Cicada is a very clean shop with great artists. Â I've seen Robert and saw him years ago for a cover up on my back years ago when he was at Slave to the Needle. Â This time he did an hour on my wrists in all black. Â He doesn't have a heavy hand, is quick and very talented. Â My friend also got her half sleeve done here by another artist and it's gorgeous!
Robert was able to fit me right into his schedule and even stayed late to finish my piece because that was a busy day for him. Â I didn't mind him focusing on his clients and the consultations. Â Seeing the way he and the staff treat people are a plus because it made for a good atmosphere in the shop. Â They truly care about what they do, how they do it, that you're satisfied with your art and that your overall experience is high quality. Â Even better, one of my favorite songs came on when he started on me. Â What an experience to remember!!!
I don't have a lot of tattoos, okay this was only my second tattoo, but this is the place I will always get my ink dove at. Robert was the artist who did serotonin molecule tattoos for my girlfriend and I. He did an amazing job! Very meticulous, careful, and  professional. Amazing experience!!
Review Source:Note: While I'm always on Yelp, I never leave reviews. This is the first thing place I've ever reviewed, meaning it's 'omg so horrible never go there' or 'the best fucking thing ever'.
Cicada Tattoo and Jason are the best fucking thing ever. The shop is clean, spacious, and everyone who I encountered was nice and pleasant. That in itself was a major change for me; I've been tattooed multiple times before and each time I've felt like I'm dealing with an ~artist and I should be ~humble to let them impart their art on my peasant skin. At Cicada I was treated exactly how I wanted and Jason listened to everything I wanted (I have a swallow on one shoulder and wanted it mirrored on the other with plumerias behind it) and told me what would and wouldn't work without the attitude I've received other places. I was so impressed with his work, I went back today to have him touch up my other swallow because his work is far superior to anyone I went to previously. And the rates? The most reasonable I've ever encountered.
SADLY Jason is moving in a few months BUT he is moving to the town a close friend of mine lives in. Would I fly to Colorado for a tattoo from him? YES, because there is nothing better than finding a tattoo artist who understands and is able to do what you want.
Random- I fell asleep the first time he tattooed me. Anyone who can stick needles into my skin and have me fall asleep must be a miracle worker.
I received some work done on my arm by Jason and I am absolutely pleased by it -- booking an appointment with him and talking to him beforehand was the best thing to do. I will always go back to him if I want more tattoos in the future or need some touch-ups! :-) Jason also treats you as if you're a friend rather than a customer, which is obviously quite nice. The place is impressive; clean, sociable, awesome, and they put a lot of sweat and blood into the tattoo shop itself. There is an immense amount of talent with all of the artists who work here, and I highly recommend this to anyone.
A bit of a strange thing to add, but their public restroom is also beautifully furnished!
I have a 3/4 sleeve and chest done by Bryan, and it is awesome. Â Besides doing great work, he's an extremely nice guy. Â The shop is clean and neat, and everyone there is so friendly, and they all seem interested in what the artists are doing. Â It's easy to sense the high level of respect they all have for each other. Â Of course, this is my only experience with a tattoo shop, but after 20+ hours of work, I have a good sense of the place. Â
One thing that may surprise some people about Bryan is that he wears a shirt and tie to work. Â Definitely not what one with no tattoo experience would expect.
A big plus is that he's a non-smoker, no stale ashtray smell while trying to catch my breath after tattoo sensitive areas. Â
Great shop of artists, and nice people to boot!
Heard about and saw some work done by Bryan Kachel...went to him to add to a piece I had done almost 20 years ago...WOW! He did an absolutely beautiful job! It blends right in and I've had nothing but compliments on his work! Can't wait to have more ink done by him...a great person and personality as well!
Review Source:I had the pleasure of having Elijah tattoo me today. The result is absolutely amazing, and I will definitely be going back to him for my next tattoo. I highly recommend Elijah, but all of the artists do amazing work. Plus the shop was super clean, and everyone was super friendly, absolutely loved my experience.
