbacks. Not only are the many benefits of learning and playing an instrument at an early age scientifically documented, but this program also nurtures a love and knowledge of music for future generations of Hamilton music creators to come.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
One of the things that I think is lacking in Hamilton is an ongoing local governmental support for musical infrastructure. For example, City-supported outdoor live music concerts by local artists that formerly took place in various locations around the city in the summer seem to have waned in the last couple of years, and it is exactly these kinds of things that should always be supported. Live concerts by local music creators that are free to the public and in public spaces not only expose local music to an audience that may not otherwise be aware of it, they allow the artist to hone their craft, and also provides income directly to the band for performing live (as such opportunities are limited in Hamilton due to the dearth of live music venues). All of these things serve to encourage the artist to keep creating
and performing.
KOBI ANDREWS-CHINTOH, DJ/bartender
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
It’s kind of cool to be in my 30s while the city is going through all these changes. Having grown up in this scene, I find it strangely comforting to think that even though we’ve lost so many institutions, it just opens up so many more cool opportunities in DIY and multi-use spaces. It seems like the new wave is all nomadic tribes and guerrilla pop-ups.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
The old head in me still yearns for some consistent music spaces, but these days I've been getting that from DJ nights. Great spin sessions have been popping up at bars all over town: andthenyou, Capitol, Farside, Easy Tiger, and, of course, my Friday vinyl night at Mosaic. We’ve all gotta be the change we wanna see!
STEVE PITKEN, Modest Heights Mastering/Elliott Brood
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
I'm gonna give Stuart Berman the big props for elevating our local music listings with his #hamontlivemusic listings, delivered straight to my inbox faithfully every week! Every city should be blessed with such a simplified music listing service. Good on him for creating this for us. Stuart is a world-class music writer living right here in our city.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
I think it's become more challenging for local music shows to stand out vs stay-at-home entertainment (ahem, TVs and "devices"). Also when the upper-echelon of live music is pushing event pricing through the roof, it kind of creates the illusion that local live music is probably not worth supporting. I beg to differ. People find it hard to justify spending $25 to $50 on a local music ticket BUT, in reality, at 10 per cent the cost of a big spectacle show, that's actually extremely good value. You get to see the magic of incredible music being played live and close-up. That value is a selling point that could be driven home a lot more.
WAYNE PETTI, Cuff the Duke/Sonic Unyon
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
I love that there is an eclectic mix of live music to check out. Hamilton is known for being a “rock music” kind of city, but there is a wide variety of genres that can be heard across the city on any given night.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
At the end of the day, I think there’s a general societal shift in not being as interested in low-capacity shows. No one cares. Big event shows or festivals make people seem more inclined. By that I mean there are only so many ticketed shows people feel like going to. That and younger people need to take it over and do their thing. Maybe they are and we’re too old to know about it.
BECKY KATZ, Hamiltopia CFMU/Strangewaves
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
What I love most about Hamilton's local music scene is its unpretentious appetite and enthusiasm for weird, genre-bending, exciting music. Many a Hamiltonian music lover seem to be rather open to the idea of experiencing new music, which is absolutely crucial when risk-taking promoters dare to bring in artists who have never been heard of, or been here, before. I'd love to shout out Dallas from Strangewaves who has the biggest appetite of them all. He makes it his personal responsibility to put Hamilton on the map when it comes to destinations for obscure and electrifying touring acts. Similarly, Cem Zafir from Zula also breaks his back to bring wild artistry to our fine city for his Something Else! music festival and series. Likewise, young promoters Geneva (Trema) and Luther (Your.in) are hustling hard to invigorate the nightlife here. I also want to credit the few music spaces in the city that make it as financially accessible as possible to host shows, such as Into the Abyss, B-side, Bright room, Corktown, to name a few. I also need to tip my hat to those DIY-ers who are throwing their own shows at their houses, studios, or wherever they can — not to make any money (cause in all likelihood they’re barely breaking even), but rather for the love of the music, and bringing people together.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
There are many gaps and missing elements in our scene that could be addressed to make it more accessible and equitable. One major factor that could definitely help strengthen the Hamilton music scene is implementing a universal basic income so that people aren’t stretched so thin, affording Hamiltonians and visitors alike [the ability] to attend more shows, more often. Hamilton rental prices are at an all-time high, meanwhile most of our paycheques don’t reflect the rate of inflation. Times are tough and it’s getting tougher and tougher to budget a decreasing disposable income. The City of Hamilton ought to put more money into the arts if they want to keep claiming us as a “music city.” I do credit them for initiating some free programming here and there, but it would make for a stronger and more elevated scene if they pumped a lot more funding into organizations, artists, and individuals who can deliver concerts and festivals that are free to attend. Music is such a vital part of our health and wellbeing. It is monumentally therapeutic and healing, and it should be treated as such — the more music we experience, the more our city will thrive.
