SappyFest is an annual independent arts and music festival held in
Sackville, New Brunswick
Sackville is a town in southeastern New Brunswick, Canada. It is home to Mount Allison University, a primarily undergraduate liberal arts university. Historically based on agriculture, shipbuilding, and manufacturing, the economy is now driven ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
. Started by Paul Henderson, Jon Claytor, and musician
Julie Doiron
Julie Doiron (born June 28, 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage. She has been the bass guitarist and co-vocalist for the Canadian indie rock band Eric's Trip since its formation in 1990. She has released ten solo albums, beg ...
as an extension of
Sappy Records
Sappy Records is an independent record label based in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, started by Julie Doiron in 1990 in order to release her own cassette.
The first 7" vinyl release was " Julie and the Porthole to Dimentia" in 1993, which f ...
, the festival launched 2006.
The festival is produced by
Sappy Records
Sappy Records is an independent record label based in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, started by Julie Doiron in 1990 in order to release her own cassette.
The first 7" vinyl release was " Julie and the Porthole to Dimentia" in 1993, which f ...
in partnership with OK.Quoi?! Contemporary Arts Festival, Struts Gallery, and the Faucet Media Arts Centre. SappyFest draws musicians and audience members alike from across the continent. Many Sackville residents volunteer their time to SappyFest, either by billeting visitors, working security, taking tickets, or taking on a slew of other tasks. Steven Lambke served as Creative Director of Sappyfest, from 2017 to 2021. Andrea Vincent is the current Creative Director of Sappyfest, succeeding Steve Lambke in February 2022.
By year
2007
Headliners included
Julie Doiron
Julie Doiron (born June 28, 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage. She has been the bass guitarist and co-vocalist for the Canadian indie rock band Eric's Trip since its formation in 1990. She has released ten solo albums, beg ...
,
Constantines
Constantines is an indie rock band from Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
History
Constantines was formed in 1999 by vocalist and guitarist Bryan Webb, drummer Doug MacGregor and guitarist Paul Bright, all of whom had played together in the emo band Sho ...
,
Chad VanGaalen
Chad VanGaalen (born 1977) is a Canadian musician and artist from Calgary, Alberta.
Career
''Infiniheart''
Following a few scattered independent releases, done mostly on homemade CDs with hand-drawn art, VanGaalen released '' Infiniheart'' (200 ...
SappyFest '08 occurred on Friday 1 August 2008 – Sunday 3 August 2008. Headliners included
Julie Doiron
Julie Doiron (born June 28, 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage. She has been the bass guitarist and co-vocalist for the Canadian indie rock band Eric's Trip since its formation in 1990. She has released ten solo albums, beg ...
,
Chad VanGaalen
Chad VanGaalen (born 1977) is a Canadian musician and artist from Calgary, Alberta.
Career
''Infiniheart''
Following a few scattered independent releases, done mostly on homemade CDs with hand-drawn art, VanGaalen released '' Infiniheart'' (200 ...
Miracle Fortress
Miracle Fortress is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band's studio work is primarily a solo, project of songwriter Graham Van Pelt, who is accompanied by the rest of the band during live shows.
Band history
Van Pelt, a ...
Wintersleep
Wintersleep is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2001.Heidi Ulrichsen"Wintersleep offers 'sneak peeks' of new album at Boreal" ''Sudbury Star'', June 30, 2014. The band's original lineup consisted of vocalist and g ...
,
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed ...
,
Timber Timbre
Timber Timbre is a Canadian music group, featuring Taylor Kirk. The moniker refers to an early series of recordings made in a timber-framed cabin set in the wooded outskirts of Bobcaygeon, Ontario.
History
Timber Timbre released two albums indep ...
,
Ohbijou
Ohbijou was a Canadian indie pop band that was based in Toronto, Ontario. The music of Ohbijou draws on pop, folk and bluegrass influences.
History
Ohbijou began as the solo project of Brantford singer-songwriter Casey Mecija.Sayej, Nadja. "Un ...
Old Man Luedecke
Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of two-time Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjo player Chris Luedecke of Chester, Nova Scotia. He is most noted as a two-time Juno Award winner for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year ...
.
2010
The festival took place from July 30 to August 1. Performers included
Attack in Black
Attack in Black was a Canadian indie rock band from Welland, Ontario, formed in 2003, whose music evolved from Hardcore punk to indie rock and folk rock.
History
Attack in Black began by playing hardcore punk shows and opening for bands such ...
,
The Sadies
The Sadies are a Canadian rock and roll / country and western band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Dallas Good, Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky. Dallas and Travis are the sons of Margaret and Bruce Good, and nephews of Bria ...