Review Source:I called in a few days ago with an idea for wrist tattoos and was able to get a convenient appointment. The shop is very clean with lots of interesting artwork that I could have spent the whole day browsing. My appointment with Alfredo started right on time. He took the very primitive idea that I had sketched and drew it up perfectly in a matter of minutes. He discussed it in detail with me before printing out the patterns so I got exactly what I was hoping for. Good conversation, good music and good vibes during the actual tat business. Excellent experience for my first time at this shop. I will definitely be back.
Review Source:I went here with my girlfriend when she got her tattoo last year. She went in on a week day and scheduled an appt. for a day or two later. When she came back in for the tattoo, they had the picture she left drawn up beautifully and she loved it! They are priced well, and all the artists are very cool and respectful! Not your typical tattoo shop. Very clean and decorated very well with images and the artists work all over! I enjoyed hanging out there for the 2 hours we were there. I will go back for my future tattoo!
Review Source:Always friendly environment, all the artists have amazing work as well. I have been getting ink from Bryan Kachel for almost 4 years now and I will recommend him & the other artists at this shop anyday! It's nice that they are open seven days a week & have the same hours everyday (: this shop is the best I've been to !
Review Source:I had a garish old tattoo on my left arm that I got when i was a kid, and needed it to be improved upon. I had really low expectations since, you know, it's a permanent tattoo, but Alfredo really blew me away. He discussed the pieces composition with me, what colors would blend together, what parts to simplify, and just sounded like more of an artist than most of my artist friends. It healed amazingly well and I am as happy as can be with it. Most folks know Will and Jason, but Alfredo is talented as all hell.
Thanks again, buddy!
I went in on a whim and consulted with Alfredo Matta for an idea I've had for several years. A week later I made an appointment and went in for my ink. He showed me the style he was thinking , let me make some choices, and proceeded in the next 2 hours to put a work of art on me. I couldn't be more impressed. If I get more I will go back to him.
Review Source:Me, my sister, and her boyfriend all had tattoos scheduled for Saturday to celebrate my sister's 18th birthday. I scheduled them on Thursday or Friday and our appointments were cancelled without them notifying me.
The only reason we found out was because my sister was checking how long it would take since we had booked 2:30-6pm for the 3 of us since my sister had a nail appointment at 3:30. They responded to her saying the artist was sick and our appointments were cancelled.
Customer Service 101: If you can't meet an obligation, notify your customer punctually.
I was impressed by their art but not their level of customer service. I may take my business elsewhere, we still want our ink done soon.
Elijah did the best job!!! My brother and I went to Cicada for my birthday tattoo and I brought a picture that my friend had drawn and unlike many other places (slave to the needle) Elijah didn't want to change the drawing at all. This meant a lot to me because the picture was an updated tribute to my father's tattoo. In fact...Elijah loved the design and inspiration that it evoked. His professionalism was top notch and his work speaks for itself. I have a new tattoo artist and his name is Elijah! Cicada is very laid back and cool, very clean and most importantly, no big egos. I can't wait to go back!
Review Source:I've had a really great experience with these guys so far. I specifically came here seeking out Bryan Kachel, who I knew from Emerald City Tattoo in his previous life. First of all, let me talk about the actual shop. I really like the space. Cool waiting area with lots of flashes and art to look at. Very welcoming and out of the way of the artists at work. I used to hate getting tatted at Emerald City Tattoo and people would open the door from the street and be right up in your face watching you like you were a zoo animal or something. Each artist has their own spacious work area with their equipment and art. Also, parking is abundant and the place is easy to find.
Now on to Bryan.... Â Personally, It's important for me to go to artists who I can vibe with and who are cool people as well as amazing artists. Bryan is the definition of a cool and easy going dude. His artistic skills are top notch and he really kills it when it comes to Japanese and Japanese-inspired work. I would highly recommend him especially for anyone looking to get traditional Japanese work. He is still wrapping up my new 3/4 sleeve and his lines are so clean and detailed. Even though some parts really sucked, it was better cause I was able to chop it up talking about whatever to get my mind off the pain. To illustrate my point further he got at least 2 calls to the shop from new people while I was getting tatted to set up appointments with him. (Answered by the guys up front).
The shop's hourly rate is $140, and that's a bargain for sure. This place is should be on the list if you are out doing some recon on where to get tatted in Seattle.