SARAH GOOD, Sarah Good and the Bads
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
I love that the music scene is resilient and that there is always some passionate person/persons ready to take up the mantle of keeping things going. DIY-type spaces like Awesome Mom stage and Into the Abyss record store are my favourites and along with venues like Farside and Doors, have been solid in supporting local acts for the love of the art rather than the profit. It's the people that make it truly special though, for instance if you see a show or show series being presented by Strangewaves or Something Else, you know you're in for some sort of top-tier, mind-altering, and inspiring experience.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
It may be that I'm a bit out of the loop these days but it feels like the scene is a bit scattered about. I think that lack of unity combined with how expensive everything is, makes it hard to build audiences and support each other. I have a weird, optimistic hope that with the growing amount of fake AI music and art, people will crave more real-life experiences, and connections, and come out to more in-person events where they can trust that their eyes are indeed seeing something real and authentic. Support live music! Support DIY! Ummm BYOB!
MARZIEH DARLING DONNELLY, Superstar Crush
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
I think the point of music is to create transformation in some capacity to encourage something that is higher than itself, and that feels like something the Hamilton scene does. Every piece of music, most shows, are strongly oriented towards the creation of community. A community that in itself is not only focused on a common interest (liking the same band), but one that stretches outwards into Hamilton city, and pursues social justice aims. So many bands use whatever platform they have to speak about social change, and we forget that art is truly the birthplace of ideas, throughout history music has played that role. There are so many people I want to shout out for their contribution, but one human that really comes to mind is Jack Stearns-Ley, member of Smit and an incredible solo artist. The way that Jack speaks about music, community, and the experiences of living in Hamilton is truly unmatched. To find such remarkable wisdom in someone so young is, quite frankly, ridiculous. He’s already moving so much, and I think he’ll continue to just blaze through the Hamilton music scene, uplifting everyone around him so watch out for Jack.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
No city can be perfect, no music scene can be perfect. I think there’s a lot of hidden misogyny in all music scenes, but growing up in Hamilton obviously it's something I see a little bit more. I’m incredibly privileged. I’m a white woman who faces no kind of racism. I’m cis and face no kind of transphobia and these points are so crucial to make. As a woman, I am about as privileged as you can get, but still there is pretty rampant sexism. Sexualization is rife in crowds, I’ve felt unsafe at so many shows. And there is also a degradation of sincerity, a kind of, “if you show nothing, if you act like you don’t really care” then that equals art, that feels very masculine. Showing sincerity, joy, kindness, these feel like quintessential parts of any major social or artistic movement that I think should be encouraged in Hamilton and not seen as lesser than. We need sincerity and radical expression, as cheesy as it may seem, or as “anti-avant garde” as it may seem to create a community that moves!
JEN “BETTY BOMB” MaGARREY, Famous and Betty
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
In my experience, Hamilton artists love and support one another. There's a true sense of community. We root for each other, show up at shows and truly care about one another. Our city is rich with so much talent. Options of shows to catch are plenty and I often find myself with too many options and not enough time! We don’t just play shows, we go to shows.
In your view, are there any gaps or missing elements? What would you change?
I think even more small venues would really help elevate the music scene.
BRANDON REID, Straight & Narrow Artist Management
What do you love most about Hamilton’s local music scene? Shout outs?
Hamilton’s music scene is vibrant. If your ears are open there is music everywhere. Porch performances, buskers, church concerts, small shows, big shows. Moving here from Philadelphia, I was pleased with what I found here. Most importantly, people give a shit. People like Steve McKay, Astrid Hepner, Tim Potocic, Fort Elgin, Brodie Schwendiman, our dear writer here Dylan Hudecki. These people don’t need to do what they do, dealing with the hassles of the public, municipal concerns, artists, etc. But they’re compelled to take action, and we’re all better off for their efforts. Lastly, while I was admittedly and silently skeptica l… the new TD Coliseum absolutely rocks. I’ve caught the Offspring with my 10-year-old son Victor, and I watched Nine Inch Nails from the front-of-house as my long-time colleague Jamie Pollock is their mixer.