,
Chad VanGaalen
Chad VanGaalen (born 1977) is a Canadian musician and artist from Calgary, Alberta.
Career
''Infiniheart''
Following a few scattered independent releases, done mostly on homemade CDs with hand-drawn art, VanGaalen released '' Infiniheart'' (200 ...
Old Man Luedecke
Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of two-time Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjo player Chris Luedecke of Chester, Nova Scotia. He is most noted as a two-time Juno Award winner for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year ...
,
The Felice Brothers
The Felice Brothers are an American folk rock/country rock band from New York.Bumgardner, Ed, 8 November 2007'Music Notes: Felice Brothers are earthy, their music visceralRelish Now!''.
History
The Felice Brothers got their start as a band pl ...
,
Holy Fuck
Holy Fuck is a Canadian electronica band from Toronto. They were a part of Dependent Music, a music label and artist collective that began in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 2004 until its closing. They were then a part of the Young Turks label and in ...
, and
Gentleman Reg
Reg Vermue is a Canadian indie rock singer from Guelph, Ontario. Born in Trenton, Ontario, he has recorded music under the stage names Gentleman Reg and Regina Gently. His musical style has been compared to Elliott Smith, Aimee Mann, The Smiths ...
. On Sunday, Halifax band Sloan performed unannounced at the mainstage tent. The setlist included their album ''
Twice Removed
''Twice Removed'' is the second album by Canadian rock band Sloan, released on Geffen Records in 1994. The album took seven weeks and cost $120,000 to record. More melodic than their previous album, ''Smeared'', Geffen gave the record little p ...
'' in its entirety, a first for the band.
2011
The lineup for the Sappyfest in 2011 included
Rich Aucoin
Rich Aucoin is a Canadian musician, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. ...
Chad Vangaalen
Chad VanGaalen (born 1977) is a Canadian musician and artist from Calgary, Alberta.
Career
''Infiniheart''
Following a few scattered independent releases, done mostly on homemade CDs with hand-drawn art, VanGaalen released '' Infiniheart'' (200 ...
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core mem ...
, performing under the decoy name Shark Attack.
2012
Headliners included
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...
,
Fucked up
Fucked Up is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2001. The band consists of Damian Abraham (vocals), Mike Haliechuk (guitar, vocals), Josh Zucker (guitar), Sandy Miranda (bass), and Jonah Falco (drums, vocals). From ...
In 2013, the festival ran a conference on presenting small music festivals in rural contexts, called "Why Nowhere?". The music line-up that year included the Joel Plaskett Emergency,
Chad VanGaalen
Chad VanGaalen (born 1977) is a Canadian musician and artist from Calgary, Alberta.
Career
''Infiniheart''
Following a few scattered independent releases, done mostly on homemade CDs with hand-drawn art, VanGaalen released '' Infiniheart'' (200 ...
,
Shotgun Jimmie
Shotgun Jimmie is the stage name of Jim Kilpatrick, a Canadian singer-songwriter.
,
The Underachievers
The Underachievers are an American hip hop duo from Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2011, the duo is composed of rappers AKTHESAVIOR and Issa Gold. American record producer Flying Lotus signed the duo to his Brainfeeder record label ...
,
Colin Stetson
Colin Stetson (born March 3, 1975) is a Canadian-American saxophonist, multireedist, and composer based in Montreal. He is best known as a regular collaborator of the indie rock acts Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Bell Orchestre, and Ex Eye. In additio ...
Taking place on the first weekend of August, the 2014 lineup included
Ought
''Ought'' may refer to:
*One of the English modal verbs
*One of the names for the number 0 in English
* Ought (band), a Montreal post-punk band on the Canadian Constellation Records
See also
*Is–ought problem
*Categorical imperative
*Nought
...
,
Basia Bulat
Barbara Josephine Bulat (born April 13, 1984), known as Basia Bulat (), is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter. She is known for performing with an autoharp.
Early life and education
Bulat grew up in Etobicoke, Ontario where her mother was a mu ...
,
The Constantines
Constantines is an indie rock band from Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
History
Constantines was formed in 1999 by vocalist and guitarist Bryan Webb, drummer Doug MacGregor and guitarist Paul Bright, all of whom had played together in the emo band Sho ...
, as well as
Shotgun & Jaybird
Shotgun & Jaybird were a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2003 in Dawson City and based in Sackville, New Brunswick.
History
Shotgun & Jaybird formed in mid-2003 when Frederick Squire, formerly of The Janitors, travelled to the Yukon and wa ...
.
