Ink Fest 2019 Highlights
Most Fun Performance: Fozzy
If ever a band were to give you the “Wow, I need to be around live music forever,” that band would definitely be Fozzy. Despite not knowing anything about the band before their set, their high energy and ability to get the crowd hype had me enthralled. The band was certainly excited to be there, and that energy easily carried over into the crowd.
Best Cover Song: From Ashes To New
From Ashes to New is a band that has often drawn comparisons to Linkin Park, and for good reasons. During the band’s set, the frontman shared how LP’s unique sound is what broadened his musical interest from rap into the world of rock, and thus opened the door for FATN to be born. The band then launched into a cover of Linkin Park’s “In The End,” which has everyone in the crowd singing along. Check out the video below for a video of the performance from one of the band’s recent shows:
You may be gone, but you will always live on through all of us pic.twitter.com/W6VKJW2mLv
— FATN (@FromAshestoNew) July 20, 2019
Best Banter: Taking Back Sunday
Full admission, Taking Back Sunday is already one of my favorite bands, and so I’m well-familiar with their usual habit of banter and cracking age-related jokes throughout their set. This time, however, they stepped up their game even more. Frontman Adam Lazarra’s witty remarks and ability to engage with the crowd helped win over a crowd who wasn’t really sure what to make of this (dare I say?) emo band that happened to be on before Shinedown.
Most Enthusiastic Crowdsurfers: Issues
While crowdsurfing was commonplace the entire weekend, no band had as many or as enthusiastic crowdsurfers as the band Issues had during their Sunday afternoon set. The band has always had a unique sound, having previously shared the stage with the likes of Motionless In White, All Time Low, and Don Broco, and it’s been great seeing the band gain more and more acknowledgement. Issues closed out their set with their song “Mad At Myself,” which had huge amounts of the crowd singing along and the most crowdsurfers the main stage had seen all weekend.
Best Hair: Awake At Last
Managing hair in the hot, humid weather is no easy feat, and yet Awake At Last still managed to keep it looking good. Jokes aside, this Dover, DE-based band rocked the main stage hard. Their set consisted of mostly songs from their debut album The Change, and they easily grabbed the attention of those in attendance Friday evening.
Coolest Non-Music Attraction: Ohio State Reformatory Tour
Obviously, I couldn’t write an article about Inkcarceration Fest without mentioning the Ohio State Reformatory. The backdrop to the festival and filming location of the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption, the OSR is open and available to tour. Visitors can view many sections of the prison, including cell blocks, solitary, the warden’s quarters, the chapel, hospital, and more. From some of the windows, the newer prison next door was visible, which really put into perspective that the building was a prison where people were held for nearly a 100 years, and not just a movie set.