I got my first tattoo from Elijah this past Saturday and he did a great job. I have been wanting a tattoo for quite some time now and I finally decided to just do it. I didn't make an appointment and he got me in very quickly. I was very nervous because it was my first tattoo but he was very understanding and encouraging and made me feel more comfortable.
It cost a little more than I expected but I definitely feel like it was worth it. The place was very clean and I was a little picky on the fonts and placement and he was very willing to work with me until I was completely satisfied.
Overall, a great experience for my first tattoo.
I would like to give five stars to Bryan Kachel for his amazing work and being a (seemingly) amazing person.
He worked on a chest piece for me and in those few hours became a person that I admire and consider a friend.
The shop itself is extremely clean and has an excellent vibe, while all the artists like to joke around and keep it light while staying professional. Yes, it's located on Aurora, but it is really an amazing place and I could not recommend it more.
I got a tattoo from Will last night and could not be happier. I had a consultation with him about a month prior and was really open to his input since he is a fantastic artist. Fast forward to yesterday. I came in and Will showed me what he had drawn up and it was bigger than I had anticipated at first, but I thought, sure why not. I am so glad I did because I think that it looks amazing.
Will was very patient when I needed to stop and catch my breath from all the pain with the shading. Every time I thought he was done, he would take a step back and make sure that it was perfect. He is a perfectionist which is a wonderful thing when someone is putting art on your body for life. I will be coming back to Will to get more work done. In fact he said after it is healed up in about a month to stop by so that he can check the line work and make sure that it is perfect and add a little white to it to give it more pizazz. Perfect work Will, thank you so much.
Update to my Original experience with Chani Murat, she did contact me  After She read The Original review i posted on here ...  need i say that she went off on me ,  Arguing and trying to guilt trip me in Three Facebook messages ( That is until i blocked her ! ) than she sent Me an email "apologizing" Though she was still Justifying Her actions Or lack there of... ?!? whatever!
In any event I still Completely stand by my account of the experience i had with her And I realize ( ESP With her recent response's) that fate stepped in because we REALLY were not a good fit !!! In the end I gave her an extra star For at least attempting at an apology and because i think that she is a talented artist That has a true desire to do great work .
Perhaps she just needs to grow up a bit when it comes to understanding how to work with/ Treat and Appreciate the people who are willing to Pay top dollar For her services.
Ive been going to Cicada Tattoo for a couple years now. Worked with Jason exclusively (although I plan to eventually get at least a little something from everyone there) and each tattoo I get is better than the last. Love this place. Super nice shop, Convenient location. Fantastic and humble artists who are fun to hang around and make you feel welcome.
The best addition to this is that they all seem to be completely aware of one another's strengths. For instance, if you ask Jason to do something that Will might be able to pull off better, they have no hesitation in referring the work, even though ultimately they'd be missing out on the money. And the with the mix of artists they have there, there is literally nothing I can think of that you'd be able to get better anywhere but Cicada.
Seriously if you are unsure, just check the place out. Stop on in and say hi. They have a permanent customer in me.
Discovered this shop at the Jet City Tattoo expo a few months back. Â Looked at the portfolios they had on display and watched someone there get tatted. The artwork was amazing. Â So, I decided the next tattoo I got I would give them a try.
Called in on Saturday in the early afternoon to see if they had time for my design. Â When I explained what I wanted, the guy on the phone said that "Chani is sitting here smiling, I think she likes the idea. Â Here she is." Â So I told her what I wanted and she said if I could be there by 2 she would have enough time. Â When I got there she already had it drawn up and took my changes gracefully.
It is a relatively large tattoo on my inner forearm, in color, of a doe (female deer). Â It only took her an hour and a half, and she did AMAZINGLY well. Â Seriously, from the stencil she applied, to the artwork that was the finished result, I was really surprised. Â She also told me she had tons of fun on the tattoo and called it a "tattoo treat." Â It made me smile. Â I'll post a pic of it on here too. Â Anyways, I had a really great experience there and would highly recommend everyone to go here. Â I plan to. :-)
Where to begin about Cicada Tattoo??? Â Hmmmm well the summer of 2009 I returned home from the military & had randomly popped into the shop on my way home from somewhere. It's off aurora which isn't the nicest street to be on but man was I surprised when I walked in the shop is beautiful, huge & split into two rooms. Â I looked through some portfolio books & immediately knew who was finally going to do my sleeve, I have been waiting years to get one but just never found someone more amazing with color & lines, but the artist wasn't in. Â I went back in about 6 months later & the wonderful Chani Murat was there this time, so we discussed & I told her what I wanted & told her go for it, came back the next week & got to work on it!! Â I was already wanting another one by the time it was finished so now Chani is currently working on a full sleeve! Â It's a small crew & everyone is kick ass, the owner WIll is awesome & really knows how to run a shop! Â I always have such a fun time when I go there, it's turned into my second home!! Â I would def have to point everyone in the direction of Cicada!
