Crossing Point returning for second year
Oshawa Ward 4 city councillor Derek Giberson founded the festival last year
Wooden Sky are the scheduled headliners for the second annual Crossing Point Festival in Oshawa. Show organizer and city councillor Derek Giberson calls them one of Canada’s great indy rock bands. (Photo courtesy of Wooden Sky)
By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express
Ward 4 city councillor Derek Giberson can’t hide his excitement as the Crossing Point Festival lineup has been announced.
The festival, which runs on Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27 at Memorial Park, was founded by Giberson, the front man of local band Professors of Funk.
It’s the second year the festival is taking place, and Giberson says the origin of the name is twofold.
“One is because we feature a diverse community of music,” says Giberson. “And the other thing is the term ‘Oshawa’ comes from an Ojibwe word which loosely translates to ‘crossing over point.’”
The Friday night opening concert will be about two hours according to Giberson. It will feature Tanika Charles and Julian Taylor as headliners.
The headliner the next night is an act Giberson believes is “one of the great Canadian indie rock bands,” Wooden Sky.
There will be a whole roster of other artists throughout the festival. Andrea Ramolo, Skye Wallace, Rory Taillon, Native Other, Cale Crowe, Wooly, Edith, Vs. the Borg, and Weapons will all be performing.
Chronicle Brewery of Bowmanville is offering up beverages, and there will be food on site.
“We’re just excited to be moving it forward into the second year, and continuing to see how we can grow and chase this, and see what works,” says Giberson.
Giberson and the Professors of Funk will be the backing band for the artists performing on the first night.
He explains diversity is a key part of their mandate, and they will have music ranging from folk to blues to rock.
Giberson struggles to decide which of the acts he is most excited for, noting he’s seen most of them perform before.
“I’ve never actually seen Wooden Sky perform live, I’m quite familiar with their music, but I’ve never been able to catch a live performance,” he explains. “So, that I’m really looking forward to because they have a really great live show.”
Gates open at 6 p.m. the first night, with music running from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The next day, gates open at 2:30 p.m., and music runs from 3:30 to 10 p.m.
There is also a $25 discount on the $45 weekend pass which has been extended right up until the festival.
Giberson says he hopes to make the festival more accessible than others with cheaper tickets.
For more information, visit the festival’s website at http://crossingpointfestival.ca/wp/