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BRAND NEW ONLINE STORE!!!!
Our online Store has a large amount of merchandise that is perfect for you or a friend.

Pierre (founder of Etnies/ Sole technologies), and Thora

College affair magazine 05.07

Branding, poking and prodding skin have become popular art forms. Deformations of the body as some used to call it, are now newly categorized as independent expressions of art and even termed as "instyle." Tattoos and piercings are the latest and greates way to wear your art, not hang it.

What used to be a culture all in it's own, has moved from the shunned, taboo topic to the hifhly accepted and florified body art. Tattoos and piercings now all the rage.

"Some people get them (tattoos) to be cool and think it's aesthetically pleasing," Sean Dowdell, 33, co-owner of Club Tattoo said. "I think of it as art that I get to carry around everyday instead of hanging on the wall."

Click Thumbnail for more on the story

club tattoo aniversary party has beEn postponed

Refunds will be given to ticket holders at each location.

Chester of Linkin Park x etnies

Enties owner Pierre Andre Senizergues and Chester
Photo via Bmxonline
While his partner in rhyme Mike Shinoda was asking “Where’d You Go“ with his hip hop side project, Fort Minor, Chester Bennington’s been busy playing business man running his ink shops, Club Tattoo. Opened in ‘95 with his friend Sean Dowdell, Club Tattoo has locations in Phoenix and next year will open in Cosmopolitan, a new casino on the Las Vegas strip.

And like every great business man (thanks Jay-Z!), Chester knows it’s all about brand extension. This fall etnies will launch a Club Tattoo Collaboration featuring two vulcanized styles, “Bernie” and “Fakie” for men and women. “I’m really excited about the collaboration because it gives us a chance to blend our mutual passion for art, body, and lifestyle in a unique way,” said Chester in a press release. “etnies and Club Tattoo live what we do, love what we do and together we’ve created a perfect connection between body art and street style.”

Expect them in-stores in June.

www.etnies.com

Sheck Gets Cover of The Skateboard Mag!

by: Brink | Thursday, March 22, 2007

Sheck's back smith cover is badass. Rune is in this May issue too. Pick it up now.

etnies and Chester Bennington Launch Club Tattoo Collaboration with Exclusive Art Show in NYC!

Club Tattoo Co-founders on the Red Carpet (from left to right): Club Tattoo Model Sarah Birchfield, Thora Dowdell, Sean Dowdell, Chester Bennington and Club Tattoo Model Natilie Ramaceri

Etnies and Etnies Girl launched their collaboration with Club Tattoo at the etnies New York showroom last week with “LE MUSEE TATTOO,” an exclusive art show hosted by Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington. The event featured tattoo art, tattooed models, live tattooing and of course the highly anticipated etnies and etnies Girl Club Tattoo shoes that will be hitting stores in June.

Etnies is rooted in skateboarding and self-expression, so collaborating with the like-minded artists at Club Tattoo allowed the brand to create a truly unique product for its consumers. Inspired by art, individuality and skateboarding, all of the shoes feature traditional tattoo artwork and are available in two vulcanized styles, the popular “Bernie” and “Fakie,” for both men and women.

Jason Dill lurking behind Sean and Thora Dowdell
Chester Bennington founded Club Tattoo with friend Sean Dowdell in 1995. The now renowned tattoo studio has locations in Phoenix and their newest location opening in Las Vegas’ newest casino on the strip, the Cosmopolitan, in spring 2008. Club Tattoo has plans for expansion globally, and has come to be known for its artistry and professionalism.

Stay tuned for a photo gallery of LE MUSEE TATTOO, and for info on retailers that will be carrying the etnies Club Tattoo shoes in your area.

www.etnies.com

PJ CHESSON GETS TATTOO OF INDY 500 LOGO DICK REA / EYEWITNESS NEWS - INDIANAPOLIS

While most of the drivers took advantage of some extra practice time Monday, one rookie made quite a buzz outside Gasoline Alley.

Rookie driver PJ Chesson sure knows how to draw a crowd. He chose a very unique way to commemorate his successful bid at making the starting field at Indy.

