THUNDER BAY – Boom Boom Pow! Wake the Giant is turning up the volume for what organizers are calling the festival’s “biggest year yet” — with hip-hop stars the Black Eyed Peas headlining.
“This is easily the biggest headliner we've ever had. I mean, we have the Black Eyed Peas coming,” said Sean Spenrath, one of the festival organizers.
“They played the Super Bowl. They've won Grammys. They've had some of the biggest songs ever. They sold some of the most records ever. And now they're coming to Thunder Bay — which to me is insane.”
Spenrath still can’t wrap his head around the group behind hits like "Let's Get It Started" and "I Gotta Feeling" coming to the festival and called it a one-off.
“We were lucky to get them and we’re so excited to host them this year,” he said, crediting booking the band to pure luck.
The size and scope of the festival has expanded over the last six years and Spenrath noted Wake the Giant has earned a reputation for treating its artists well.
“I think they're excited when they come here. So we've been able to attract bigger and bigger artists every year, obviously culminating here with Black Eyed Peas,” he said.
Also taking the stage at Marina Park on Saturday are the Juno-nominated pop duo Prozzäk, Neon Dreams, Crystal Shawanda, The Poets, Wyatt C. Lewis, G Dubz and Walking Bear.
The music festival is part of a multi-day orientation to the city for students from northern communities who will be attending high school in Thunder Bay.
On Thursday, Sept. 4, students will take part in an Amazing Race style activity taking them around Thunder Bay to learn how to use the transit system. And on Friday, Sept. 5, Dennis Franklin Cromarty (DFC) High School will host the DFC Experience – a series of workshops for the students that include some of the musical artists set to perform in the festival to sessions hosted by Lakehead University athletic teams, the Sweet North Bakery and the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Spenrath the students are excited for the week’s events and have been helping setup the Marina Park festival grounds for Saturday.
Having the students help with the preparations makes them feel like they’re part of the community building the festival, he added.
About 80 per cent of the students attending DFC this year are from the 24 First Nation communities the school serves and some are as young as 13 years old.
“I think that’s the great part about Wake the Giant – is we’re trying to provide them those supports while they’re here and introduce them to the community of Thunder Bay so they feel a little bit more welcome when they get off that plane for the first time,” Spenrath said.
Organizers are expecting about 7,500 people to attend the festival on Saturday and tickets are still available.
“I encourage everyone to jump on that because it’s such a challenge to get a massive band like Black Eyed Peas, and we don't know when we'll ever see a band that big in Thunder Bay ever again,” Spenrath said. “So take advantage of the situation and come see probably the biggest show Thunder Bay's ever seen in the last 20 years.”
The gates open at 11 a.m. on Saturday with the entertainment starting at noon and continuing to about midnight.
Concert details and ticket info is available on the Wake The Giant music festival website.
