September 2022

The Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival returned on July 15-17 for a fourth year to the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, with three days of music for a sold out crowd. Inkcarceration is a relatively new event. The fes- tival began in 2018, following on the heels of the Ink In The Clink festival that had run for three years prior in a similar theme. When I first at- tended in 2019, and there was one main stage and a smaller side stage. Last year, the festival partnered with a major festival promoter, Dan- ny Wimmer Presents, and the festival expanded dramatically, attracting 75,000 fans in 2021. In 2022, there were more than fifty bands playing at the event, including headliners KORN, Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence, and Disturbed. There are many things that make Inkcarcera- tion different from other music festivals. To Be- gin with the most obvious, the event is held on the grounds of the Ohio State Reformatory, an historic prison that opened in 1896 and was in use until 1990. It is an incredible building and a jaw-dropping background for the festival. In re- cent years, a restoration project has been under- taken and the facility offers tours to visitors. All attendees of the festival could go on a self-guid- ed tour of the prison for free during the week- end. You don’t get that at Bonnaroo. And if that is not enough, Inkcarceration also featured “a special engagement of Escape From Blood Pris- on Haunted House, the only haunted hellscape in a real prison, and a yearly Halloween event held at the former prison.” Given the purported paranormal history of the Reformatory, a haunt- ed house fits in perfectly. Another huge feature of Inkcarceration is right in the name – it is a tattoo festival as well. More than sixty tattoo artists displayed their work and offered tattoo appointments to attendees in halls set up toward the rear of the prison. Even though I focused on the music while I was there, I did see a lot of fresh ink wandering the grounds so clearly the tattoo aspect of the fest is a big draw. Speaking of music, the venue’s set up was well thought-out, with side-by-side main stages that allowed for quick changeovers and very little lag between sets. A smaller third stage was set up around the bend and operated on its on sched- ule, running from just before noon to around four o’clock every day. In addition, another sep- arate stage was set up for festival campers and showcased additional band performances in- cluding Paul Bartolome, City Of The Weak, and others. A long sloping hill lay out before the mainstages giving fans a good perspective on the live per- formances. Large viewing screens made it easi- er to see for those positioned farthest away. The VIP section was off stage right and included an enclosed, cooled tent and, even better, a raised observation platform that was covered to shield concertgoers from the sun and rain. There was also a shade tent set up outside the VIP section, and water refill stations on the grounds provid- ing free water to fend off the July heat. Actually, speaking of the heat, it really wasn’t that hot – mid eighties on the first day, cloudy on the sec- ond, and soggy on the third. It has become standard practice at large festi- vals to offer a wide variety of food and beverage choices. Inkcarceration excelled on this point. The food stands were further complemented by food trucks over by the third stage. If you couldn’t find something you liked at the festival then you were one picky eater, indeed. The festival was a three-day event, which I think is the perfect length. Last year, adding a fourth day was common to make up for the missed pre- vious year during the height of the pandemic Review of Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival 2022 Review by Wayne Edwards | P. 18-31 photos by Steve Thrasher 16