Chesson, driving for a racing team supported by NBA star Carmelo Anthony,
also picked a unique place to mark the occasion: among some of the most
die-hard Indy fans who reside just outside of Gasoline Alley.
It only took PJ about three minutes to put his name in the 500 history book by qualifying for his first race here, but the process of having the famous 500 logo tattoed onto his skin lasts almost two and a half hours.
While some passers-by were focused on other pressing matters, it was hard not to notice all the commotion outside of Gasoline Alley while Chesson got the tattoo. Speedway CEO Tony George was among several of the curious onlookers.
It's also a pretty good way to break some of the tension that comes along with the month of May at Indy.

Now we know what this Indy Rookie has up his sleeve for his first Indy 500.

Big Pricks "They're not all tat" By Benjamin Leatherman
Article Published Nov 24, 2005

While most of the drivers took advantage of some extra practice time Monday, one rookie made quite a buzz outside Gasoline Alley.

Rookie driver PJ Chesson sure knows how to draw a crowd. He chose a very unique way to commemorate his successful bid at making the starting field at Indy.

Now we know what this Indy Rookie has up his sleeve for his first Indy 500.

THE BEAUTY OF BODY ART EXPO ATTENDEES SAY TATTOOING, PIERCING ARE GOING MAINSTREAM LARS JACOBY - THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC

It's hard to pin down exactly when it happened, but within the last decade or so the acceptance of body art has undergone a complete turnaround, fans say.
Long viewed as an act of rebellion by bikers and outsiders, tattooing and piercing has evolved into a common form of self-expression explored by everyone from business executives to great-grandmothers.

"It is getting bigger and bigger, I'm telling you pretty soon there's gonna be judges, lawyers and congressmen getting tattooed, I guarantee it," said tattoo artist Bobby Moss, 29."We've had women come in here in their 90s to get tattoos."

The heavily tattooed owner of Stainz Ink, of Glendale, Moss was setting up shop Friday at the sixth-annual Valley of the Sun Tattoo Expo. He was among hundreds of local and nationally known body artists gathering at Mesa Centennial Hall to lay some ink on customers, attend a professional seminar or two and network. About 10,000 people are expected over the three days.

The popularity of tattooing and the rise of interest in body art seemed to be the buzz among industry professionals. In recent years, piercing professionals and those who are getting pierced have pushed the envelope."It's very accepted now, which is why you see some of the crazier things nowadays," said Sean Dowdell, 31, one of the event's organizers and a piercing artist at Club Tattoo in Tempe.
"The shock value is gone from what was considered shocking even five to 10 years ago, which is why it's gone where it is today . . . it's easier to push the limits with something that is temporary," Dowdell said.

According to those who are adorned, the appeal of body art is that it is one of the few ways to truly express your individuality. From multiple facial piercings to tattoos covering most of the body, what some might consider crazy is just an act of expression to others."It took me a year and a half of thinking about it before I did it," San Antonio resident Rick Galvan, 33, said of his facial tribal tattoo that makes Mike Tyson's face art look puny.
Galvan came from Texas with his tattoo artist, Mario Sanchez, to show off the work. Galvan, a train engineer, said he has no regrets at all for the tattoo that took 7 1/2 hours to complete. In fact, he accentuates the look even more with several facial piercings, light-blue contact lenses and vampire fangs.

"It's all just another form of self-expression . . . I just took it up a level," said Galvan, who acknowledged he's a work in progress. Natilie Ramacieri, 21, of Mesa, turned heads everywhere she strolled Friday. On her back, two pirate ships trade cannon fire. Barely 5 feet tall, Ramacieri said she wanted a tattoo for a while. Having it cover her entire back was a necessity to get in everything she wanted. Stretching across her shoulder blades: "Thank Yer Lucky Stars."
"The battle between the two ships represents the battle within all of us," Ramacieri said. It cost her about $3,000 and at least eight tattoo sessions.
She hopes it will win her and the artist, Matt Geiogamah, an award at one of the nearly 30 contests at the expo.
One of the new trends is the act of "stretching," which is accomplished with plug placed in the ear, nose or elsewhere, and over time is stretched as much as the wearer desires. The appeal of stretching is the shock value, but if it's done right it can be reversed to an almost normal state after time.
Meanwhile, the piercing boundaries have moved into new areas that include subdermal implants. This trend isn't quite mainstream but longtime piercing professional Alec Bezzina, 38, of Portland, Ore., says he has thought about opening a store just to offer it. "Who knows where it goes from here," Bezzina said. "We keep evolving."
Bezzina and other piercers work flexible tubing called Tygon underneath the skin from one point on the body to another, making the jewelry look as if it is glued to the skin.

