MANSFIELD — For one night, The Mothership became exactly what its name implied.
Bands unloaded gear beneath the smokey sun. Tattoo artists unpacked needles and ink. Vendors arranged displays as the venue transformed into a gathering place where rock, jam, heavy metal, tattoo culture and local artists shared the same space — not as separate attractions, but as pieces of the same community.
Presented through a partnership between Maverick, SPIN Magazine and The Mothership, Inked & Amped brought together artists from across Ohio and beyond, including Mansfield favorites Magnavox, Birds Cage and Under Substance alongside Kent’s Milk Bone, Nashville’s Wynton Existing, Shelby’s Diminished 5th, Detroit’s Electric Bug, Akron’s Inpatient and Nashville’s YearB4.
Photos: Zac Hiser and Jack Slemenda | More photos at the bottom of the story
The owner of The Mothership, Jeff Ulery, spent months preparing the venue for one of its biggest nights ever.
“We’ve had to put in new stage curtains, paint the entire walkway coming in, order new signage and put up new signs,” Ulery said. “Leading up to this show, it was making sure every detail was right — power washing the driveway, power washing every inch of the place.”
But while fresh paint and new curtains mattered, Ulery said they aren’t what define The Mothership.
“When we got the website, the domain that was available was mothership.love,” he said with a laugh. “That’s what it’s all about. If you don’t care about people and want to be a good person, then you’re in the wrong spot.”
That philosophy has quietly built The Mothership into one of north central Ohio’s most respected independent music venues, where national touring acts share bills with hometown bands and first-time performers.
That reputation is what drew SPIN Magazine to Mansfield.
“We got together with our friends at Maverick and wanted to throw a really cool event that felt local and authentic,” said Danny Klein, creative director for SPIN Magazine.
“We’re super excited to showcase rising artists that are a little bit more local and give them some love and visibility. From what I’ve heard, these people are incredible artists.”
Throughout the evening, those artists proved exactly why they were invited.
For Mansfield’s Magnavox’s, Thursday night felt like another milestone in a venue and music scene they’ve watched evolve for years.
The band’s sound has steadily shifted from its garage rock beginnings toward a more psychedelic direction as the lineup mushroomed, but frontman Nick Ulery said the biggest transformation may have happened around them.
“It’s grown so much,” Ulery said while looking over the crowd. “There have been so many ups and downs here, but I feel like we’re really on the up. It just keeps growing. I don’t think there’s ever been this many people here, so I think it’s all good and going well.”
Photos: Zac Hiser and Jack Slemenda | More photos at the bottom of the story
That sentiment wasn’t unique.
Bands from outside Mansfield repeatedly described The Mothership as something they don’t often find elsewhere.
Milk Bone, a Kent-based trio known for blending classic rock influences with modern heaviness, has played the venue several times. Vocalist Noah Gaffel said the atmosphere keeps bringing the band back to town.
“It’s such a unique place,” Gaffel said. “Especially as we’ve played here more, it’s such a specific thing that I feel like most smaller communities don’t have. They’ve really put a lot of work into it, and everybody’s always been so welcoming to us.
“It’s cool to see people want to support live music and creativity.”
Blending so many different styles of music takes a lot of layers, and it paid off as Milk Bone had one of the best performances of the night.
“I feel almost like the middle part of it, ’cause it does usually start with him [Noah], and he’ll bring something to the group and it kind of starts to organically happen, bassist Megan Fullerton said. “And then just sort of fill in in-between them.”
For Mansfield’s Under Substance, Inked & Amped also served as a glimpse into the band’s future.
Instead of releasing music in smaller batches, the group is preparing six new songs while experimenting with fresh ideas and expanding its sound.
“We normally put out three songs out at a time,” drummer Weston Terry said. “Then we were like, ‘Man, let’s do more,’ so now we’re working on six. It’s taking a little longer, but we’re bringing in more harmonies.”
Even with those changes, fans shouldn’t expect the band to abandon the aggression that helped establish its following.
“We’re not looking back on the screams,” Terry said. “They’re still there. There’s some really, really heavy stuff. We’re just channeling a different energy.”
“We’re working on music,” bassist Braydon Burgy jokingly said.
In a Richland Source exclusive, vocalist and guitarist Tyler Knipp announced during the interview that he and his fiancé are expecting their first child so congrats to them!
If Under Substance represented the future of the local scene, Bird’s Cage embodied its roots.
Frontman “Bird” has spent years playing Mansfield stages, and after stepping off Thursday’s stage, he was trying to encapsulate what made the night feel different.
“It just felt natural,” Bird said. “The whole scene, the whole vibe — I don’t even like using the word ‘vibe’ — but it’s special. Even if you’re not from here, you feel like you’re at home. That’s why it’s good.”
That feeling of belonging stretched well beyond Mansfield.
Whether bands drove in from Kent, Detroit or Nashville, nearly every musician interviewed described The Mothership less as another stop on a tour schedule and more as a place where artists immediately feel welcomed.
No one embraced the unpredictability of live performance more than Nashville’s Wynton Existing.
The band’s theatrical set mixed towering riffs, humor and controlled chaos, with frontman Wynton treating every performance like stepping into chaos.
“The stage is a battlefield,” he said. “Whatever the elements are, you make do with what you’ve got. If everything goes smooth, great. If it goes bad, great. This is my moment.”
That philosophy extends beyond performing.
“If I can’t find the words, I haven’t lived it yet,” he said. “Songwriting is one element, and musicianship is another. We like to do things that make us smile. If we’re not having fun, why are we trying to do a music career?”
Music wasn’t the only art form on display.
Tattoo artists worked throughout the festival while visitors browsed local vendors, talked with artists and watched fresh pieces come to life.
Representing Columbus-based Tattoo Kings, “Tattoo T” said his work has always been about building on inspiration instead of copying it.
“I created my style by taking inspiration from a bunch of different artists and making my own version,” he said. “I’m an artist outside of tattooing too, so that helps.”
When asked what tattoo he’d choose if everyone in the world had to get the same design, he answered without hesitation.
“A fine-line cat tattoo.”
One of the evening’s most emotional moments came not through music, but through a story of loss.
Kiara Duposki introduced attendees to Tie Dye 4 Tragedies, a non-profit organization she created after her brother, Alex, died in a Memorial Day weekend car crash earlier this year.
“I lost my brother Alex in a car accident on Memorial Day,” Duposki said. “He was the kind of person who would’ve given anybody the shirt off his back.”
Instead of retreating into grief, she chose action.
“I figured the best way to honor him would be to continue work in his honor that would impact people in the most positive way possible,” she said.
The non-profit aims to help families facing financial hardship after fatal car accidents and suicides. Though still in its infancy, with a website and branding under development, the mission drew heartfelt applause from the crowd gathered in front of the stage.
On the second floor balcony overlooking the venue, Akron-based band Inpatient broke down its style, talked about why this scene was influential and promised an amazing show inside to close out the night. That promise was kept in a perfect cap to the evening.
Amped & Inked showcased a music community that has spent years building itself from the ground up. It was a great reminder that independent music scenes don’t grow because someone decides they should.
They grow because people keep attending.
Ulery’s months of preparation helped make Thursday possible. The hundreds of artists, volunteers and fans who filled The Mothership gave it life.