Review Source:I got my second tattoo here after reading the reviews on yeeeeelp. Well I will say "thank goodness" most yelpers are right. I had a really good experience here. I went in one night randomly and they let me go right in and get it done. It was a bit awkward at first and we talked about our love of smelling rubbing alcohol, but i am all for awkward... its funny. Me and my best friend had such a nice time that she went the next weekend and got a cover up tattoo and it looks uhhh-mazing. You would never even guess she had a different tattoo under her new one. So gooood!
Review Source:I'm not your typical tattoo customer. Â I've only got one memorial tattoo with a design based a paw print from my Redbone. Â I did my homework picked Bryan. Â The shop is clean and professorial. Â I was very happy. Â My gf likes mine so much we are going to have Bryan work on an upgrade to her ink and now so is her daughter. Â So if you 20 to 50 or beyond and looking for a shop where you can feel comfortable getting your first ink or your latest and best. Â I would recommend Cicada.
Review Source:Hello Yelp!
Allow me to introduce myself. I am a fairly intelligent young woman who went and got a REALLY STUPID tattoo 3 years ago. Almost instantly I knew it was a bad idea but - as we all know - tattoos are permanent. Â Thankfully the tat was on the back of my shoulder and was only seen during the one month of warm weather we have in Seattle each year.
Recently I made up my mind that I had put off covering the tattoo for far too long. I pass Cicada on my way to work every morning and decided to give them a call on Friday. I spoke with Jason who kindly gave me as much information as he could over the phone and agreed to meet me an hour later for a more accurate consultation. This didn't take long because I had already designed the tattoo I wanted as a cover up and the appointment was set for the next day.
Saturday afternoon I ventured to Cicada once again and was greeted by another nice man (I didn't catch his name), given paperwork to fill out and waited no more than 5 minutes before Jason was ready for me.
Jason never said anything offensive about my original tattoo, answered all of my questions, gave suggestions without pressure, and even threw in a little humor while he was working on my shoulder which helped distract me from the pain. (I'm a huge baby with an extremely low tolerance for things that hurt) - - - Plus my tattoo looks exactly how I envisioned it. I am 100% satisfied. Â
I can't say that I'll be running to get another tattoo next weekend because I'm really not a fan of needles... but if I did, Jason would be my first call. Â I've already told at least 10 friends about him. And as much as I hated the original tattoo I'm thankful I had it done - if it wasn't for that mistake 3 years ago I likely would never had gotten the cover-up Jason did for me on Saturday... I LOVE it.
Thank you Cicada & Jason Drager =)
Miah is the shit. I had some ink blowout on the star he gave me, and what originally was meant to be a touch up turned out being transforming the stars I have into a legitimate back piece. An hour of work later, I was expecting to lay down between 70 to 100 dollars, and Miah told me it was free (!!!!!!!!!). How awesome is that? And the artwork is mother approved, too! Unfortunately (for us here in Seattle, at least), he's moving to California in May, so go see him before he moves.
I also love how laid back and comfortable this shop is. While I was there last, Bryan Kachel (who had just come from a shop on Lake City) came over to watch Miah working. Bryan is also one cool dude.
I have never once felt uncomfortable here, never been treated with anything less than respect (and some well meaning sarcasm), and am super impressed by the cleanliness and artistry shown here. Party on Cicada!
I've been to 6 other artist, and I have had the best experience at Cicada. Â Miah did a super job with the design that I gave him, and he did it free hand! Â That is pure talent. Â His state of the art machine was not loud, and his hands were steady, focused, and gentle. Â I have no idea if he pressed hard on the needle, but it was the best ink I got.
