In the Flesh

When we heard about the grand opening of Lady Luck Tattoo Gallery in Tempe, we packed our camera and hit the party for some freaky photo-ops. After all, tattoos and Tempe go together like drunk girls and frat parties; both are necessities for the college experience and may lead to deep regrets in the morning.

The inked-up event started in the tattoo shop, where we could check out the new needle stop's fine equipment and chat with the owners. We then spilled into the nearly next-door bar, The Derby, where local bands Guilty by Association and Endofmay 602 (among others) shook the walls as guests cashed in their free drink tickets.

There was hardly a clean canvas of skin in the place, and everyone was hoping to win the rockin' raffle prize of eight hours' worth of tattoo labor. The parlor purveyors showed their professionalism by providing a great time for mingling and drinking, and even brought in a very fancy ice sculpture to keep it classy. Club Candids must be popular among the decorated types, because everyone wanted their photo taken and we weren't denied once — a win-win for everyone.