It wasn’t Woodstock, but for three days in Cookstown, Ontario, it sure felt like the spirit was alive again. Fields packed with dreamers, guitars slung in every direction, voices carrying across the late-summer air—Gussapolooza 2025 turned a patch of Ontario ground into something bigger than a festival: a living, breathing jam that pulsed with the same communal fire that lit up Bethel all those years ago.
This year’s lineup stretched across the indie spectrum. Bleeker and Grant Boyer brought the kind of seasoned swagger that had the crowd moving in waves, while Kasador filled the night with indie-rock electricity. Sets from Manic Boys and Girls Club, Harley Olivia, and Cudbear tapped straight into the festival’s DNA—gritty, real, and impossible not to move to. Elsewhere, Edi Callier draped the grounds in soulful roots, The Jailbirds kicked up hard-rock dust, and Feral Minks kept the swampy grooves rolling. Then came the softer counterpoints: Jade Hilton’s storytelling, Cmagic5’s pop-driven fire, and Yellow Magnolia’s harmony-soaked set. Dead Mechanics and Sharlee rounded it out with underground bite and sharp edges.
Beyond the stages, Gussapolooza carried the heartbeat of a community gathering. Food trucks sent smoke into the sky, kids painted murals beside art installations, and wellness tents gave space to breathe. When the official sets wound down, the after-hours chaos took over—bonfires, impromptu jams, strangers becoming bandmates in the glow of the night.
By the end, what lingered wasn’t just a memory of the bands or the setlists, but the proof that festivals don’t need stadium lights or million-dollar backdrops to matter. Like Woodstock, the magic came from the people who showed up, the musicians who bared their souls, and the way the air itself seemed to hum with possibility.
Watch for info on next year’s show…. www. gussapolooza.com