 Hi, welcome to Think Tech. We're raising public awareness on technology, energy, diversity, and globalism. This show is center stage. I am your host, Donna Blanchard, proud managing director of Kumukuhua Theater. And we are coming to you live from Pioneer Plaza in the heart of downtown Honolulu, very near Kumukuhua Theater. I'm really excited about our guests today, just in case you didn't know, the Pacific Ink and Art Expo is coming up here in Honolulu very soon. And I have three people sitting at the table who are participating there. It is big wave Dave, little Chris, and Kevin Reed. Welcome, gentlemen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much for being here. I have wanted to have a tattoo artist on for quite a while, so now I get three because I've been waiting so long. I'm clarifying, I don't tattoo. You do not tattoo. No, just the beautiful face of the expo. And you are the MC for the expo coming up. And how long have you been at the expo? This is the fifth year, and this is your fifth year doing it. Yep, started from the bottom. Now you're here. Do you MC other gigs? Is that how you got there? No, long story short. I was Kevin's tattoo apprentice, like, a busillion years ago. And I was on the radio at the time, as a radio disc jockey. And he called me up when he started to do the convention. He's like, you're good on the radio. You're good talking to people. So I need someone to come over and do this. So that's how I started. That's how you got it. And you're a media whore, as she said. And he likes to take his shirt off. Yeah, that's it. It's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. You've been in a sorority, too. Many times when I was in college. Great. Kevin, let's jump over to you because you are one of the creators of the expo. Is that correct? Yeah, there's four of us. Me, Daniel Kassler, Greg Fry, and Tomahall. Okay, and you have several tattoo shops. I almost said parlor. See, this is how old-fashioned I am. What do you call them? Tattoo shop. Tattoo shop? You have several? You have one in Waikiki, one in Kalua. And anywhere else? Kaniyoi. And you decided we should have a reason to bring in tattoo artists from around the world. You know, we started this event off as something that was, you know, I traveled around a lot. And we wanted to kind of draw a cultural aspect to the tattoo community that's in the mainland that doesn't know a lot of those kinds of things. So we figured we could really make that happen a lot better and more real and intimate here. So this is the opportunity for people like Keoni Nunes, the Sulawapis from Samoa, people like that that could teach us and educate us, including myself. They educate me every single year more and more and more. Very cool. Very cool. Good job putting it together. How big was it when it started? How many people did you attract? From day one, I think we had 12,000. Yeah. Our numbers are close to 20 now. So, I mean, it's just a very growing thing every single year. It grows and grows and grows. It's a great event. I mean, it goes all the way from tattooing Hula to music, full kid's zone. I mean, it's a really, really packed event. Awesome. We should say at the Blaisdell, the August 5th, 6th and 7th. Correct. And you can get tickets online at Eventbrite and Ticketmaster. And you guys, you can find you on Facebook pretty easily. Absolutely. We're on Instagram, all of that stuff. You're out there. Or you can get tickets there. The majority of our tickets are actually bought day of right there at the box office. Okay. And little Chris, how long have you been involved in the expo? I've been for the last five years. I've done them all. So, I've been fortunate to be able to tattoo it all of them. I've been with Kevin for the last year and a half now or so. But, yeah, I look forward to it every year. I mean, it's good fun. I mean, I get to see a lot of tattoo artists. I only get to see at the convention. So, I mean, a lot of them, you know, they're from around the world. And the only time we really chat is on Instagram or Facebook and stuff like that. So, to finally get all the tattooers in one room, it can be pretty eventful. That is very cool. I'm really looking forward to going this year. It's my first time. So, you just mentioned that there's music in Hula and there's a kid zone. If I want to get a tattoo while I'm there, what do I need to know? Bring your money. Do you need to cash? No, there's ATMs there. Some artists do take credit card also. A lot of people are set up with Square. So, definitely, I always tell people that that's the question I'm asked all the time. What do we need to prep for when we do this? And I just tell them, bring your money because we're taking the best of the best from this island and best of the best from globally. I mean, and pretty much cramming them in one