Music lovers who happen to be in the Rock Creek area Aug. 22 to 24 might want to plan a stop at the second annual Ponderosa Arts & Music Festival.
More than 25 artists from across Canada and the United States are also making a stop: Plants and Animals, The Funk Hunters, BRAIDS, Blouse, No Sinner, Good for Grapes, Ladyhawk and Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast.
Kris Hargrave, the festival’s co-founder, said the location is the ideal place to host a music festival.
“You have a picturesque festival site that is full of character and you have camping right on the river,” said Hargrave.
“It is a beautiful place. We picture Ponderosa as a breath of fresh air, a place where amazing artist, locals and beautiful B.C. countryside can come together to celebrate music and art.”
Darcy Hancock, lead guitarist for rock band Ladyhawk said the he enjoys the fun and social aspect of performing at these types of festivals, and it’s also a way to attract new fans.
“For a lot of us bands that tour cities, it’s interesting to play off the beaten path every now and then, you know,” said Hancock. “We’ve played some huge ones and some small ones but it’s refreshing to play in these kind of settings. I enjoy it.”
Hancock added he likes the “give-and-take nature” of festivals, where a band can play its music and interact with the crowd.
“We just like to hang out and meet people and hopefully have a good back and forth, give-take with the audience and have a nice energetic experience because we’re a pretty energetic band,” he said.
Other band members are: Ryan Peters on drums, Duffy Dreidiger on guitar and lead vocals and bass player Sean Hawryluk.
Hancock got into music at age 12. He listened to artists such as New Order and other British pop bands that weren’t typical of others his age and he was hooked.
Music was also an escape for Hancock, who noted he didn’t fit in well with many of his peers.
“I knew that it (music) was all I wanted to do,” he said, adding he didn’t really see himself doing anything else.
The band recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a cross-Canada tour, and in the fall, Ladyhawk is joining the Canadian indie-rock band The Constantines on tour later this year.
Cost for the event is $125 and includes three nights of camping, parking and an all-access pass.
For tickets: www.ponderosafestival.com.