What Does a Rock Girl do with an Airport Delay? She Gets a Tattoo

Your Q103 Rock Girl finally returned Saturday from her week full of music and sun at the Hard Rock Resort in Punta Cana.

There would have been nothing better than to wrap up a music-themed vacation with seeing one of my favorite current bands, Crown The Empire, play at Upstate Concert Hall on Saturday night. This was the plan to wrap up a phenomenal week until my trip back from the Dominican Republic was plagued with delays getting off the plane, even longer delays getting my baggage, and bad weather to top it all off.  By the time I was close to even getting my baggage, there was absolutely no way I would have made it to Upstate Concert Hall in time to see the band. Luckily, I got to see them twice this past summer at Warped Tour on the Monster Stage. And even luckier, getting stuck downstate Saturday night allowed me to be driving through the Poughkeepsie area on Sunday just in time for the second annual "Harvesting Hope" event.

The "Harvesting Hope" event is hosted annually by the Hudson Valley Tattoo Company in Wappingers Falls, NY. All of the proceeds from tattooing during this event are donated to the Poughkeepsie High School after-school "Art Club." This means that even tips for the artists themselves were not accepted (I tried)- EVERYTHING went to the art club. The location was also accepting art supplies to be donated as well. Following the day of tattooing from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., the event turned into drinks provided by North River Hops and Brewing, food by West Main Kitchen, and music.

I initially found out about the even when a band member from the rock band Fit For A King posted it on their Facebook page. Fit For A King recently played at Upstate Concert Hall with Beartooth and Every Time I Die, and are the real deal in terms of musicians. They not only make great rock music, but support the arts and local communities as well.  For someone like me who grew up in a tiny town, and knows what it's like to have to the threat of a high school arts programs being cut, this truly ups my respect for a group.

So what happens when a Rock Girl gets delayed traveling and can't make an awesome concert? She gets a tattoo instead! This morning I bee-lined in my car to the Hudson Valley Tattoo Company, and decided that if I couldn't enjoy music, I'd give back, get a tattoo, and help support others enjoys the arts as much as I do.

The event itself was packed, and by the time I got to the venue there were easily 30 names on the list.  Even though it was a packed house, everyone was so courteous, and I had no problem waiting patiently to get my tattoo. There were set tattoos designs to choose from created by the shop's artists themselves. The tattoos were going for set prices of either $50, $100, $150, or $200. I, myself, chose a "bubble skull" design, seeing as I have a weird obsession with skulls and anatomy, and had the tattoo placed on my right forearm.  From the moment I opened the door to the tattoo parlor, I could feel the energy exuding from the group of people. On a cold, dreary, gray day, I could feel the positive energy the second my foot crossed the doorway. That excitement and energy is exactly what I love about the arts and music community, and why I'm so psyched to be a Rock Girl.

I had a fairly short wait in respect to the amount of people getting tattoos, and had such a pleasant experience with my tattoo artist, Tyler. He himself designed the skull tattoo I was getting, so it was great to get insight from the artist himself. Some of the people there had "degrees-of-separation" from the rock music community as well, so I not only got tattooed, but was able to "talk shop" also. It was a rock-and-roll experience in itself to be a part of it all.

When the day ended, I wound up with a new tattoo that I am in love with and a feeling of gratitude for being able to help out in a community. While I'm bumming that I wasn't able to see Crown the Empire again, this Rock Girl still made the weekend rock!