Most people would not consider a tattoo shop a major music venue. However, during the Maximum Ames Music Festival, Inkblot Studio hosted one of the biggest concerts all weekend.

Inkblot hosted The Stewardesses, Trouble Lights, Utopia Park, Eros & the Eschaton, and Tires on Sept. 27.

The first act, The Stewardesses, was a DJ named Garrett Adams and he was the perfect way to kick off the show. His groovy techno was not too loud, but served as a nice way to ease into the intensity that was to come.

Hypnotic, colorful images were projected behind him as he worked his magic and captivated the audience. After his act, he thanked the crowd and joined the audience. 

Trouble Lights, a sexy and upbeat techno/dance band, followed The Stewardesses. Front woman Adrien Daller belted out lyrics and danced around the stage as Anne Carlisle performed robotic backup vocals and Philip Rabalais played various dub step-ish beats through a sound system.

The band’s energy was phenomenal and caused the crowd to dance and mosh. The floor shook and walls rumbled as everyone jumped and danced the night away.

The third, and possibly most lovable act, was Utopia Park. Brothers Dom and Phil Rabalais jammed out and sang, as Phil shredded the guitar and their drummer, Nicholas Naioti kept the beat.

Images, amusing, yet irrelevant to the act played behind them. The brothers had an abundance of energy and were a ton of fun to watch. At one point Dom stood on and amp and Phil was in the audience giving hugs. They were goofy and it was nearly impossible not to like them. 

The crowd was crazy after seeing Utopia Park, but somehow the act that followed, Eros & the Eschaton managed to tame the masses. The incredibly talented trio, keyboardists and vocalists Kate Perdoni and Adam Hawkins and drummer Alex Koshak mesmerized the audience with colorful projected patterns and angelic vocals. Throughout the performance the band members swapped instruments, further proving their seemingly inhuman talent. 

Last but not least, headliner Tires performed. Now, this was not an ordinary show for Tires, it was their final show before they broke up and parted ways. As they started to play, the audience became lost in their music. The sounds of their instruments enveloped the room and ended the night in bliss. 

The show as a whole was amazing and a very unique experience. 

4/5