room and saying, you choose. Which is pretty awesome because like he said, it's not just from here or even the mainland. It's the world like, you know, there's some people from Japan that come in that are just, you know, like I get Starstruck when I see them, you know, being in the tattoo community for as long as I have, you know. And then also like what Chris said, with, you know, your friends come in from all over the nation too. So I get to see people that I worked with when I was in Florida at a tattoo shop and I worked out down there with, you know, they come out here. So, you know, it's all, it's all one big happy, you know, community. Oh yeah, it's a great opportunity. I mean, I have a friend who flew to Brazil because there was an artist there that he wanted to do his neck piece. You know, here you can just go down the street. It's really cool to have all of these people in one spot. I'm not going to have a neck piece done. I thought about it a little bit. I decided to get into it. Well, you never know. I mean, you know. You never know. We'll hook you up, girl. Yeah, exactly. I said I'd never get a neck piece tattoo and then I ended up with a hungry tattoo to cross my throat. You got it. Maybe another day. Probably not. Probably not that weekend. But let me ask because I am thinking there's kind of a wave of little tattoos going around. I don't know if you, I'm sure, have you had some people walk into the shop and say, I'd like to have a tiny little heart here. We usually give those a little crisp, you know, just because the name, the size of the tattoo. Yeah, exactly. It goes perfect. I'm not even talking about how tall he is. Yeah. Just small hands. How do you feel about those? Are you like, yeah, I can just whip this out. No problem. Are you like, man? I don't mind. If the person, if that's what they want, then yeah, we'll give it to them. But I mean, there has to be kind of an area where it's like, that's too small. Or, you know, that's too intricate. You know, I mean, some artists will just start on you and then later on it fades away or you don't see the detail. So we kind of got to find, we got to kind of come to agreement where it's like, you know what, this is what you want and this is what I can do. They are caring. There are two, you know, it's kind of a two person deal. Yeah, you're getting it done and you're going on their body, but you're asking them to put their artistic talent into you, you know. Their reputation. Exactly. And so they have to feel comfortable with it too, you know. Yeah, because it's, I mean, it's not just your tattoo. It's my tattoo as well. I mean, it's my art. You know, I don't want them in a few years being like, oh, well this artist did this and he could have done better. But you know, and it's like, that's where we kind of got to talk to people and let them know like, hey, you know. Just try to help educate them a little bit. Yeah, exactly. Kind of steer them in the right direction. So you guys are coming in. Everybody's there with their, your art that I can choose from or I need to come in and bring yours. It's a little bit of both. I mean, if you bring in a design that you like, we can, you know, turn it into a tattoo for you. But at the same time, we also have our own artwork with us too, so. Yeah, it really helps if you bring in something just so we're on the same page. So when these guys go to draw for you, it's not, you have to try to pull whatever you're thinking in your head out of your head and then get it on paper. If you can come in and go, this is kind of what I'm thinking, but design me something, then they'll run through it and design you something really nice. How, do you have any recollection of like the largest tattoo or largest amount of work that's been done at one of these expos? Like sometimes doesn't it take you got to come back later to get something finished? Well, a lot of those tattoos, the tatal that they do there, I mean, they'll start in the morning and then go all the way to the door's closed. That's so major to me, I'm always awestruck when I see that. Have you ever had that? No, I've said every year I want to get it done, but either I'm too busy with, you know, working the stage or I check it out. I mean, it's... Be honest, dad. It's a process. I mean, you should go through that. Some hardcore guys get tattooed by that and just, it's, you got to be really focused. That's the right of passage right there. I have a friend, a small woman who... She tapped me. Munez, Munez, the fellow you mentioned. Yoni. Yeah, he did hers over her shoulder and it is so crystal clear. I mean, it is really something to say. And of all people that tattoo, I'd want to have do it. Yeah. So are there some artists that they get a big line, you want to get there early if you want to get an ink from that person? I've never