I also had Caine work on me a while back from another place; he works  part-time at Cicada..  I love his work also.  The man has passion in his art, and he did awesome job with the colors and the interpretation of what I wanted.
I highly recommend this tattoo shop. Â The staff at Cicada is chill.
In the past year alone I've spent hours upon hours and $$$ with Will at Cicada, starting with an expansion/improvement of an old cover-up and ending recently with another brand new piece, all of which I couldn't be more pleased with. He insists on taking the time to make each piece flow with *my* frame and doesn't grumble when I want to tweak the drawings that he lays out freehand on my skin, and I respect him enough to let him tell me "no" when he knows one of my ideas won't be aesthetically pleasing.
I can honestly say that since he put his needle to my skin for the first time years ago I have not considered trusting anyone else to do so and wholeheartedly sing his shop's praises to anyone who might be interested in getting inked. All of the other artists I have encountered there have been friendly and incredibly respectful, asking permission to take a peek for those appointments where I have had to be partially disrobed and always showing a sincere interest in/appreciation of each others work.
Don't let the location fool you - at Cicada you are sure to find a clean, professional environment filled with some of the best artists in the city and prices that are in line with any of the other major shops. If you are going to get marked with something that you'll be carrying around for the rest of your life, you really can't go wrong here.
I was hankering for a second tattoo for a while and started doing my research on Yelp (thanks Yelp!) some weeks ago. I drive past Cicada Tattoo several times a week, and based on its location, I always figured it was a seedy place filled with creepy old men and unsanitary equipment. Upon reading the mostly glowing reviews here I checked out the artists' portfolios on the website, found them all to be superb, realized I could probably walk in and talk to any of them and turn out super pleased with my tattoo, and made the trip.
I spoke with Will and Miah on my first visit, both of whom were extremely nice and (as opposed to another recent tattoo parlor experience) not in the least bit dismissive of what may have been a sort of cliche tattoo idea. Miah was into the detail work that I wanted, and he sat me down in his chair to draw on my arm in marker and get an idea of placement and space. We did some google searches and discussed the elements I wanted to include. He listened carefully and seemed honestly excited about the design, and we made an appointment.
This part is always a little nerve-wracking, showing up to your tattoo appointment and seeing what the artist came up with based on some nebulous ideas. Miah knocked it out of the park. It was a totally beautiful design, exactly what I wanted and then some. My first appointment for outlines took about three hours, andI talked at length to Miah about all kinds of things and got chatty with the other clientele as well. All the artists were super rad, kept admiring each other's art as people came and went (I love that feeling that tattoo artists aren't competitive with each other, they just love doing what they do!), and at the end I was SO DELIGHTED. The best part was that Miah himself seemed so proud of it, too, and that just made it better. I go back in for my coloring in two weeks.
Anyway, long story short: these guys are great. I chatted with Jason and Chani too, who were also really nice. My fiance just had a rotten experience with another well-known tattoo shop in town and it didn't take long to convince him to make an appointment with Will (whose work with color is completely badass) instead.
I didn't technically get tattooed here. But bear with me, because I didn't get tattooed for a good reason and that's why they get one star.
After getting a totally BLEH tattoo from Emerald City (that's another story, entirely...), I decided to work with it and find some artists that could do a new tie-in tattoo and fix the one from Emerald City. Since, so many artists refuse to work on other artist's work. I was pretty happy to see I got emailed back from someone at Cicada tattoo.
I went in last Saturday to have him look at the situation at hand. This artist, who I won't mention the name of (*cough* Jason *cough*) proceeded to tell me that the not-so-good tattoo from Emerald City was a good tattoo - that he looks at tattoos everyday and me? Well, I was being hypercritical - and the artist that did the work did a good job, there was really nothing that he could do.
After summing me up as a perfectionist that was bitching for no reason (no reason besides this debacle being on my body for the rest of my life) he told me that he charged $140 an hour and asked when I wanted to schedule the new tattoo.
Ha! I'm sorry, but if I'm paying you ONE HUNDRED and FORTY dollars PER HOUR, I would expect you to be worth it. And worth it means being about to see CLEAR ink blowout and coming up with a solution for it.
