Salt Lake International Tattoo Convention

Okay so I don't have a book to review again. I'm having a the worst time keeping to my mantra of Be Positive in 2008. If it can go wrong, it will. And that leaves no time to read! You'd think there would time to read when you're at the hospital with a sick baby. NOT, no you're walking the floor with him giving your daughter time to rest because she's been up all night with him. But I still have something for you!

Picture this...

An ordinary woman and her husband step into another dimension, looking for their son. A large warehouse like room filled with strange tattooed people. The woman stops to stare as a young woman dressed in black sweat pants rolled to her knees, with spiked red heels teeters by with her friends. A young fellow with fluorescent spiked hair cuts a path in front of a 40sh woman dressed more as if she's 16, in boots, tight black pants and a halter, tattoo's covering her back and arms.

Strolling down the aisles of booths in a state of culture shock, they marvel at the sight. The sectioned off areas are filled with people lying on tables, artists of different cultures bent over them, tattooing as if drawing on blank canvases. A booth from Beijing showcases a woman, hair piled high complete with full golden headdress, dressed in a kimono, bent uncomfortably over her victim.

They finally find their son, who has been working on his art endlessly for 3 days, and his latest work in progress sitting calmly in front of him. The young man has no qualms that they retreive their son, food and beer to eat and drink while he works.

Children play, or work with crafts in a kids corner, complete with bouncy slides. Music blared, laughter echoed. Heavy metal posters graced the walls. Piercing booths, tattoo removal booths, and clothing booths among the somewhat chaos.

No this isn't the twilight zone, it's the 5th annual Salt Lake City International Tattoo convention. If you've never experienced one, you should go. I wanted nothing more than to stand off to the side and take pictures, but it probably would have been frowned upon.

I give this a 5 If for nothing else but the experience. I'd go again.