They won our hearts with the earworm "David Bowie (Save Us All)," but Cleveland's own The Modern Electric has proven time and again they've got the skills to create more than one hit song that will withstand the tests of time. With lush orchestrations and the adept lyricism of frontman Garrett Komyati, the quartet has set forth to release a new album, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, with a music video per song that they've written and directed. We sat down with singer Garrett to discuss the new album, what makes Cleveland the ideal place for a band to be.
- Amber Patrick

You've created your own genre. Can you explain to us what cinematic pop is?
Cinematic pop has a strong focus on melody and hooks, but the cinematic part is two-fold. We are inspired to write songs after watching classic works of cinema, so the music is really born out of film. Most importantly, we want to provide a soundtrack to the lives of our fans.

Were there some film scores that got you interested in creating music 
that could be used in movies?
There have been a few soundtracks that made an impression on me. When Garden State came out, it helped me discover "indie" music and broadened my horizons past the strict Led Zeppelin/Pink Floyd box I was stuck in. Another important soundtrack was Marie Antionette (directed by Sofia Coppola). It used modern music from bands like The Cure and The Strokes over top of a movie set in the 1700s. Brilliant!

Currently you're writing/directing your own music videos for your forthcoming album, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. How has this challenged you as visual artists?
We have always had a love for making videos and discovered we had a natural talent for editing. One day we hope to make a feature film. These monthly music videos have challenged us to step up our game in the areas that haven't been so natural to us like directing, acting and screenwriting. We are able to make the mistakes that every filmmaker must make in order to perfect his or her craft. It feels like a hands-on film school where we learn from trial and error, but have a lot of fun in the process.

Has it challenged you at all as musicians to step behind the camera?
I think it has changed the way we interpret the meaning of our songs. It is limiting to pull a music video plot from the lyrics by trying to be literal and portray verbatim what the song is about. I now can see how a line that has a finite literal meaning to the writer has room to be interpreted to tell a completely different story. We have done that with a few of our music videos already. It's interesting to view your own songs through that lens and I can see how that may affect my lyric writing in the future.

You're also releasing a video each month off the album with a different press publication premiering each one. Why did you choose to release the album this way?
We are premiering each of our videos with a different press outlet in order to invite new people on the journey we're taking this year. Each blog or magazine we talk to has a readership that appreciates similar music. We are hoping too that someone may stumble upon one of our video premiers and be lead deeper into our catalog of videos and songs.

What do you think makes Cleveland an ideal place for a band?
We feel like we are in a great location for touring right in the heart of the midwest. We are right between Chicago and New York -- both major tour stops/music hubs. We are also a small lake away from touring internationally.

How do you think our community varies from others?
We aren't influenced by flaky trends as much in this city. I could see how a band living in LA or New York could lose themselves in the competitiveness or desire to be on the bleeding edge of a new sound in order to stand out. Here in Cleveland there isn't that same pressure to adapt to the trendy sounds of the year. It leads to more authentic, honest music.

We know you're a big fan of David Bowie. Besides him, if you could create a dream bill, who would you play with?
I would love to tour with either Delta Spirit, Spoon or Cold War Kids. Those three bands are on a very similar wavelength, in my opinion. We opened for Cold War Kids in Columbus last year, we are opening for Delta Spirit this week and we recorded our new album in Austin, TX with Spoon's producer Mike McCarthy. Basically, all my wildest dreams are coming true.

What sort of advice would you give to someone who wants to pave their 
own way as you have?
Please make sure you are creating things that matter to you, that move you, that are you are tied to deeply and personally. Don't cater to commercial viability at the expense of personal expression. Every song I've written is for a specific person, I keep that person in mind from the first lyric in the writing process to the last edit in the recording process. I have something to say to them in the song and if I manage to express it and they eventually hear it, then I consider it a success. This mindset makes the pressure of selling records, making the charts, getting a million views or likes disappear and leads to a joy and satisfaction in the art you create. I think you will find that honest music and true art has the power to be universal.

Check Out The Modern Electric 
Instagram 
@themodernelectric
Facebook
 https://www.facebook.com/themodernelectric
Website
http://www.themodernelectric.com/


This is there new single 
The Wait

How long have you been performing in burlesque, How did you discover it?
I started doing burlesque in London when I was at university - those days it was really about me revealing a male silhouette rather than skin.  It was about playing with historical references and alternate theatre genres like puppetry.  When I came to New York I saw that the burlesque scene was more diverse and playful than I could have imagined, and I had a very warm welcome when I brought my skills to the table.

When you perform burlesque how do you transcend gender thru performance ?
I play with gender, I navigate gender, I communicate with gender. Many of my acts are semi-autobiographical. For instance, my 18th century robot character from Tales of Hoffmann is an automaton built to resemble and act like a woman, but when it becomes self aware, it reveals it's own human, male truth.  Similarly, my Dorian Gray piece is about transforming what we think we want to be into what we truly are. I would never want a performance of mine to simply be exhibiting a trans body or telling a story of being trans. I can't speak for all trans people. But I can tell my own truth, and celebrate my expression of maleness.

