Featured Image: Harkness performing in the Barn Stage during day two of Gussapolooza 2026. Photo by Joe Taylor.

Aug. 22—Cookstown, ON. By Saturday morning, we’d settled into what’s become our regular Guss rhythm: getting 4 hours of sleep, downing multiple cups of coffee, and making our way over to our booth to setup for the day. Next was looking at all the competing stages, forgetting, and then remembering that there was no possible way to see everything (and trying to anyway). The day promised a crowded mix of folk, punk, drum n’ bass, alt-pop, and late-night barn sets, all under a forecast that became more threatening by the hour. Rain would eventually interrupt the schedule to test the campgrounds and our spirit—but the festival’s DIY ethos proved resilient.

Morning before the Storm

Three years in, and I’m starting to get used to this. The sleeping bag Jojo bought off someone on Facebook and the expert rigging of our tarps with the guidance of our tent neighbour (shout-out to Krista and her daughter Joplyn!) might have helped, though. Seriously—its not like I’m an expert in sleeping bags but this one was so comfy. Neither Jojo nor I are much for camping (Dana meanwhile, is a former camp counsellor). I like going outside on insanely long walks but that’s about it. I’d like a mattress, I’m not a Klingon, after all.

Jojo, the trooper that he is, slept in his car for the 2nd year in a row.

Getting started

Despite the Rebel Stage’s overnight hours, I still count it with the previous day. So we start the morning on Saturday around 8am, with things still dry. Unfortunately, the likelihood of rain was gradually ticking up to 80% throughout the day. Dana retrieved some coffees for the morning and we set up over at our booth, ready with our mics and cameras for the bands.

Lotsy, one of the 2026 festival’s performers, set up a booth next to us, which gave us a great opportunity to chat before her set Sunday. I think more bands should do this. People want to chat with bands and musicians, and sometimes the merch table isn’t the place for a chat. Plus, people like feeling like their part of the entourage. The only other example I can think of is Life of Exile, and they packed up before dark on Friday. That said, I get why, as a bunch of teenagers with their parents doing much of the management and admin, they might not want to stay the whole weekend.

Afternoon

The main stage roared to life with its performers half past noon. First of which was Ontario locals Cabin Fever, an alternative folk/roots and country band (not to be confused with NYC’s Cabin Fever). They were good, but their style didn’t appeal to my tastes, however judging by the crowd’s energy, I was in the minority.

Much more to my tastes were the Bassweb stage’s DJs–particularly Sun/King and Arachn1d, whom I first found back at the now-closed Bass Line Bar in 2023-24ish, and new find Rebelø. The former two brought some Dnb to the countryside, making the variety of electronic music heard up here at Gussapolooza more dynamic and varied than many Downtown Toronto clubs. I lost count of how many times I was drawn over to their section because I heard a track I recognised or a new remix I didn’t.

An unexpected highlight was Already Late’s punk hip hop j-rock set, which I heard going on the side stage. At first I thought it was just the distance, because I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard Japanese in rural Ontario. These three Americans (I say, as if I’m not also American 😬) remind me a bit of UK-based grime/punk duo Bob Vylan, but with a unique j-rock fusion.

Guss x Harkness: the perfect crossover?

Harkness was another standout later in the day—albeit one I was anticipating. His eccentric stage presence and genre-blending sound always make him feel completely singular. He’s absolutely justified introducing his sound as “Harkness-style music.” Like. Even in just how he talks.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the end of sound check.”

Most musicians tend to pretend they’re alone with the sound tech during the sound check. Not Harkness. I hadn’t even considered that music had a “fourth wall,” until Harkness broke it. One gets the vibe that the whole Harkness schtick is just cover for an alien who hasn’t quite mastered the nuances of being human. It just happens to also be an alt-pop sensation. Using words that technically make sense but make you wonder “why?”. For example:

“Last song. Not last call for alcohol, but the conclusion of our territory….”

I love his mixture of textures like synths and funk and jazzy horns and the aesthetic of the two guitars (one bass) mounted on mic stands.” I don’t love that it was during his set that the rain finally made good on it’s threat (although it certainly benefited his performance as people sought cover).

Before the end of his set, I went to go check on our things and tighten our tarps.

A stormy evening; disaster strikes

Then, during a 2nd downpour, I elected to stay as the booth was overall drier than the campsite. Thank goodness I did. Maybe an hour or so later, after dark, and of course only once I’d set up our projector for some light, I noticed the canopy at our booth bowing quite concerningly. With Dana and Jojo off doing their own thing, it was up to me to try and poke some of the water off the roof. Not wanting to get soaked, I tried small adjustments, poking it a little bit at a time and stopping before the excess water could splash anything. I think this may have been a mistake, as after 5 minutes, a strut supporting the opposite end of the corner I was working on snapped, catching me under the tent.

Though I was uninjured, getting out might have been dangerous, so my immense gratitude to Pet Rock Radio, Bad Club Media, and At the Scene Photography for rushing in to help me and save our things from getting soaked. Also, a big thank you to the folks at Sidehill Studios, who were there to make a documentary about Ontario indie music, for letting us keep our things under their canopy the rest of the weekend. Y’all were a pleasure to get to know, and I look forward to the premiere.

After coming down from that i listened to the rest of Propter Hawks’ set from the distance, needing to recuperate. Malorie Jo Blake’s voice is so distinctive and powerful, and it carried beautifully throughout the grounds.

Warming up at the Rebel Stage

Given the damp, I was especially looking forward to the 2nd night’s bonfire. While we waited for the DJs in the barn and the Rebel Stage to get going later that night, I still enjoyed Feral Minks, who took the stage a little after 11 p.m, delayed by 90 minutes given the lightning delays. (I also believe the Meringues played before them, instead of after) I loved the lead singer’s vocal range, and the bass lines had a really melodious quality.

I finished the day around like, 3am, trying to dry my shoes off in the heat of the campfire and listening to the jam on the Rebel Stage. The rain may have lessened the crowds on Saturday, but those who came out anyway got to experience a growing festival with more variety and diversity than ever before.

Want More Guss?

• Go read Day One if you haven’t already!
• Check out Jojo’s Top 10 Performers
• Read last year’s review…
• …or the year before’s?

Check out our photos of Day 2:

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