3 A.M.

Another Hope Gallery show gone successfully. This time instead of just exhibiting artwork you could choose from 200 pieces of flash from the showcased artists and get it tattooed for $40. I didn't know about the show until a couple weeks ago when Heyltje told me and offered to pay for my tattoo if I went with her. Sweet, thanks Hi! We ended up rolling into the shop at 6 thinking we would be early...we were wrong, the place was packed and everyone was rushing to fill out the paperwork and get their name on the list. We turned out being "overflow" technically the show was supposed to end at 11 and it was at the artists discretion to tattoo us. 5 hours later Hi and Calipso were in the hot seat and I was planning to go next, when Tim (the artist) asked me if I would mind waiting while he took care of some customers he skipped over? Well, 3 a.m. rolls around and it's finally my turn. By this time the shop was quiet all the chaos had come and gone and the atmosphere was nice and relaxed. I told him what I was thinking about and asked if we could switch it up a bit and try to make it a bit more traditional in style. Tim came through again and nailed it. Having a bit of patience payed off as it usually does. Thanks Man!

Tim Harris, Hope Gallery Tattoo, New Haven.

3rd Annual BK Invitational

Another event came and gone. This years theme was showcasing the "Cali talent," or lack there of. I for one want to go to a show and see hand made shit. Not just a collection of so called builders ideas of a pile of assembled "period correct" chopper parts. Don't get me wrong, there were some sweet looking period style bikes with a ton of hand made parts but there were just as many swap meet bikes in the mix. I thought building bikes was about being creative an innovative but I must be confused? Your entitled to like what you want, I'm just challenging the idea.