After Chicago’s show we bolted out of the city to make the 3 hour drive down here to Fort Wayne, IN as soon as we could. We had a day off and we all had plans to get tattoos done at our favorite/only tattoo shop, Grade A Tattoos. We came here last tour on the recommendation of our boys in Evan’s Blue. It’s where I got my Clandestine Industries/Fall Out Boy tattoo. We were in the shop yesterday from around noon till 4:30 this morning. And I went back this afternoon to get my piece(s) done. Check out our shizzz.

Nixon went first. He had been talking with our artist Och online about his ideas. So Och was ready to start when we got there. Nixon wanted something to do with dreams and being on tour/playing shows/singing. So after throwing a bunch of ideas around, we took a picture of Nixon’s eye, photoshopped a picture of the microphone he uses on stage into the iris and threw it onto his arm:

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And this is how it ended up:

 

It’s scary real. The detail is amazing. And I must say, I take a kickass photograph.

After Nixon was Chris, who didn’t get a tattoo last time we were here, so we made him go before we ended up leaving again. His was a very personal piece that I’m not sure I can explain, but it’s really pretty and he’s happy with it. He almost didn’t get it…but I think we would have made him do it had he really try to back out.

And here’s how it finished:

BUWAHAHA. Sike. As soon as Chris finished, Nixon said that he should have gotten the two scoops tattooed on his sun, and 3 minutes later I had that photoshopped up. It was ridiculous how fast google worked for me. Here’s his actual tattoo:

By this time it was already 10PMish. We took breaks for lunch and between and even during sessions, so it really stretched out the day. Not to mention that all of these were really big pieces. So Brandon started his and it went on till 4:30 in the morning. Poor Och. That dude works hard for us. I hope he knows how much we really appreciate it. Brandon got a forearm half-sleeve for his brother. This one blew my mind. I walked into the room to see Och sketching on Brandon’s arm with a ballpoint pen. And then he added detail with a sharpie. And then actually did it with needle and ink. His free hand turned out amazing.

I’m really jealous/excited about how his turned out. It almost makes me go against my whole “black and gray only sleeves” feeling. But I guess I’ll just look at his instead:

We didn’t finish till 4:30. So everyone went home/to bed and I woke up this morning with plans to get mine. So around 3PM today, before I had to work, we started mine. I’d been planning a vintage/rockabilly/Sailor Jerry style tattoo. You know…the traditional, cliche tye? Everyone has nautical stars…and I don’t know if I’m sceneXcore enough for that, so I got a set of sparrows. I’ve always loved the design. And I got them for Mom and Dad, my two biggest muscial influences, whom without I wouldn’t be doing what I do. Music’s my bread and butter. And it all comes back to Dad’s rockabilly and surf rock and constant Beach Boys and Mom’s classic rock and R.E.M. and anything in the 90’s. They deserve it.

And my final piece:

I’m so proud of my birdies. My mom is still warming up to them. Now our bus is a greasy, sore mess…… That sounded…wrong. And before the show tonight, Tim hot his labret pierced and Nixon got his ears pierced AT A 4. Dude is nuts.

So, tonight at the merch table I set up a box that reads “TIP OUR TATTOO ARTIST: PROPS FOR OCH FROM GRADE A TATTOOS”. Right now there’s around $25 in there. And he’s here tonight. So at the end of the night, we’re giving him the box and everything in it. If we had more money we’d tip him in benjamins. But until then I can atleast make you go check out Grade A Tattoos and Och’s online portfolio/myspace. He rules. Go get ink blasted into your skin by him!