Cincinnati-based vinyl and cassette label Whited Sepulchre Records is hosting a multi-day music festival in Northside this weekend.
The inaugural WSR Fest offers an intentional lineup of local and national Whited Sepulchre artists.
The label, which was founded by Cincinnatian Ryan Hall in 2016, “is intentionally omnivorous,” according to Hall, but leans toward experimental, ambient, noise, electroacoustic and “indie rock that skews a bit left-of-center.” The label’s roster includes a lineup of Cincinnati artists, as well as national acts who define themselves as musicians, performative and multi-disciplinary artists and creators who use sound to engage, question and relate.
“I feel like the label has gotten a good deal of attention nationally and internationally, but I really wanted to celebrate and showcase some of the local artists that have put out really stunning records on Whited Sepulchre Records,” Hall says.
Things kick off on Sept. 1 at Urban Artifact with locals Fritz Pape, Andrew Elaban and Pete Fosco and Chicago’s Desert Liminal.
The fest continues on Sept. 3 and 4 at the Hexagon House in Northside. Saturday features Cincinnati’s own Brianna Kelly, followed by Allison Lorenzen from Denver and Midwife from Las Cruces, New Mexico. On Sunday, the lineup includes Indianapolis’ Airport People, followed by Lake Mary from Columbia, Missouri and Bailey Miller from Cincinnati.
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The fest coincides with the Sept. 2 release of Miller’s debut album Still Water on Whited Sepulchre.
“Bailey Miller is a Cincinnati-based artist whose slow, texturally rich songs have been really connecting with folks,” Hall says. “We will be celebrating her debut album, Still Water, as part of this fest. Joining her will be locals Brianna Kelly, who plays similar hushed and rich slowcore, along with modular synth wizard Fritz Pape and the duo of two venerable Cincy experimental artists Andrew Elaban and Pete Fosco.”
Hall describes the other acts in the fest, including Desert Liminal, which performs “wonderful, synth- and string-heavy indie rock” and Midwife, whose “‘Heaven Metal’ has really struck a chord with people.” Hall says Lorenzen’s synth-heavy album Tender won Denver-based publication Westword‘s “Best New Album” this year; Airport People’s Leon Johnson is a neoclassical artist and multi-instrumentalist whose music is “incredibly engaging;” and Lake Mary’s Chaz Prymek plays a “distinctive, John Fahey-style guitar.”
Bringing the three-day fest to two separate venues — Urban Artifact and Hexagon House — made sense for Hall. He says Urban Artifact, which is also sponsoring the fest, has created an inspiring acoustic space. In what he calls an “ideal partnership,” Whited Sepulchre will also be livestreaming the WSR Fest performances there and then releasing and distributing the recording through Urban Artifact’s/Radio Artifact’s platforms.
In terms of Hexagon House, Hall calls partnering with venue curator Liz Wolf — who also lives theres — “a dream.”
“When I thought of doing this festival, Liz Wolf’s space Hexagon House seemed an ideal location. She’s been hosting regular, socially distanced shows in her beautiful outdoor space since the pandemic. The setting couldn’t be more ideal for this and this aligned curatorially with what she has been doing with that space,” he says.
In addition to live performances, WSR Fest also includes a record and cassette fair, with hard-to-find items. Hall says participating labels include Sydney, Australia’s Oxtail Recordings, Los Angeles’ AKP Recordings, Seattle’s Debacle Records and more. There will also be an afterparty at Northside coffee shop flow on Sunday.
Overall, Hall hopes both fans of Whited Sepulchre artists — and those who aren’t so familiar with then — will attend the fest and be able to engage with the musicians and venues in a new way.
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“To have a bunch of people on a late summer/early fall evening experiencing and intentionally listening to beautiful music is truly one of the best things about being alive,” Hall says.
“I am hoping to be able to show folks who may otherwise may not see themselves going to an ‘experimental’ music festival that there is a whole side to this is rooted in melody and engaging textures and tones,” he continues. “Also, I hope that people can see that non-traditional venues foster a different kind of listening experience that centers the artist and music first and allows the audience to find new ways to engage with the sound and the environment around them.”
WSR Fest takes place Sept. 1 at Urban Artifact (1660 Blue Rock St., Northside) and Sept. 3 and 4 at Hexagon House (1590 Glen Armand Ave., Northside).
Tickets for the Urban Artifact show are $5-$10 on eventbrite.com. Tickets for the Hexagon House shows are $15 for one day and $35 for two days (includes a tote and $10 off the kick-off show at Urban Artifact). Tickets are available at eventbrite.com.
Get more info about Whited Sepulchre Records at whitedsepulchrerecords.com.
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This article appears in Aug 24 – Sep 6, 2022.