Needless to say, I did not schedule with him. I went to a few other artists after Cicada, ALL of which said that the allegedly "non-existent" ink blow-out was from bad to "fucking shitty". Anyway, I decided to go with Mike Barker from Admiral Tattoo who came up with a totally non-invasive solution and is apparently experienced and meticulous enough to see the problem in the first place.
Maybe the other artists are awesome, who knows. But I wouldn't risk going to Jason.
It's been 7 years since my last tattoo but was suddenly inspired and stopped in to make it come to life. Â Based on some good advice from Caine, I got the sizing and color just right and I love the end result. Â The experience was great - very clean, very personable, totally awesome...I've been to a lot of different artists and shops in the last 15 years and this one is one of the best.
Review Source:I decided that I wanted to get a tattoo and had heard really good reviews about Cicada from a friend and her coworkers. I walked in and asked if they could get me in that night, and they were able too! The artist who did my tattoo was Miah and I have to say that he has an amazing talent for providing exactly what you want and interpreting your thought into reality but even better, which is exactly what I was looking for! Miah was very nice and the conversation was great. The shop was very clean also. Highly recommended tattoo shop, no dirty look, no snotty attitude, just nice guys! I will be going back to Miah for another soon!
Review Source:Will creates quality art. Â And, he's a good guy, hard working, and very talented.
Sure, it's on Aurora. Â
The shop is big, bright, clean and comfortable. Â It's an honest, friendly business, and one you can feel good about supporting. Â The artists here are all very friendly in person, although that may not come across on the phone when trying to schedule.
The location just makes for more interesting walk-ins.
I hate making decisions. Thank goodness for reusable shopping bags, since even the question "paper or plastic?" always made me scratch my head. So it goes without saying, my decision to get a tattoo was not made lightly. I mulled over the decision to put permanent ink on my body for six, long years. I thought about future job interviews, wedding pictures, and my mom's reaction and at the end of the six years, I still wanted my tattoo.
My decision to go to Miah at Cicada Tattoo was also not based on a whim. After years of thinking about my design, I wanted to make sure that the piece that ended up on my forearm looked exactly like what I had in my mind. After looking through Miah's portfolio, I was struck by his amazing artistic talent. I knew I could trust him to perfect the design and permanently put it on my body. And by Jove, I was right.
Miah exceeded my expectations from the get go. Not only did he listen to my idea and make it happen exactly how I wanted, but he was a totally nice guy and I didn't feel like I needed to justify or explain my tattoo. He was laid back and made me feel at ease in the chair. So at ease, that I can't wait to come back and get more!
As for the shop, don't be scared away by it's location. Sure, it's on Aurora. Sure, you may see a hooker or two walk by. And yes, it's across the street from a XXX movie store. I repeat, do not be scared away by Cicada's location. As soon as you walk through the door, you'll find a well lit, very clean tattoo shop complete with a koi pond and patio out back and friendly, talented artists at work inside.
I couldn't have had a better experience with Miah at Cicada. I'd recommend him highly. No more grueling tattoo related decisions for me. My mind is made up, I'll be back!
Ok yes its on Aurora, and yes its next door to a seedy sex shop, but once you get passed that little aspect its a great shop. The space is large and very clean, and the artists are friendly. I didn't get the whole pretentious vibe like I had gotten at other tattoo shops in Seattle that shall remain nameless. I actually followed Miah here from his former Slave to the Needle and Brain Drops in San Francisco. Miah did a great job of listening to what I wanted and making it as comfortable of a process as possible (Im a bit of a wuss when it comes to pain). He's real mellow, and talented guy.
Review Source:Will is an absolutely amazing artist, and fabulous to work with. Very laid back & professional at the same time. His shop is immaculate. All of the artists are extremely talented. His work is some of the highest quality and most unique I've ever seen, which is part of why I went with him.
Extremely happy with the work I've gotten, and looking forward to what I'll get in the future!
I've been pondering the same tattoo design for several years now, and I recently decided to bite the bullet and get it done. It was my first tattoo, but since I don't plan on getting any more I wanted it to be good. Consequently, it is not small or subtle: It's a phoenix that takes up my left upper back. Kind of intimidating considering I'd never been inked before and didn't really know what to expect.