seen anybody slow. So just to throw that out there. If you come by our booth, Sacred Art Tattoo or the Loyalty Tattoo booth, it's about 100 feet long and it's crammed full of artists. And I mean, we have 19 artists between all three shops, so they're busy all weekend. I mean, at our booth it really helps because we actually have people there that are helping you up front and can talk because most artists are looking down the whole time. I mean, that's one of the biggest things that people tell me, the artists that come is they say, you know, it was a great show, I think, but I had my head down the whole time. So they hear all the noise and stuff going on and all the craziness going on around them and they're just so zoned in on their art for three days straight. They're like, man, that was crazy. That is so cool for them and for all of us. We're going to go to a break and then I'd like to come back and talk about... You're going to have some other celebrities that are there. I'd like to talk about that and I'd also like to talk about how you guys got into tattooing yourselves. Awesome. And then maybe we'll get to see your tattoo. Okay. We're going to see the little break. We'll be right back before we go. I want to let you know that you can tweet us if you have any questions while we're talking here. Think Tech H.I. We will see you on the other side of the break. Hey everybody, my name is David Chang and I am a new host for the show, The Art of Thinking Smart. I'm really excited to be able to share with you how to get the smart edge in life. We're going to have awesome guests in the military, business, political, nonprofit world. So no matter what background you're from, we have something for you. Please join us every other Thursday at 10 a.m. at thinktechhawaii.com or on the art of thinkingsmart.com. I look forward to seeing you. Aloha, I'm Kirsten Baumgart, Turner, host of Sustainable Hawaii. Thanks for watching Think Tech this summer. We have a lot of terrific shows of great importance. And I hope you'll watch my show too every Tuesday at noon as we address sustainability issues for Hawaii. They're really pertinent as the World Conservation Congress approaches in September and the World Youth Congress that's focusing on sustainability next year as well. Have a great summer and tune in at noon every Tuesday. You're watching Think Tech Hawaii, Hawaii's leading digital media platform for civic engagement, raising public awareness on tech, energy, diversification, and globalism. Great content for Hawaii from Think Tech. Hello, I'm Patrick Bratton, host of Global Connections here on Think Tech Hawaii. I'm also a professor of political science at Hawaii Pacific University. So this show is one of the ways to collaborate between Think Tech Hawaii and Hawaii Pacific University, where I talk on my show with a lot of guests about issues dealing with Hawaii, the United States, and the world. So I look forward to seeing and interacting with you online and on my show. Thank you very much. Aloha, I'm Shantel Seville, the host of The Savvy Chick Show. You can watch the show every Wednesday at 11 a.m. Honolulu time and enjoy how to be inspired and powered if you're a woman or a girl. I'm really dedicated to you and we look forward to seeing you. You can also find us on ThinkTechHawaii.com. See you soon. Aloha. Hey, we're back. This is Center Stage on the Think Tech Hawaii digital network. If you would ever like to join us in the studio during one of the shows, you may do that. Just email Jay, that's J-A-Y, at ThinkTechHawaii.com and he will hook you up. If you ever have an idea for a guest, you would like for me to have one. You can find me on Twitter. Facebook, Donna.blanchard. I'm back with the tattoo gentleman here. I'd like to... We do want to see your tattoo. We don't. We don't normally get a lot of viewers live, but do you want to say if someone can guess what the tattoo is? Well, I have a couple tattoos that you can see. Go ahead. Well, I have a tramp stamp. If you know what a tramp stamp is all about, they call them tramp stamps because I guess it's kind of like it's in a trampy spot. It's on your lower back. But I got something back there. You can guess what my tramp stamp is. It's man stamp. I like a man stamp. It sounds like a hand under a man. Let's say if you can guess what that is. I don't know that we're going to see that, but we could probably see the way it fell up here. It's conveniently a little... Do you think you're going to keep your shirt on during this? No, but that... We'll figure out what we're going to do by the end of the show for that. How much clothes are you taking off? We're going to have a giveaway. Giveaways are cool. Chris, we're doing the right thing. Giveaways are cool. You can tweet your questions if you have any for us or comments. Think Tech, H.I. Let