I can remember being a 16-year-old musician in the Owen Sound area. Between festival auditions, youth songwriter competitions and talent showcases; I got really used to hearing the word ‘no.’ Aside from the hit my pride took, what I was really longing for was connection – to see others like me doing their thing.
Lucky for me, there were a number of local grassroots music gatherings hosted by people my age that provided spaces for young musicians. Last year, I wrote a whole article about this, called The Lost Art of the Coffee House, lamenting the ‘good old days.’
In the article, I had come to the conclusion that there was a severe lack of accessibility to live music events for youth artists in Grey Bruce and Simcoe.
Turns out I was wrong.
When Olive Borowski was in grade nine, she saw an unmet need in her community. Inspired by the energy of the coffee houses she helped put on at her high school, events that created a sense of connection with her peers, she made it her mission to address this need.
Olive is one of the founders of Banditfest, a music festival based in Owen Sound, formed by a group of high school students, who, like a young me, wanted something more from their local scene. Olive tells me that, especially in a post-Covid word, her “generation struggled with social connection,” adding that digital communication had become the societal norm.
Determined to challenge said norm, Banditfest began as a one-day backyard concert, hosted in Owen Sound and supported by Francesa Dobbyn and United Way Grey Bruce. The purpose? To create a space where youth musicians could come together in-person to support each other while performing original music.
What ensued is indicative of the longing local youth musicians had for an event and organization like this. After the festival’s inaugural showcase, the momentum began to build. Their efforts were met with a resounding “yes please” from everyone who attended the backyard show, and Banditfest was born.
Operating on a yearly basis in Owen Sound, Banditfest has become a full-fledged youth-led music festival. With an onus on community connection, inclusivity and supportive real-life performance spaces, young bands and artists from around Ontario have embraced the festival’s infectious earnestness.
Sydney Pettit, one of the organizers, tells me about how important it is for them to see “a space where everyone can gather and communicate,” which is part of the fest’s mission: encouraging bands to collaborate with each other and to interact with other teens from different communities.
As I’m talking with organizers Sydney, Mya and Olive, I get the overwhelming sense that their priorities are aligned when it comes to why youth festivals and events like these matter. While the festival sells hundreds of ticket each year, what really matters to them is that they are creating accessible opportunities for young artists and fans to express themselves, to collaborate and gather, to gain exposure, to be fed creatively, and to leave the experience without losing any money.
These goals may feel obvious, but are often the kinds of human needs that festivals sometimes forgo when focussing on metrics, growth, promotability and business. It’s the importance Banditfest places on what really matters that creates the safe space for young people to develop their artistry and for future generations to be inspired.
Running Banditfest is no small feat, and all of the organizers agree that without the help of their volunteers and concert attendees, it’d be nearly impossible. Given the fact that the entire Banditfest team attends high school full-time, there is a lot of careful planning and running around required to manage things.
When I ask what makes it all worth it, Sydney mentions “the connections” and “the pride of pulling off the show” as key factors; Mya explains that the act of “seeing people interested in music and merch” from youth bands is inspiring. Olive recounts the feeling of “sitting on a kitchen floor, looking at reels” from the festival after months of hard work, seeing the fruits of her labour in effect, expanding that the sense of accomplishment and the facilitation of community is “powerful and impactful.”
Each year, Banditfest connects local bands with out-of-town youth acts who are seeking community in their own right. The organizers explain that they’ve seen both new music and friendships created as a result.
When I ask about some of the standout acts from the festival, the three mention Carrot Cake Milkshake, Sink (With Sincerity) and Meteor Heist – three bands working their way into the Ontario circuit. They also mention Max, a local Bandtifest attendee who emits the exact kind of spirit they look for in a festival-goer.
The level of effort involved in an undertaking like Banditfest is not lost on me. This is an organization that runs entirely on a passion for live music and the promotion of community-mindedness for young artists.
Whether they realize it or not, the self-titled ‘Bandits’ have created an invaluable experience for young artists and fans. One that not only adds to their stage time, but that develops a sense of self, that tells young people to keep going, and inspires future generations of performers and show organizers.
When we discuss the future of the festival, it’s clear that the organizers see Banditfest as the incubation of something larger. Not just an event, but an energy and a mentality that they hope to see carried on by future generations. They say that “however it looks, [they] want to see a space for youth music” in the community.
In my opinion, a festival and group of individuals like this shapes the fabric of our community in more ways than we can realize. Whether it looks like waving a venue fee, promoting the festival, volunteering your time and expertise, sponsoring their events or donating, Banditfest deserves our unwavering support.
Banditfest isn’t ego, it isn’t pride, it isn’t trying to sell you soap; it’s the development of an important new local youth culture. Banditfest is all heart.
Written by Marshall Veroni