Originally I'd planned to go to a different, well-known tattoo studio in Seattle but, in my conversations with that artist, I didn't feel like my ideas were respected and I wasn't excited by the artwork that person came up with. So I began my search anew.
I found Will Bodnar's portfolio online and was really impressed. Turned out he had recently left an established studio to found Cicada, so I tracked him down and made an appointment.
Will is awesome. He's very easygoing and never made me feel like any of my ideas were bad ones, even when I wasn't particularly articulate. He really knew how to work with my ideas to create something really beautiful, with amazing colors. He drew the design right on me, so it really feels like it "fits" there, and the artwork itself really matches my personality. The studio is attractive, welcoming and clean. I didn't feel at all intimidated or uncomfortable during the entire process.
At first I was a little nervous about going to a newly established studio instead of one of the more well-known ones. If you're similarly waffling, I say go for it! Cicada's great, Will did an awesome job, and what I saw of the other artists' portfolios looked excellent too. I'm very pleased with the results.
I'm not sure how the rest of the human race works but for me, boredom normally breeds spontaneity. Â This is the short version of how me and my homie Riss J. ended up getting Tat's last Tuesday. Â I've been plotting a simple heart design for a while now and have always wanted it on the back of my neck. Â Being a professional, it seems like a great place because it is in a place where when out in public people will notice it but you can also cover it up while at work.
We attempted to wait at two different places before we hit Cicada, which we happen to spot as we were driving and pulled straight in. Â To the defense of Cicada for being open and available for our walk in appointments, they have just opened up and are using mostly word of mouth to get word out about their new space. Â I am positive, they will soon be booming and that is not said lightly.
Walking in I was greeted by Will. Â He was casual, collective and very easy to talk to. Â As soon as he started to talk I knew this is where we were getting our work done. Â Riss and I wanted to get them done at the same time so Will told us to wait for Cain who'd be back in soon. Â Will and I worked on my design and we did a few remakes, him being patient the whole while and even crackin' jokes.
Cain came in, got down to business with Riss and came up with a design Riss loved. Â The duo artist were fun, very laid back and professional. Â Through every step, they verbally walked us through it. Â Entirely, the tats each took about 20 mins.
Cicada is clean and fresh feeling. Â You will not once get that vibe that you sometimes get other places where you feel like you don't fit in b/c you don't have a billion tats. Â Ask for Will or Cain!! Â Will is the owner and he is rad. Â The way Cain whipped out the Tat for Riss, you'd think he was psychic and he seriously has a knack for listening to what you want and putting your ideas on paper. Â They are amazing!!
D: So what are you doing the rest of the day?
R: nothing really, what should we do?
D: want to go get a tattoo?
R: yes, lets go.
We started up north, I *really* wanted Doc to do my tattoo. I trust the man with big needles and my nipples, of course I trust him for a tattoo.
Unfortunately, the whole shop is booked solid for the day, and I'm not a good "waiter". I refuse to accept that patience is a virtue. Patience is for people w/ nothing better to do with their damn lives, ok?
D and I tried one other place whose work I know, only to be found waiting ...*again*
Screw that, so we set out in search of a shop..
and we found Cicada. I am laughing my damn ass off at the moment that we ended up HERE given the only other reviewer is Alyson and it's owned by "her" artist now, seeing as her and i were talking about where D and I should go earlier that day..
The shop was immaculately clean, the waiting area was nice and comfortable.
Parking was odd, the lot to one side is clearly for a specific business, the lot on the other the same, and street parking comes w/ a lot of time limits and stuff here. If there was a back lot, there was no sign indicating as such.
D got Will and I got Caine. Â She had her design ready and had Wil sketch it out to her liking.
Caine took that design, I showed him some other work in the shop I liked, and he whipped me out a nice little change up of my own.
The guys were funny, professional, quick and made sitting there staring at my own tits for half an hour even more enjoyable than it normally is.
This was my first tattoo. I'm a piercing pro, so I had no worries about pain.
Pierce: Quick, huge surge of pain that fades fast, followed by hours of adrenaline high.
Tat: Relatively mild pain in short duration, followed by hours of adrenaline high.
Caine has my definite two thumbs up. Hot, funny, professional and does good work.
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