2015
SappyFest X was temporarily relocated to York Street due to a major reconstruction of its usual home on Bridge Street. Performers included
Angel Olsen
Angel Olsen (born Angelina Maria Carroll; January 22, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from St. Louis, Missouri who lives in Asheville, North Carolina.
To date, Olsen has released six studio albums: ''Half Way Home'' (2012), ...
Shotgun Jimmie
Shotgun Jimmie is the stage name of Jim Kilpatrick, a Canadian singer-songwriter.
, and
Jennifer Castle
Jennifer Castle is a Canadian singer-songwriter, based in Toronto, Ontario. Born in Toronto, she was raised in Mississauga and Orangeville,
2016
Returning to the familiar setting of Bridge Street, the 2016 lineup included
Cakes Da Killa
Rashard Bradshaw, better known as Cakes da Killa, is an American rap artist who fuses genres of hip hop, house, and electronic dance music. He came to prominence in the "queer explosion" of hip hop music stemming from New York in 2012 and is ...
Dilly Dally
Dilly Dally is a Canadian grunge and alternative rock band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
,
Nap Eyes
Nap Eyes is a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
,
Century Egg
Century eggs (), also known under a wide variety of names (see infobox), are a Chinese egg-based culinary dish made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks to s ...
Ought
''Ought'' may refer to:
*One of the English modal verbs
*One of the names for the number 0 in English
* Ought (band), a Montreal post-punk band on the Canadian Constellation Records
See also
*Is–ought problem
*Categorical imperative
*Nought
...
.
2017
The 2017 lineup included
Lido Pimienta
Lido Pimienta (born 1986) is a Colombian Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence after her 2016 album, '' La Papessa'', won the 2017 Polaris Music Prize.Weaves, Partner,
Daniel Romano
Daniel Tavis Romano (born 1985) is a Canadian musician, poet and visual artist based out of his hometown of Welland, Ontario. He is primarily known as a solo artist, though he is also a member of Attack in Black and has collaborated with Julie D ...
U.S. Girls
U.S. Girls is a Toronto-based experimental pop project formed in 2007, consisting solely of American musician and record producer Meghan Remy.
Jennifer Castle
Jennifer Castle is a Canadian singer-songwriter, based in Toronto, Ontario. Born in Toronto, she was raised in Mississauga and Orangeville,
,
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a Mississauga Nishnaabeg writer, musician, and academic from Canada.
She is the author of several books centering on Indigenous thought and practices in Canada and is known for her work with the 2012 Idle No Mor ...
,
Nap Eyes
Nap Eyes is a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
, and
Bonjay
Bonjay is a Canadian R&B musical group from Toronto, Ontario, consisting of vocalist Alanna Stuart and instrumentalist Ian Swain.livestream was held instead of in-person live performances. Titled "SappyFest: Near And Far", it was held on July 29 - Aug 1, 2020. The 2020 lineup included: Ariel Sharratt and Mathias Kom, Bart Vautour, Colleen Collins, Emma Healey, Egyptian Cotton Arkestra, Geordie Miller, Hélène Barbier, Jennah Barry, Jon Mckiel, Julie Doiron, Kate Miller, Kawama Kasutu, Klarkam Weinwurm, Kwento, Lavender Bruises, Laura Watson, Marilyn Lerch, Lido Pimienta, Patrick Allaby, Rachel Thornton, Rebecca Roher, Steven Lambke, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Sue Goyette, USSE, and Wares.
2021
SappyFest 16, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, scheduled a livestream performance titled "SappyFest: Infinite Variety", instead of in-person performances, and broadcast live from Struts Gallery, on July 30–31, 2021. The 2021 lineup included Amy Siegel, Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom, Erin Bardua, Black Dimes, Brandon Hicks, Brian Neilson, Bucky Buckler, Caged Animals, Century Egg, Chris Meaney, Cluttered, Elm & Ampersand, G.L.A.M. Bats, Marilyn Lerch & Geordie Miller, Izzy Francolini & Desdemona Shaw, Jerry Ropson, Jeska Grue, John Kilpatrick, Jon McKiel, Julie Doiron, Klarka Weinwurm, Laura Watson, Lucy Koshan, Marissa Sean Cruz, Olivia McNair, Phil Mercier, Rachel M Thornton, Rebecca Blankert, Sarah Wendt & Pascal Dufaux, Theo Crocker, Wandarian, Tori Weldon and Wolf Castle.
2022
SappyFest 17 is scheduled to take place during July 29–31, 2022. The festival is currently looking for submissions.
References
;Citations
*Weston, Greg. Times and Transcript. Early tourism numbers promising; Season shows early signs of growth as NBers stay close to home. (Moncton) Wed Jun 17, 2009. Page: A9