me ask you fellows, if you would, tell the story of it. Here on the center stage, I always talk with artists. We always talk about what people do and how they do it, but I'm really most interested in why. You're both clearly artists and you could have gone in a lot of different directions with the talent that is in your hands and your eyes. Yeah, I mean, for me, I was around tattoo artists since I was in high school. I mean, I was tattooed all. I had sleeves almost in high school. Yeah. And I went to Kalaheo High School in Kailua. And I've just always been around tattoo artists. I mean, I was going in a little hot tattoo in Kailua when Larry Hanks owned it in the seventh grade. I was friends with his son, so Jacob. For me, what got me into it was I was always really drawn towards that or building hot rods. I knew I wanted to do one of those two things. And I ended up, fortunately, I flew to Arizona from here and learned from Christopher Ramsey and Ronnie Belton. It was about a year and a half break in apprenticeship. And we would need a whole other show to talk about that. How that happened. Yeah, but then from there, I ended up at a couple of shops and that's where I met Dave. And then decided to come back home. Wow. Okay. Did your parents have tattoos? No, my mom actually got one. She got a little dolphin on her ankle and cried like a baby. And actually what's funny is to this day, my mom, every time she'll notice a new one on me, she'll stop this. Why do you do this to yourself? But my mom comes out to the tattoo expo every single year and works the front for us and is selling t-shirts. How nice. How nice, cool. Okay. Zuri's asking me if you can take your sunglasses off. Sure. I think we're getting a glare. I don't want to get into your story. That's interesting. I have to ask one more question. I was born in the 60s and if I had in the 70s said I'm in the Chicago area I'm going to get a tattoo. The town would have been in an uproar. That was not such a big deal here. I'm taking it. There wasn't a lot of kids that were heavily tattooed like us. But it's the culture out here. Everybody out here is tattooed. And in the state of Hawaii there is an age. Kids can go get tattooed at whatever age they want as long as their parents give consent. We don't do that. You've got to be 18 to get tattooed at our shop. But the state of Hawaii it's hard for them to stop that from happening because it's a cultural aspect. Right. Okay. There's a lot had I showed up in high school with a tattoo there would have been way beyond the tramp stamp but there's something wrong with it. She's going to cause trouble. Yeah. Tattoos have really been pulled out of that now. It's all over TV. I mean my business partner on the tattoo expos in this building, Greg Frey is one of the most successful lawyers in town. And the guys covered in tattoos you would never know it the guys slung down. Full back piece, arms, chest stomach, I mean the guys completely tattooed. Keoni Nunez tapped his whole entire, I think, right leg. So it's, I mean, nowadays lawyers, doctors, I mean and here, yeah you see it on the main, a lot more on the mainland also but here I moved here and thought now is the time. Yeah. What about you Chris? Oh for me I back in 2009 a good friend of mine, his dad is a tattoo artist and I went to him to get a tattoo and he was like oh what do you want to get done and I brought in some of my artwork, a bunch of my drawings and he was like wow this is real nice drawings you know and I was like oh yeah you know I sketch here and there and I got tattooed and came back to the same thing and he asked me and he's like have you ever thought about pursuing tattooing like doing something with your art and for me art was the only thing I was really good at. You know I mean I took a pencil and paper and I just draw for hours and then he offered me an apprenticeship so for the next year I scrubbed floors and did a lot of dirty work and slowly moved my way up to becoming a tattoo artist. How old were you when you started being the apprentice? Oh 2009. Was that 2012? Yeah, 12-ish. I think it was 23-24 around that age so it was tough work. I got a loan apprenticeship of building machines making needles learning I think the first the proper way, thank you. The first three months I didn't think I was allowed to even touch a tattoo machine at all. All I did was just read the history about all these guys that pioneered the way for us like Salah Jerry, Lyle Tuttle all these old school guys that like to me are rock stars without them we wouldn't be where we are now. He was on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine I think it was in the 70's he tattooed Janice Joplin. Oh wow. Really cool guy he stays at my house every year when he comes out he's a blast you could drag him in here and he'd love to do