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GALLERY: WTFest Stephanie Depledge came from Waterloo to Brantford's WTFest in Lions Park on Saturday especially to hear Canadian alternative rock duo USS. Thousands of concert-goers turned out for the festival headlined by The Sheepdogs. Michelle Ruby /jpg, BR

Trish Dingman of Brantford and Leah Beaudoin of Guelph, diehard fans of alternative rock band USS, show off matching tattoos of a lyric from one of their songs on Saturday at WTFest and Lions Park. Michelle Ruby /jpg, BR

Jordan Miller, lead singer for Toronto all-girl band The Beaches gets their set underway on Saturday at WTFest in Lions Park. Michelle Ruby /jpg, BR

he Beaches guitarist Leandra Earl rocks on stage at WTFest on Saturday. The Toronto all-girl band was among the performers at the outdoor music festival in Lions Park. Michelle Ruby /jpg, BR

Ewan Currie, lead singer with headlining band The Sheepdogs, performs on Saturday at WTFest in Lions Park. Photo by Randy Gilbert /jpg, BR

A crowd of more than 6,000 gathered in Lions Park on Saturday for WTFest. Photo by Randy Gilbert /jpg, BR

Both the music and the weather were smokin’ hot on Saturday in Lions Park for the fourth edition of WTFest.

But more than 6,000 concert-goers didn’t seem to mind the 30-plus degree heat as they took in a full day of rock with performances by Bonds of Mara, Ascot Royals, The Beaches, USS and headliners The Sheepdogs.

The heat was actually a relief for festival organizer Jamie Stephens.

“The weather’s on our side,” Stephens said on Saturday afternoon as he dealt with food orders, band arrivals and myriad other organizational issues from a makeshift base at the Boys and Girls Club on Edge Street. “The forecast kept changing all week. Hot is better than thunderstorms.”

The park was rocking by mid-afternoon with a lineup of local performers on the secondary stage.

That’s part of the reason Stephanie Depledge of Waterloo made her second trip to the festival. She was also there in 2017.

“The local talent is amazing. They manage to get up-and-coming people that I learn about and get some new favourite songs.”

Depledge is also a diehard fan of Canadian alternative rock duo USS and has followed the band to at least eight other shows.

So devoted to USS are Trish Dingman of Brantford and friend Leah Beaudoin of Guelph, who were also enjoying their second WTFest, that they had a lyric from the band’s song N/A OK inked on their inside of their forearms.

Stephens, who presented this year’s festival with Lance and Mark Calbeck, Phil Gillies and M.J. Perry, said the event is a family affair, with relatives and friends volunteering to help.

Stephens said effort was made to keep the festival affordable to everyone, with ticket prices lowered to $28.

“We joke that to come to WTFest is less than what it costs to park in Toronto.”

Nathan Lancaster, president of Lanca Contracting Ltd., a sponsor of the festival, brought 30 employees to the show.

“It’s great to have a live music festival in Brantford,” said Lancaster. “I think The Sheepdogs are going to blow it out.”

Formed in Saskatoon in 2006, The Sheepdogs became the first unsigned band to make the cover of Rolling Stone in 2011 and have a strong following in Canada and the United States with hits including I Don’t Know, The Way It Is, Feeling Good, and I’ve Got a Hole Where My Heart Should Be.

Stephens said he’d been trying to book the band for Branford for a couple of years.

The reception was enthusiastic for Toronto alternative all-girl group The Beaches. Elton John says he loves them and the young band opened earlier this summer on the only Canadian stop on the Rolling Stones’ No Filter Tour.

They rocked WTFest with a set that included their swaggering hit single T-Shirt.

Brian Byrne of newly-formed Canadian supergroup Bonds of Mara said he likes WTFest so much he contacted Stephens to arrange for the band to play. It was just the third gig for the group which consists of current and former members of I Mother Earth, Finger Eleven, and Default.

“I really love the way this festival is run,” said Byrne after the band’s set. “It’s so well organized.”

Byrne, who has performed at WTFest with I Mother Earth, said Bonds of Mara came together quickly earlier this year and booked a few shows this summer to have “a bit of fun.”

“We’re planning to grow bigger next year and we’d come back here in a heartbeat.”

Stephens is already planning for next year’s festival. He said a last-minute decision to hold a free outdoor video dance party in Lions Park on Friday night was a huge success with more than 500 people showing up.

Next year, he wants to make the dance party the biggest event of its kind.

2020 will mark the fifth year for WTFest, a milestone Stephens said music festivals need to hit to “get grounded and taken seriously.”

“It takes time to win people over.”