He also practices "corseting," which involves piercing the skin, usually on the back, with loops to hold crossed ribbons in place. It's all removable after the party. "What's cool is I could make you into a freak right now and you can take it out when you're done," he said with a smile.

TATTOO EXPO BY LINDSEY GAY COLLEGE TIMES

If you are one of the few females left in the Valley without a tattoo on the small of your back, the Arizona Tattoo Expo can catch you up on trends. About 150 artists from such parlors as Divinity Tattoo in Tempe and Vintage Tattoo in Los Angeles will be decorating flesh at the expo. Body piercings and body augmentation will also be performed at this one-stop shop. You can get a barbell punched through your nose and barbed wire inked on your bicep in the same day.

Local artist Steve Haworth will present two seminars: “How to Increase your Success Rate on Surface-to-Surface Piercing” and “Genital Bead Insertion.” The seminars last 30 to 60 minutes and cost $75. While three live piercings will be demonstrated at the seminar on surface piercing, there is apparently a lack of volunteers willing to bare a genital bead.

Haworth, who has a background in designing medical equipment for plastic surgery, invented the surface-to-surface barbell in 1992. He was listed as the “Most Successful Three-Dimensional Body Artist” in the 1999 “Guinness Book of World Records.” Haworth has performed over 150 bead implants, and he travels throughout the country giving seminars. Pictures of his tattooed subjects
can be viewed at www.stevehaworth.com.

Get a unique tattoo and you may attract the interest of a celebrity judge. A $250 cash award will be given each day to the best tattoo, and the best of the show
will win $500. Contests will also be held for tattoos that fall in such categories as tribal, celtic, pinup and sexual. If you are a walking, talking tattoo you have a chance to place in the best overall coverage male or female competition.
For those of you enjoy masochism, but hate needles, take advantage of the erotic apparel sale. Live music will provide another great distraction.

Those 18-year-olds trying to piss off their parents are welcome to get tattoos,
but the 16- and 17-year-olds are limited by Arizona law to piercings. Guests are encouraged to make an appointment ahead of time if they have a specific
artist in mind.

APRIL 7 - 9 : TATTOO EXPO LARS JACOBY - THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC

If you hear a steady buzz or cries of pain this weekend in Mesa, don't worry, it's not the return of killer bees. It probably means you are near the convention center where the sixth annual Valley of the Sun Tattoo Expo is taking place.
Once again the expo sets up shop at Mesa Centennial Hall, where more than
250 tattoo and piercing artists will set up shop from Friday to Sunday to
decorate bodies and even take a few instructional classes, too.

This year, the convention is under new management, a change that organizers Sean Dowdell, owner of Club Tattoo in Tempe, and Sage O'Connell, owner
of Urban Art in Mesa, hope put the tattoo expo at the top of industry events.
"Our goal is to bring a better show here; I think Phoenix deserves it,"
O'Connell said. "When it all started we really needed a show out here,
because it really brings up the quality of work in the Valley."

Dowdell said he expects the show to draw more than 10,000 attendees in part because of the high level of artists that are coming to Mesa - both tattoo expo-goers, and those who will teach or attend classes. O'Connell said the appeal
of an event like this is it not only draws all the best local artists, but some of the top names from around the country, too. "Having a show in town gives people a chance to get work done from someone they've followed for years," O'Connell said. Dowdell added that show organizers have been very selective
in who they've invited.

"At some conventions it can be very swap-martish, and we don't want that . . . this show is so popular (with industry professionals) that we have a waiting list."
This year's convention also features more than 25 contests, airbrush tattoos for the kids, or the weak at heart, and even tattoo removal by Arizona Laser Skin Solutions, which is donating proceeds to breast cancer charities.

A series of seminars includes: body modification artist Steve Haworth of Phoenix, tattoo artist Lyle Tuttle of San Francisco and a class given by black and gray tattoo artists Bob Tyrell of Ontario, Canada, and Jack Rudy of Anaheim, both of whom Dowdell said are "legends" in the tattoo world.

