“Local, live and lit” is how producer, performer and MU alum Steddy P describes the hip-hop musical event Indy Fest. The music festival brings artists to Rose Music Hall for a multimedia experience on Sept. 31-Oct. 1. But Indy Fest isn’t looking to shake up just the music scene. For the first time, comedians, visual art galleries and live recording sessions all appear on Indy Fest’s marquee. 

In previous years, Indy Fest has been held in Kansas City, but Steddy P is excited to move the festival back to Columbia, where its associated label, IndyGround, first got its start. 

“We wanted to do something concrete here … cement ourselves [and] our legacy at home,” Steddy P said. 

Over half of Indy Fest’s artists hail from Columbia, many of whom are former MU students — like comedian Lisa Pockets.

Pockets has been making audiences laugh through her anecdotal sets at local venues for nearly a decade, and she is excited to see how the festival transforms Columbia’s artistic community. 

“If the organization is any indicator of how it’s going to go, I think it’s going to be really great,” Pockets said. 

Similar to Pockets, Indy Fest hip-hop headliner Van Ghost also cut his teeth in Columbia’s artistic scene. 

“I don’t like the idea of living in a world that doesn’t have an art community … but [Columbia] is just like having it in your backyard,” Van Ghost said. “Having Indy Fest in Columbia…it’s like coming home.”

“It could be a thing that continues for years to come,” he said, lending optimism to the future of Columbia’s cultural community. 

Founder Steddy P agrees. Since its establishment in 2006, IndyGround has been an independent, Black-owned business striving to foster a community for up-and-coming hip-hop acts. Since then, IndyGround has produced over 30 studio albums and released nearly two decades worth of EPs, solidifying itself as an integral part of the regional underground hip-hop scene. 

“We [achieved our goal] in the mere notion of this fest,” Steddy P said. “Attempting to curate it in Columbia … showing everyone in the Midwest what Missouri has to offer.”

Missouri’s finest will be on display all day at Rose Music Hall, featuring Lisa Pockets at 5-7 p.m. and Van Ghost headlining the evening of Oct. 1. 

“We just can’t wait to bring everyone together … all day and all night,” Steddy P said. 

For more information on Indy Fest and to purchase tickets, visit rosemusichall.com. 

Edited by Lucy Valeski | lvaleski@themaneater.com