About the Artist
Fiddlestix: The Electric Fiddle Experience Since 2007, Fiddlestix has been setting stages on fire across Ontario and around the world. Hailing from Halton, Ontario, the band fuses Country, Folk and Rock with the raw power of a rock concert. Y108 Rocks Hamilton dubbed the sound "Fiddle-Rock," and it has been packing dance floors ever since. At the front is band leader Steve Bowen, a Yamaha-endorsed, multi-award-winning electric fiddler who also plays lead guitar. Nancy drives the band on acoustic and electric guitar. Matthew Bowker on bass and Scott Apted on drums hold down a rhythm section built for big outdoor stages. All four sing, and together they deliver a high-energy, all-ages show that keeps crowds locked in until the last note. Audiences agree. After their July 2025 show at the Fonthill Bandshell ended in a standing ovation, PelhamToday wrote, "Those strings were on fire at the Bandshell." The band was invited back the next year by popular demand. Haldimand Press called them "Ontario's premier fiddle rock band." The awards keep coming. In 2025 Fiddlestix won the Mississauga Arts Council's MARTY Award in the Music Group (Established) category. They also received Heritage Mississauga's Cultural Heritage Award and took Diamond, first place, for Best Local Musician or Band in the Oakville Readers' Choice Awards. Between 2023 and 2026 they also won 14 Platinum CommunityVotes awards across Milton, Oakville and Flamborough. Their stage history reads like a festival map of Canada. They played 36 sets over five days at the CNE in 2022 and headlined the CNE Country Stage. They have headlined the Streetsville Bread & Honey Festival year after year, played Canada's Largest Ribfest in Burlington, and headlined ribfests in Waterdown, Port Credit and Mississauga. They have opened for Big Sugar and Honeymoon Suite and played Hagersville Rocks. One career highlight is sharing the stage with Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip at the RBC Olympic Torch Arrival in Toronto. Beyond Canada, Fiddlestix has played Thailand's Phuket King's Cup Regatta twice, performed in Bangkok and Singapore, and toured Norway for 15 shows. Their originals reach radio audiences too. "Southern Skies" and "Apple Moonshine" both reached the Yangaroo Top CanCon top ten, and "Apple Moonshine" was added to CBC Country Music Radio. Fans also sing along to "Feels So Right," "Small Town Nights," "I Quit Drinking 'Til The Next Time" and "Get Up!", which CMAOntario featured as its Video of the Month. A new album is in the works and coming soon. Fiddlestix also shows up for the community. For years they have been the musical heart of the Hope Haven Therapeutic Riding Centre Hoedown in Markdale, and they support causes like the Bronte Winter Coat Drive. At a Fiddlestix show, the kids start dancing first, then parents and grandparents follow, and a park turns into one big dance floor. Fiddlestix isn't just a band. It's a high-voltage experience that brings generations together.
