You read that right folks, over the weekend I attended and music and tattoo festival. Many tattoos were had, just not by me. But there was plenty of live music to make me feel like life is worth living again. Thankfully with some COVID mandates and me choosing to wear a mask all weekend, I felt like it was a relatively safe and very fun event! It was my first time attending, and thanks to some sheer luck, I ended up winning some VIP passes, so I got the whole dang experience! Let’s dive into what all went down!
First things first, it’s September in Ohio, which means the weather could be a crapshoot. Lucky for everyone at Inkcarceration, mother nature was on our side and not one drop of rain fell from the sky! That means it was hot, and strangely, very dusty. Who knew? Anyways, being a VIP ticket-holder made lots of amenities really nice, such as entering the festival with virtually no line! That means I got to experience the acts right away! The venue itself had three stages pretty well spaced apart that you’d shuffle back and forth between, plus there were a ton of food and merch vendors. Another VIP perk? Our own food and merch booths! Plus air conditioning…did I mention it was pretty hot this weekend? Even when I spent time away from VIP, I thought the layout of the festival was pretty nice given the space available and sheer amount of people there.
Another cool thing about Inkcarceration was that since it’s also a tattoo festival, that means people were getting tattoos all weekend long! Tons of different shops were set up inside the prison, so I walked through to see who all was there and what people were getting done. A part of me was tempted to do a walk-up tattoo on the last day, but I am a chicken at heart. Maybe someday! Aside from tattoos being given in the prison, there was also a self-guided tour available. You guys! This place was really freaking cool! And, in case you didn’t know, The Shawshank Redemption was filmed here back in the day. That made most things infinitely less creepy. Aside from looking at all the rooms and cells, there was also the tourist gift shop (my deepest regrets for not buying anything) and a room dedicated to the film! I would definitely like to go back another time to get a tour with the guided headphones because I’m sure I’d learn a lot more cool stuff about that place. Also, it would be nice to see the museum they had blocked off from the festival-goers (completely understandable).
Now, onto the real reason I was there – the music! While I didn’t necessarily think this lineup was as good as the one promised last year, there were still a lot of heavy hitters on the lineup. On Friday I was fond of headliner Slipknot and the hilariously inappropriate Steel Panther. Seriously, go see those guys when you can (and if you’ve got a good sense of humor). On Saturday, Bad Omens, Chevelle, and Vampires Everywhere had sets that really stood out to me. As far as the worst of the day goes, I’m not a Mudvayne fan, but even I could tell something was up. The final day of the festival had stand-out sets from Attila, Motionless in White, and the always insane Fever 333. At one point lead singer Jason Aldon ended up in only his boxer briefs on top of the sound booth in the middle of the crowd. They perhaps have one of the most fun live sets I’ve ever seen. His antics are different every time! Unfortunately, some bands didn’t make it, whether is was due to positive COVID cases in their camps, or transportation issues. Regardless, there was more than enough entertainment for the weekend!
Overall, for my second festival back, and my first three-day festival since early 2019, I’d say the weekend at Inkcarceration was a success! Sure, would I have liked to not wear a mask all weekend? Absolutely. But until things with the Delta variant get under control, I’m glad the protocols are in place to make gathering a little safer, and above all else, fun. I’ve got more music coming up in the next couple weeks so be on the lookout!