LA Ink on TLC

Every Wednesday night on TLC you can catch a show called LA Ink at 10 p.m. LA Ink is a reality show based on a tattoo shop called High Voltage in West Hollywood, California, and stars the highly talented tattoo artist, Kat Von D, who owns the shop. The show also incorporates not only the world of High Voltage, but another tattoo shop called American Electric, which is located in Los Angeles.

On the show, the world of tattooing for these Californian shops is revealed, along with backgrounds of the cast members' lives, conflicts, and personal accomplishments. Another strong focus of the show are the customers that come into the shops to be inked. Each customer on the show reveals a background story of their tattoo, along with presenting the final product when the artist has completed their work. Many different customers come in from not just California, but all over America, and even overseas from Europe. Musicians are often on the show getting tattoos as well, such as Travie McCoy from the band Gym Class Heroes.

But not only are musicians getting the tattoos, there is one musician in particular that works as a tattoo artist at High Voltage, and is also one of the stars of the show, Dan Smith. Dan Smith plays in a band called The Dear & Departed. While Dan works at High Voltage as a tattoo artist, he also takes time to leave for tours with The Dear & Departed, as shown in previous episodes of the current season of LA Ink.

The Dear & Departed approach their music with a dark form of a mix between punk and new wave, as stated on their Web site. As I attended an Alkaline Trio concert last year, The Dear & Departed helped open the show and Dan Smith mentioned his origins from New Zealand, though the band launched their first album in Orange County, California.

Check out LA Ink tonight at 10 p.m. to see Dan Smith tattooing at High Voltage.

Photo courtesy of lainkcasting.com.