Athens DJs

A spotlight on those who hype up Athens all night.

BY HANNAH CAMPBELL PHOTOS BY MIKAELA WOODS

The atmosphere of any hard for them to figure out what bar or party is perfectly people are looking for.” formulated; the Fischer started DJing at 13 lighting, the energy, years old after watching YouTube and the music can all make or videos of artists like DJ Carnage. break a night. The DJs playing He was so inspired by these artthose bars and parties must find ists he decided to teach himself a way to cultivate this perfect how to DJ from an app on his formula. phone.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, “I just remember [DJ Carnage] students were not able to expe- being able to control the crowd rience these lively parties and and chase the emotion and nights of going out like past years. Large “As a DJ, our job is to read a crowd and environment,” Fischer said. “I just found that groups were unsafe, and bars required customprovide for that crowd. When you super cool, and I wanted to do that.” ers to constantly wear masks and stay seated. get people sitting down and not After coming to Athens, Fischer used Matthew Fischer, also known as DJ Fisch, is a interacting with the DJ, it’s really hard both his music and business skills to work junior studying music production and recording for them to figure out what people are for Brick Life Entertainment, a student-run industry, and serves as the looking for.” DJ service and promotion comhead of Brick Life MATTHEW FISCHERpany. Any busiEntertainment. ness or party can He said it was hard to create an reach out to the company if they entertaining set in an awkward need DJs, promotions, or multienvironment where people could media services. Some of the local not interact with each other. businesses they work with include “It’s very hard for a DJ to read Red Brick Tavern, Pawpurr’s Bar, what’s going on in the environ- The Pigskin, The Over Hang, and ment when everyone is sitting Courtside Pizza. down,” Fischer said. “As a DJ, Another DJ with Brick Life Enour job is to read a crowd and tertainment, Mitch Vandon, also provide for that crowd. When you known as DJ THR33 PEAT, is a get people sitting down and not junior studying criminal sociology. interacting with the DJ, it’s really He started DJing during quaran-

tine as a fun hobby, and Brick Life Entertainment hired him last year.

Vandon also played at local bars during strict COVID-19 regulations. He said the environment was an adjustment for him, and the atmosphere is much better now that there are not as many guidelines. “It was definitely awkward because no one could dance or anything,” Vandon said. “It was definitely hard to pick the songs that I wanted to play. I had to pick songs that everyone knew all of the time so they could at least sing along or something in their seats.”

Vandon plays at many of the local bars in Athens, but mostly plays at Red Brick Tavern. Even though the environment of a bar can get chaotic, he says he still loves what he is doing.

“It’s never really been a big problem for me,” Vandon said. “Honestly, I love the enthusiasm and everyone always seems to have a good time, and that’s what I’m here to do.”

Like Vandon, Alex Ward, also known as DJ 322, loves the energetic environment of playing in a bar or party. Ward says he has always had a passion for music, especially for EDM. With the help of his brother, he was able to learn how to DJ. Ward was also inspired by the atmosphere that a DJ can create with their music. “No matter how many people you have there, whether it’s six or 600, you can all feel the same thing at once, which is something that’s really special,” Ward said. “I think that’s what really attracted me to [DJing].”

Ward is an independent DJ and typically plays for bars like Broney’s Alumni Grill and The Over Hang, as well as parties for groups like the Ohio Snowcats. He also said his favorite memory of DJing is his first ever set on a trip with the Ohio Snowcats to Snowshoe, West Virginia.

“I still had that twinkle in my eye just to play for anybody,” Ward said. “I remember sitting up in a hotel room with a laptop and a small DJ board and throwing a crazy party. We did that for two nights in a row, and it was just a really fun atmosphere with a lot of enjoyment.”

As of right now, DJing is just a fun hobby for Ward. However, his goal is to one day play at a big venue such as Breakaway Music Festival or Express Live.

Unlike Ward, Fischer wants to continue working in the music industry, but wants to focus more on the production side than actually being a DJ. He says that his favorite DJing memory was playing “Sweet Caroline” at Red Brick Tavern, during the chorus.

“I cut the music and everyone’s singing,” Fischer said. “It just gave me the chills and assists the best feeling ever. I just found that really cool and really exciting. Just thinking about it gives me the chills.”

Magic TaTToos

Magic Tattoo sticks out as friendly, welcoming parlor.

BY KATIE MILLARD PHOTOS BY BRE SEVERNS

Tattooing has been around since ancient Egypt; an art form that is permanent both on skin and in human tradition. Centuries later, people are still getting tattoos; an almost magical way to decorate yourself and make your skin your own. This art form has only grown since tattoos have become more mainstream, but Magic Tattoo, 26 W. Stimson Ave., keeps the integrity of the sacred art of tattooing alive.

Magic Tattoo is everything one could want in a tattoo parlor. Walking in, it smells comfortingly of cleaning supplies – a sure relief to anyone getting tattooed. The large windows let in a soft light that illuminates the framed images of sample tattoos the artists have drawn up, many striking and colorful. Most welcoming of all, however, are the tattoo artists: owner, Joee Green, and her husband, Thomas Green.