"This is the first time these two have been brought together, this seminar
has never been done before, and we've got people flying in from as far
away as Canada just for it," Dowdell said.

LINKIN PARK FRONTMAN PLANS TO BRAINWASH KIDS INTO LIKING HIS SIDE PROJECTS - MTV.COM

Chester Bennington's house might have been the place to trick-or-treat this year, at least if you had any interest in the Linkin Park singer's top-secret side projects.
"I was thinking of making candies and giving them out to little kids, and then when they eat them, it downloads [the albums] into their brains," Bennington deadpanned. "If anybody out there actually has the talent to create that technology, give me a call."
And if not, at least Bennington is finally talking about his outside efforts, Snow White Tan and Julien-K, both with Orgy guitarists Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh, as well as cover band Bucket of Weenies, whose Hollywood debut was October 25 at the Avalon.
In fact, it was hard to get Bennington to shut up about the latter, a much less serious band with no plans to record. When he did, however, he revealed a bit about the other two bands. It seems Bennington sings for Snow White Tan, while Shuck handles vocals for Julien-K, an electro band. (Bucket of Weenies features Bennington, Shuck, guitarist Mike Rouse of the Johns, bassist Mike "Cheez" Brown of T.S.O.L. and drummer Sean Dowdell of Bennington's pre-Linkin Park band, Grey Daze.)
"We've been working for a long time on these projects, and they're really interesting and different," Bennington said. "I don't know if I want to let too much of the cat out of the bag at this point, but when the time is right I think people are really gonna enjoy what we've been doing, and hopefully it kind of adds a new flavor to the music scene."
Like Linkin Park MC Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor, which is pure hip-hop (see "Linkin Park MC Gets Director With Flair For Video With Flares"), Snow White Tan and Julien-K are much different than Linkin Park. "It's not done purposely," Bennington said. "It's just that way, it's just naturally different."
Shuck, who met Bennington when Linkin Park were recording their first album at the same studio where Orgy were working, said some of the Snow White Tan material dates back five or six years.
"I always used to go to his house and hear him play acoustic guitar," Shuck said. "And I always thought to myself, 'Oh my God, these are such good songs.' "
Both the Snow White Tan and Julien-K albums are nearly complete, but the guys want to properly release and promote both the projects, which is where the scheduling issue comes into play.
"Timing is everything, and because of the kind of lives that we have, with so many different things going on, we have to really make sure that it's the appropriate time," Bennington said.
"By the time it actually comes out, we're gonna have probably three or four records' worth of material to release," he said. "But we'll see."
In the meantime, Bennington and Shuck are having the time of their lives with Bucket of Weenies, who put a punk or hard-rock spin on a variety of covers, including Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds," Oasis' "Wonderwall" and Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game." At the Avalon, the band also played Snow White Tan's "The Morning After" and a few Brown originals.
Bucket of Weenies formed last spring to play a Tempe, Arizona, show celebrating the 10th anniversary of Bennington, Brown and Dowdell's Club Tattoo chain.
"What was gonna be a small thing turned out to be 6,000 people, and we had a ton of fun," Brown said. "And then we thought, 'Let's keep playing.' "
"It's really kinda cool 'cause we play like, not the typical stuff — it's not 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' " Bennington said. "We're doing tracks that I think are songs that when you listen to them you go, 'Wow that's a really cool song.' "
The band apparently built its set list while jamming in Shuck's basement, yelling out songs and seeing if they could figure out how to play them.
"We're all over the map," Rouse said. "We've got Dramarama, we've got the Cure, we've got Bowie, just kind of like a collective sort of what we all listened to growing up and kind of got us to where we're at now. And we're having fun re-exploring it."
As for the name Bucket of Weenies, Shuck came up with it during a live radio interview in Tempe.
"It's just when you're partying and all your friends are, like, pulling their shirts off and you're just like, 'What a bucket of weenies,' " he explained.
"It was fantastic and stuck," said Bennington, who noted that the initials spell "bow." "Join the BOW movement!"