this I mean he's going to have a drink in his hand the whole time. I get so nervous with them there because they're in the booth with us and I'm like doing tattoos and they're looking over and I'm just sweating because it's so nerve wracking to have these guys watching you tattoo. You could go to the expo and get a tattoo by the guy who tattooed Janice Joplin is that what you're telling me? Technically, well yeah technically because now his deal is he doesn't tattoo anymore but once a day I need only tattoo his name on you but technically you could get a tattoo by the man that tattooed Janice Joplin. It depends man he loves women I mean if you walked up to him and said Can I do a flower on me? He'd be like You could talk to him about macaroni and cheese and he'll want to sit down and trade recipes with you I'm going to come and I'm going to sweet tuck that man and see if I can get him I'll probably end up sweet talking you for a bit Lyle Tuttle is the guy that's always got It would be important to pop out a bottle of tequila and a bottle of orange juice and he's rolling around on his little cart and he's got two or three young women with him always there's always someone hanging with him I mean guys it's a whole stud How old were you when you got your first one? I was the day I turned 18 I ran because living in Oregon they had that law whereas out here where it's more of a cultural thing where they don't have that situation back in Oregon it was stick to the rules coming from I was a retired pastor and I ran to the tattoo and I probably I'm getting the picture I needed to move out of the house okay we just have a couple more minutes left so I'd like to ask you guys I enjoy watching the tattoo shows like LA Ink and the what's the one where they cover up mistakes Big Gus, Tattoo Nightmares Gus is actually there Ruth is from LA Ink Megan Masker from New York, Inc and she's on some other new show I can't remember which one that one is but yeah I mean all the Ink Master people are there all of her pack I think he's there this year so that's cool to see them we actually get to watch their work and then you can go in and get a tattoo from them they'll sit down with them too and make appointments all the time oh wow so it's a good idea for people to get there early if you have someone in particular in mind that you'd like to do or reach out to these people before the show I mean a lot of people I've really been noticing the last couple years people are posting hey thank you very much why I'm booked for Pacific Ink and Art Expo 2016 and this is like a couple months ahead of time so not saying everybody's going to be booked but if there's a specific artist that you want to tattoo you hit them up and you can get all their social media go to our website whiteat2expo.com and you can get all of that social media or the list of people that are going to be there attending and you can see examples of their work you can find examples of their work that's cool too to see I don't use specialized and more monochromatic stuff over the last two years I've been focusing more on realism so detailed work people bring in actual photos of turtles, tigers photos of their family members that's what I try to base my work off of now oh wow we're at the shop that's all Kevin throws at me all the fun stuff all the big draw now is everyone wants those watercolor looking tattoos yeah that's all I've been doing lately so where it has that watercolory splats and all that stuff around it which is completely out of the norm of what I've done for the last 17 years so interesting because it looks more like a tattoo more like a traditional tattoo yeah I mean in my era when I learned we weren't doing that kind of stuff if you came in for that we'd be like what no we don't do that oh yeah okay so yeah what will you say first of all if someone comes in and it appears like they've been drinking for a little while grab me one did you bring it up for the whole class? exactly you gotta share with everyone okay so that's not if someone needs to have a bracer before they go they're not supposed to what the health department rules are is if they're drinking they can't get tattooed that's the rules doesn't say anything about us though but you can be straight as long as I keep my hands steady I drink the whole time one eye the whole time I'm sorry we have to wrap it up I really enjoyed talking with all of you we're wrapping it up I'm unwrapping it okay so let's see it and we don't have any giveaway or anything that we're gonna have with this but we've got some more pictures of your work that we'll post once we get this up on YouTube awesome and who did your piece your stomach plate James Hunter James Hunter? he used to work for Kevin at his loyalty kai louis shop and that's where there it is there's a big old board that is cool