Tattoos of Denver Musicians

Friday, March 1, 2019 at 8:09 a.m.

Jake Cox Kalyn Heffernan of Wheelchair Sports Camp has a few notable tattoos. "Most of my tattoos are on the road now through playing music, so not about music, but they come with the tour," says Heffernan. 1/24

Jake Cox This tattoo was done by Annie Lloyd at Get Fat Brooklyn and features Stephen Hawking. "They are all kind of my favorite. It's definitely the one I put the most thought and patience into," Heffernan says. "Most of my tattoos are on a whim, and this is the one that I wanted for the longest, and it didn't change." 2/24

Jake Cox Heffernan says that tattoos, like music, can be used to tell stories. She also says that "having tattoos does not make you edgy." 3/24

Jake Cox Adam Perry of Gasoline Lollipops, pictured at Albums on the Hill, says he does not think there is an expectation to have tattoos if you are in a band. "I can think of all the bands I’ve been in, and most of the guys don’t have tattoos," he says. 4/24

Jake Cox Perry, who has been in and out of bands his whole life, says that his "Death and Glory" tattoo, referring to the Clash song, "meant a lot to me. The song is all about how everyone says they will die for their song. I've been in and out of bands my whole life because of the balance of having a kid, having a real-life job and wanting to make music." Perry says that that tattoo is a combination of Gasoline Lollipops songs. 5/24

Jake Cox "I think getting up on stage in front of people is not that much different than sitting in a chair being like, 'Let's do this.' Like, I might regret this later, it might not be the best thing ever, but God damn it, it feels right in the moment," Perry says. 6/24

Jake Cox "I got my first tattoo when I was eighteen years old before tattoos were really popular. At that point I wasn’t playing music; I was a chef. I never felt an expectation to dress like a musician; its just who I am," says Nick Plumber of Whiskey Orphans. 7/24

Jake Cox Plumber says he sees an intersection between music and tattoos because with both you are "putting yourself up front." 8/24

Jake Cox Plumber uses mythology in his songwriting and says these tattoos are all parables and drinking gods. 9/24

Jake Cox Madi Pietruszka of the Corner Girls describes Denver as "tattoo-positive." 10/24

Jake Cox "I got it randomly, and it was only like $60," Pietruszka says about her favorite tattoo. "It literally doesn’t mean anything to me personally. I just think it's cute." 11/24

Jake Cox "The art you put on your body and the art you create go hand in hand," Pietruszka says. 12/24

Jake Cox Kelci Newlin deejays under the name S.I.X.X.X.D. She doesn't feel an expectation as a musician to have a tattoo. "If you overthink, you'll lose your brand. Trying to fit into something doesn’t work. I feel like everyone is pushing boundaries," she says. 13/24

Jake Cox S.I.X.X.X.D.'s favorite tattoo was created by Jonathan Penchoff. "It was a gift to myself for my 25th birthday. It was one that I sat down and designed with him after thinking about it for a while," she says. 14/24

Jake Cox "I told him, 'Give me Mother Nature, but make her so she’s like me,'" S.I.X.X.X.D. says of her favorite tattoo. 15/24

Jake Cox Robert Louis Cole, the frontman for R.L. Cole & The Hell You Say, grew up in a conservative, religious environment. "That ultimate serenity they talk about that should come from prayer and religion...the only time I've felt that is from being tattooed or playing music," Cole says. 16/24

Jake Cox Cole got his hands tattooed when he was fifteen and says he doesn't think his tattoos have held him back from anything he's wanted to do — or if they have, they've helped put him in the right direction. Cole tried to join the Marine Corps but was told he could not because of his hand tattoo. 17/24

Jake Cox Rachel Paton from Ritual Tattoo did Cole's hand tattoo. 18/24

Jake Cox Melanie Steinway is both a member of the band Tyto Alba and a tattoo artist. 19/24

Jake Cox Steinway has tattooed her three bandmates as well as other musicians, such as Esmé Patterson. 20/24

Jake Cox Steinway's favorite tattoo comes from David Hale. "As a woman in the music scene, unfortunately the way that you look does have an impact on things," Steinway says. "I don’t think that's exclusive to this industry, though." 21/24

Jake Cox Rocky RamJett of the Fabulous Boogienauts has multiple tattoos. This one was inspired by a statue that he combined with lyrics from a Dead Kennedys song. "I've caught a lot of shit with people saying, 'You have to wear that the rest of your life!' That's how tattoos should be. If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly bear," RamJett says. 22/24

Jake Cox RamJett considers Denver to be a city that has always been progressive. 23/24

Jake Cox "I’m pretty much the only person in my band with tattoos, and there are ten of us," RamJett says. 24/24

Tattoos of Denver Musicians

To be a true Denver musician, do you need a tattoo? Of course not, but plenty of people in the local music scene have ink. See what these individuals have to say about their favorite tattoos and about how body art and music intersect.

_{Up Next:}