CLUB TATTOO 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Rolling Stone and MTV News are giving his tattoo studio some ink. But Sean Dowdell knows the Club Tattoo 10th Anniversary Celebration likely wouldn't be national news without its star-studded guest list, which includes Chester Bennington from Linkin Park, Alien Ant Farm, Orgy's Ryan Shuck, the Phunk Junkeez, and DJ Switch. "Sure, [the coverage] is because of those guys," says Dowdell, who played drums for Bennington's former Phoenix band, Grey Daze, before opening up Club Tattoo. "But that's the point. That's why I got them out here. I want the media to cover the [positive] stuff that's going on in this community." Okay, we'll bite. And so will 4,000 others, the nice round number expected at Acme Roadhouse, 855 South Rural Road in Tempe, on Saturday, May 21. The Sobe Skateboard Team is bringing a half-pipe and eight of its own riders, and Dowdell will perform with Bennington, Shuck and "Cheez" Brown from TSOL. The party starts at 7 p.m., with "red carpet" arrivals at 9:30. Tickets are free, but must be presented at the door for admission.

INSIDE THE MIND OF A TATTOO ARTIST by Heather Hanssard -- College Times -- September 22, 2004

In the past, tattoos have been reserved for cultural rites of passage, sailors and army infantry, brawny men with beards and rock personas.
But like most things over time, the masses have adopted this tribal ritual and made it
mainstream...click here for entire story!

BEST TATTOO SHOP AWARD 2004 AWARD FROM GET OUT AND EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE

Club Tattoo: Chester Bennington of Linkin Park became a partner this year, which also marked the opening of the award-winning shop’s third East Valley location. You know what they say: Go big or not at all.

BEST PLACE TO GET INKED LIKE A ROCK STAR AWARD FROM PHOENIX NEW TIMES SEPT. 2004

You want rock stars? We got so many rock stars, even the owner of this ink joint was once signed to Sony Records. Members of De La Soul, Sevendust, Less Than Jake, L.A. Guns, Tonic, Type-O Negative, Cherry Poppin' Daddies and many others have been tattooed at former rocker Sean Dowdell's parlor...click here for entire story!

LINKIN PARK SINGER PARTNERS IN CLUB TATTOO TO STAY CLOSE TO HOMETOWN By THOMAS BOND -- Get Out

It’s been more than five years since Valley native Chester Bennington moved to Southern California to join an unknown band.
Since then, Linkin Park has sold nearly 30 million albums and toured the globe, but Bennington still has strong ties to his hometown.
“My family’s there and I come out six or seven times a year at least,” the singer says...click here for entire story!

PIERCING REMARKS TEMPE TATTOO AND BODY PIERCERS NEEDLED BY LACK OF REGULATIONS BY SUSY BUCHANAN -- Phoenix New Times

In Arizona, swine feeding, dead chicken handling, cheese making, emu slaughtering, minnow selling and manicuring are regulated industries with state-enforced rules, permits and inspectors to make sure these activities are performed responsibly...click here for entire story!

PARLORS FIGHT FOR REGULATION BUSINESSES DEMAND CITY MONITOR INDUSTRY FOR HEALTH REASONS By KIRSTEN SEARER -- East Valley Tribune

In Tempe, where the body modification business is booming, some tattoo and body-piercing artists say they’re tired of fishing out infected piercings and dealing with tattoos crusted with scar tissue. Some new shops, said Sean Dowdell, owner of Tempe’s Club Tattoo, are little more than “chop shops.”...click here for entire story!

FEW RULES FOR TATTOO PARLORS: STATE, CITIES DONT REGULATE HEALTH PRACTICES By THEODEN K. JANES -- Arizona Republic

Tempe Mayor Neil Giuliano says he won’t be getting a tattoo any time soon. But if he wanted to, he wouldn’t have to stray very far from work. That’s because five tattoo shops are less than a half-mile from his downtown office. The two that are farthest apart are separated by 1,800 feet...click here for entire story!

etnies article OC Register

PAIN March 07

AZ Tattoos

Hardcore Ink

International Tattoo

Pain

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Sonik Magazine

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Tattoo Revue

Zodiac Magazine

now hiring

Now hiring tattoo artists and body piercers.
If you have 2 years of experience, and want to work in a shop thats ALWAYS busy.
Email Sean:
sean@clubtattoo.com
For our support staff, download our employment application. CLICK HERE