Both are extremely welcoming, considerate, and, most of all, passionate about tattooing. Magic Tattoo opened this past summer, replacing the former tattoo shop in the building, Thunder Bunny. Both Greens worked as artists at Thunder Bunny and were thrilled to open their own shop upon its close.

“I've owned shops in the past and I’ve been getting tattooed since 1984, so I've been in a lot of different tattoo shops between working and being a customer,” Thomas said. “So I had an idea of what I wanted a tattoo shop to be.”

After extensive remodeling, the store opened July 1. Joee said it took hours of work and refurbishing, explaining they completely redid all of the former tattoo rooms in favor of larger spaces, on top of remodeling the lobby, bathroom, and office space.

“Our former customers that came here when it was Thunder Bunny all come in and go ‘Oh my gosh, you guys did such a great job,’” Joee said. “I don't say that to toot our horns, but when you put in that much work and do it so gradually, we almost can't see how much we've done and how much it's changed. Then people come in here and go ‘Oh my gosh, the vibes feel so much better. Like it's just lighter.’ And that feels good, it does. It's like ‘Oh, we actually did something.’”

Although remodeling is mostly a thing of the past, the pair said they still work around the clock. The shop takes both appointments and walk-ins, which are typically scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. each day, although they said they are open to adjusting their hours to accommodate customers. Magic Tattoo’s days of operation are Monday through Saturday, with Sunday reserved for administrative work.

Even after going home, the couple explained they are still working for the shop.

“When we're not working, we're working,” Thomas said. “When we're not here calculating,

we're home drawing, or painting, or talking to customers. I hate cliche sayings, but it's 24/7.”

While they occasionally host guest artists, Joee and Thomas are the only two consistently on staff. With a full schedule, this leaves them with little time to do more. Thomas said he was a piercer for 23 years, but no longer performs them. Despite their many requests for piercings, they are strictly a tattoo shop. Unfortunately, confusion arises because Google and Facebook group tattoo and piercing shops together under categories, resulting in numerous requests for a service they do not offer.

The pair find a certain magic in tattooing and enjoy the creativity it allows them. They explained they are always happy to work with customers to create original designs. They love and appreciate the tradition of tattooing and named their shop because of the mysterious history of the art of tattoo, tracing it back to pirates and mysterious ambiences.

“The reason this place is called ‘Magic Tattoo’ is because it's kind of magic,” Joee said. “There is

a certain voodoo and mystique. Tattooing used to be really secretive; it used to be sort of underground.”

Thomas explained many traditions of tattooing disappeared over time as tattoos have increased in popularity. He recalled when tattoo shops used to be grunge affairs in a basement storefront. He cited Seattle as an example of the newfound mainstream nature of tattoos, explaining how in 1986 he recalled the city having three tattoo shops – now it has 75.

Thomas said many tattoo parlors now also serve as spas, which he did not speak ill of, only noting he felt many tattoo traditions were lost to time. He said his first tattoo was far from the experiences of today, and it has been interesting to watch the art of tattoo change and grow.

“The first tattoo shop I went in was an old biker shop that was terrifying,” Thomas said. “They were openly doing cocaine. I remember being four or five and just being scared to death. These guys looked a little bit like killers, especially back then. So when you would see someone with a lot of tattoos, it was weird. Now, and I said this just the other day walking through Walmart, I'm just like, ‘Oh, there's 50 people in here with sleeves.’”

While the environment and sanitation standards may have changed, the two said it can still be scary for first-time tattooers.

“I was terrified when I got my first tattoo,” Joee said. “Everybody is, so I always ask

people when I'm going to tattoo them. If I don't see a visible tattoo, I'm going to ask ‘Do you have any other tattoos? I'm going to walk you through this process; here is absolutely everything I'm going to do; here's why I'm doing this; let me know if you need a drink.’”

Joee suggests people wanting to get a tattoo be wary of too-small images because they can age poorly. She also recommended anyone who wants a walk-in to just stop by and skip calling ahead, because the time between calling and walking in may change their original answer as to availability.

Joee and Thomas joked that they balance each other out, as Thomas is self-described as grumpy on occasion, contrasting Joee’s friendly demeanor. They serve as the perfect artist pairing, both keeping the “grumpy” tattoo artist tradition alive while remaining friendly and welcoming, putting customers at ease. The two said they have good relationships with the other tattoo parlors in town, and Joee explained their niche.

“[We are] woman-owned; there's that,” Joee said. “It's a family business. We just try to be really friendly, really accepting of everybody. We try [to] get people in. Hopefully, when people come here, they feel that it's a positive, nice vibe in here and that it's clean and accepting of everybody.”

If one is in the market for a new tattoo, particularly one that is striking and colorful, Magic Tattoo is the ideal shop. With friendly, dedicated owners and a shop decorated in their artistic talents, the store is great for new and experienced tattoo enthusiasts.