By admin 
Hidden in the buzz of amps squealing and fans screaming at Aftershock 2026 is a different sort of buzz: Tattoo guns firing for hours on end.
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While merchandise stands placed around Discovery Park sell branded T-shirts and keychains to rock and metal fans attending this weekend’s music festival, one vendor is offering attendees lifelong reminders of their time in Sacramento.
Wander Ink, a mobile tattoo shop by the Southern California-based Body Art Express shop, is making its mark on hundreds of Aftershock-goers looking for a unique way to symbolize their festival experience.
Multiple artists crammed into a food truck-sized trailer serve a revolving door of clients throughout the four-day festival.
“We’re more of a creative activation because we bring the possibility for permanent merch,” said Paul “Doc” Newland, owner of Wander Ink and Body Art Express in Twentynine Palms. “This is not like a T-shirt that’s gonna fade.”
He and his team looked for an alternative way to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, when tattoo shops in California were shut down, and they launched the mobile concept soon after. Since then, the company has tattooed at festivals in Kentucky, Florida, Oklahoma, Nevada and more.
Wander Ink at Aftershock is located on the western end of Discovery Park all four days of the festival, near the Point Stage.
What is it like getting a tattoo at a music festival?
A large crowd of festival-goers stopped their trek from one side of the Aftershock grounds to the other in order to ogle at the tattoos offered at Wander Ink. Many put their names down on a waitlist in hopes of getting art on their skin before the end of the weekend.
Newland didn’t have an estimate for how many pieces or customers the mobile studio would tattoo over the course of Aftershock, saying it varies with each festival. Around 1 p.m., at least 10 visitors were seriously perusing the flash sheets, as five clients were being inked inside.
Amanda Bright, a festival attendee who is a huge fan of Thursday headliner My Chemical Romance, was getting a large spider tattoo on her upper arm Thursday afternoon after finding out about the tattoo studio on the Aftershock mobile app.
“ I was excited to see what kind of flash they have,” she said. “I’ve been wanting to get a new tattoo for a while, so seeing that they were here, that’s perfect.”
For artists like Noel Delgado and Mike “Junior” Brown, who was tattooing Bright, traveling with the studio has given them opportunities to build their portfolios and meet a diverse population of people at the same time.
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“My favorite part (of the job) is probably just meeting people from all over the U.S.,” Delgado said. “I think the most interesting part is seeing what flash people get in different areas.”
Jillian Brazil, who works the front of the shop, said she loves being with festival attendees. These fans often forget the date when they’re filling out paperwork, which Brazil said is a good sign.
“They always seem to have a good vibe, they’re happy to be here,” she said. “I love it every single time (when clients forget the date), you know they’re enjoying themselves.”
What kind of tattoos are offered at Wander Ink at Aftershock?
Artists at the festival offer exclusively flash tattoos, which are pre-determined designs listed on a sheet.
More than a dozen sheets of flash designs advertise a diverse set of tattoos. Sacramento diehards can get a California outline with a star over the capital city, while Aftershock aficionados can ink the festival logo on themselves.
There are also images symbolizing the bands playing this year’s festival, including My Chemical Romance’s famed “Welcome to the Black Parade” skeleton, affectionately named Pepe by fans.
A series of guitar picks with band names and Aftershock references have a minimalist style for attendees who prefer a more subtle look.
But rock and metal superfans aren’t the only ones who can find designs that fit their tattoo styles. Non-music designs include floral fine line, cute ghosts and skulls, neo-traditional hearts and characters from “The Simpsons” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
Tattoos start at a minimum of $150 and increase depending on the design. Prices are listed next to each design on the flash sheets.
For attendees who prefer metal to ink, Wander Ink also offers piercings at the festival. Ear, nose, mouth, eyebrow and nipple piercings are also offered, costing between $60-$100.
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The Bee’s Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado contributed to this story.