Musink

Tyson McAdoo peddles his wares at Musink 2010.

Fifty-four vendors, more than 300 tattoo artists, 29 bands and a skate ramp jam — all within a three-day period.

This is Musink.

The three-day music, tattoo and skate festival, celebrating its third year, was held Friday through Sunday at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

Sean Akhavan, Musink’s event coordinator, said the main reason he picked the OC Fairgrounds was because of its access to multiple buildings and the fact that Orange County doesn’t have a really good tattoo convention.

“If you notice all of the same people listening to music all have tattoos. I think it’s a culture that blends,” Akhavan said.

The bands are chosen on availability and Akhavan said he tries to get the best artists from all around the world so the festival maintains a wide variety for any type of spectator.

“As long as the event is successful and people have a great time, that is all that matters,” Akhavan said.

Some may be intimidated walking into a festival where the majority of attendees are tattooed from head to toe, but Peter Levy, owner of Under the Gun Tattoo Company in Hollywood, was the first to throw away this perception.

“I think people misunderstand the work of tattooing because I think it is art. The truth is I think it is the most unbelievable form of art, in that you really don’t have a second try. You don’t take the paper, you don’t throw it in the garbage, you get one shot,” Levy said.

Levy said his favorite part of Musink is to see other artists like Robert Hernandez who came from Spain and to show off his own body artwork.

“This festival, Musink, is unlike many others — it has a really awesome display of wonderful artists where you have a lot of tattoo conventions out there that don’t really focus on the art and more on the money,” Levy said.

Along with the vendors, there were also traditional artists there as well.

Meet Tyson McAdoo, a tattooed 31-year-old pin up artist who has dabbled in tattooing and even worked for Marvel and DC while maintaining a well groomed handle bar moustache.

“It (Musink) is a family reunion all weekend. Even if it is not your thing it’ll blow you away because it’s such good quality. We say it’s a private subculture but it’s really as mainstream as it gets,” McAdoo said. “We’re not like everyone else — we are everyone else so why not have more people a part of the party.”

There were also tattoo artists like Hoser, an artist for Empire Tattoo in the Redlands, who could not wait to see the bands NOFX and Face to Face.

“It gives us a chance for other people to see our work and get your ideas out there. Some people like it some people don’t but that’s the best part about it. It is life and you should expose yourself to as much stuff as possible,” Hoser said.