‘Our mission is a simple one, to give you the finest level of kustom tattooing anywhere – hands down. We don’t mess around with other types of body art like piercing or things of that nature, we are 100% tattoos 100% of the time. No stuck up attitudes or egotistical artists, just hard assed – No bullshit tattoos applied the way it was meant to be. Satisfaction Guaranteed.‘
For many, that would seem like enough convincing that the studio they are reading up on is going to be a quality one. Up front, hard assed and professional, dedicated artists – hey, those are all things that you want in a studio. But Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s Kreepy Tiki Tattoos goes a couple steps further and creates an environment that morphs numerous aesthetics and concepts together into one overall experience. That experience it seems, is one that eschews the traditional idea of a tattoo studio in favour of a place where people can relax and get swept up into an original and fun vibe.
Some more cynical folks might call what’s going on at Kreepy Tiki Tattoos a gimmick, but I for one am sold. Although I’ve never set foot in the place, if I could I definitely would…
‘Fedoras, early model electric guitars and framed photos of infamous gangsters like Bugsy Siegal decorate the walls of the shop’s backroom. Costumers await their turn to be inked while flipping through magazines from the comforts of retro-looking lounge chairs. Every other Wednesday night, master stylist Danny Garcia cuts hair. He specializes in traditional business cuts, pompadours and every type of hairdo in between.
The adjoining Monterey Club features swing dancing and a live swing band on Wednesday night and rockabilly, metal, punk, ska and hard-core bands rock the place Thursday through Sunday.
The elevated stage is adjacent to the bar and you can relax in comfy couches while .waiting your turn at the pool table.’
What’s not to like? Sure, I could maybe see having a beef with this place if the tattooists weren’t up to snuff and the work they were producing was little more than an additional gimmick, but that’s just not the case at Kreepy Tiki. Don’t believe me? Check out the shop’s artists, their work speaks for itself. I admit that I myself am a huge fan of the Tiki style. So I guess in a way, I was biased from the moment I learned that the shop’s name had “tiki” in it. But that’s more of an additional treat than a reason for heading to Kreepy Tiki. From the looks of things, it’s all business where you need it to be, i.e: in the tattooists and the quality of their respective work – and laid back, good times when and where you need it to be. A perfect balance.
I want to go there now!