Billy Joe's Tattoo and Piercing

The world of tattooing is an odd fraternal order of secret handshakes and paid dues. A tattoo apprenticeship is a much coveted position one that is not often doled out, most respectable shops will keep an apprentice as an apprentice in excess of 2 to 3 years as it's the artists reputation on the line when that apprentice picks up a tattoo machine. Billy Joe's is not most respectable tattoo shops, the term apprentice mill comes to mind. I say this because I've witnessed people with no tattoos walking in off the street to be offered apprenticeships based on a doodle off a cocktail napkin. At any given time there are a half a dozen half trained tattooists butchering lame magazine flash tattoos. It's not just that you might be tattooed by the tattoo equivalent of a GED graduate, no it gets worse! They don't use mag needles so more elaborate shading isn't possible. I have about 40 hours of tattooing on my body so I think at this point I fall into the more heavily inked category, but frankly put if your tattoo artist has less work than a member of  Motley Crew you need to think twice about who this person is that's about to permanently mark your body. Additionally if you pull up the website for a tattoo shop you need to see something about tattooing, not about Jesus and the fact that the owner pats himself on the back for learning to ink in prison should not ever be a selling point (would you go to a surgeon who says "don't worry, I've performed several illegal kidney transplants in bathroom of a Days Inn in El Segundo"). They also won't do 5 pointed stars(was told they're satanic) and they won't do a litany of other work. If you're trying to get a Jesus loves you merit badge go here, if you want to get a real tattoo find someplace(anyplace) other than this one. I'm only giving them one star because 0 isn't an option.

So i went to Billy Joes on friday night 1-20-12 to get a microdermal piercing.  Not knowing too much about them i thought one on my wrist would look cool.  I paid 50.00 dollars for this to be done.  i was then sent on my way with a handwritten instruction sheet.  The girl who did it was very nice.  By the next day I knew something wasn't right...it was sticking up funny and twisting around.  I went back on Sunday because I was concerned and wanted them to look at it before I flew home.  They were closed.  I then went to a local place not on the strip which was open.  They were very professional and the place was very clean.  The men working there were very knowledgeable about dermals.  They informed me that wrists are not a good place to be pierced and they shouldn't of pierced me there in the first place.  They also saw that my stud was spinning.  I had to have it removed.  It was not put in properly they found out and the jewelry was faulty.  Overall...I am very unhappy with billy joes for not doing this procedure correctly, used bad jewelry, and lacked professionalism.  Don't get pierced there!

I walked into this place on a whim on a Friday afternoon. I was thrown off at first by the gentleman who greeted me at the door with, "Are you here for a tattoo or the boutique?", I didn't know what the hell he was talking about. Turns out this is an old bank and the downstairs was converted into a tattoo parlor while the upstairs is used as a boutique. Seems to me a strange combination, but whatever, they make it work and I don't think one interferes with the other. ANYWAY- I walked in with a picture of a small piece I wanted to get on my back. I was actually only interested in an estimate at the time- I wanted to shop around, talk to different artist, blah, blah, blah. Well, I was immediately set up with Steven (Stephen)?? who was really helpful and excited to get started. Enthusiasm is important to me so I went ahead and told him I wanted to get the piece. I definitely believe in letting the artist take my idea and letting him/her put their mark on it. I'm ever so glad I did. I got a pair of cowboy boots on my back and let him pick the colors and design on the boots. The colors were true to the western design I asked for and feminine as well. The shading was impeccable. He was funny and we spent the length of time chatting and joking around- how fun! Four days later the tattoo is healing wonderfully and I'm getting compliments on it left and right, which is of course a testament to how talented the artist is. If ever I'm in Nashville again, and I'm certain that I will be, I would stop by for another piece by Steven (Stephen)??