How has burlesque help you in your journey?
Burlesque has given me the freedom to craft a character from the ground up. I can create the character's heart, their face, their expression, their story, their movement, their costume.  This is a freedom that you wouldn't get from a casting director - it's all your own. It's a huge responsibility to be trusted with this, but I love it. It really hits home just what you can express successfully and what doesn't work.

How do you feel about burlesque being friendly to transgender performers? 
are they inclusive?
Trans performers are already seen as oddities if they are visible - so it is certainly a challenge to make it clear that while my body is inherently political, my voice and my talent is more than just my ability to exist.  There is also a whole fleet of people who have been told in no uncertain terms that they are not beautiful, that they are not desirable.  When people like this do burlesque, it is an act of rebellion and I think that is so amazing. Does the burlesque world welcome people like this? Only if the people watching or producing shows are 
not afraid of straying from the status quo.

Any issues you have had in your journey with burlesque?
Some drag culture (and sadly gay culture) has been very toxic or ignorant about trans performers - perhaps because they don't understand that cross dressing performance and trans lives are inherently different experiences.  I have been very fortunate to work with amazing people, and people who are intelligent enough to take feedback on board. 
Others, not so much.  Unfortunately some people hold trans people to an even stricter body policing standard than cis people.  

What do you want to say to others looking into burlesque ?
Burlesque can be an incredible opportunity to bring your beauty and your power to an audience, on your own terms.  It's also a privilege to have an audience at all, so make sure you honour that, and give them the best entertainment you can give.

How do you wish your bravery be example to others?
I wouldn't call myself brave simply for being visible.  That’s a choice I make, but it’s also something I can’t escape if I want my needs to be acknowledged.  We're living in an age now where we're often not even allowed to star in our own inspiration porn.  We have to fight against all odds simply to be seen, and to have a genuine portrayal.  We shouldn’t have to fight for it, but we do, for the people who come after us.

Tell us about your first festival experience? 
My first festival was the 2nd annual NY Boylesque Festival.  It was pretty special to me, since I had seen the 1st as a very new performer and had one of those “I’ll be on that stage one day” moments.  The next year, I was.  I was backstage, surrounded by other male burlesque performers from all over the world, bringing their different styles and backgrounds to the show, enriching the air with their artistry and their body odour.  I made some incredible friends, including the amazing producer of the Burlesque Festival Vienna, and I just couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be the *only* male burlesque performer in your whole city.  It brought me back to the heady joys of performing in London, where people from all over Europe would come to study and perform together, bringing different flavours to the trifle.  

I don’t think the producers or the host knew I was trans - it is such a big show, they probably didn’t have the time to get to know me very well.  But that was ok with me - while I felt proud to be the first trans male performer in the festival, I still very much wanted my trans status to be expressed on my own terms.  I was also doing an act that was more explicitly about my transition (the Automaton act).  

as an artist what do you try to get acrossed when your on stage?
I aim to get a character across.  Burlesque is an amazing opportunity to have complete control over a character study, and even if the audience doesn’t know every single influence and inspiration I’m referencing, they should at least get a feeling of who I am, what I want, what I’m feeling.  Any performer with the luck to have a captive audience owes them entertainment, whether it be truthful, fantastical, pageantry, morbidity - I prefer to show my audience beauty - even if it’s a beauty they’ve never seen or considered before.  

what do you do for a living? 
I’m a bit of a techy and a bit of an artist, so right now I help media artists with IT issues for a really cool company.  I say they’re cool because in addition to working with artists, they allow me to work from pretty much anywhere, so I can perform around the world and still be secure.  

There was a time when I’d lost my job in retail and started doing burlesque just to make ends meet - it’s a struggle and it really hit home just how hard you have to work for your money when you’re an entertainer.  But I’m very proud that I was able to do it.

You can find Lewd Via 
Instagram 
@lewdalfred
Facebook 
facebook.com/lewdalfred.douglas
Website 
www.lewdalfred.com 
Lewd also writes a blog that at times focuses specifically in trans issues and being a performer.  
This blog might help inspire some to seek information on the art form. 
Someone wrote in asking for advice about being ‘pre-op’ and doing burlesque 
-The Welfare of His Majesty 

Spring is here and we are brining you new blooms in to the stage, The Cleveland Burlesque Academy Graduates are performing for the first time ever On April 3rd, Le Femme Mystique returns to the Beachland Ballroom for The Spring Fling Strip! 

How long have you been performing in burlesque and how did you discover it?
In 2011, I was still in school at OSU and I had just performed drag for the first time at the Q-Pid Valentine’s Day dance. Soon thereafter I met a member of local queer burlesque troupe Viva! and the Velvet Hearts, who were hosting a monthly LGBT mixer called Fusion Friday. At the time I had no real sense of what burlesque was, but I always enjoyed dance and dress up as a child and relished the thought of being validated onstage for the more feminine aspects of myself - aspects that were inaccessible to me as a person assigned male at birth, having been socialized as a boy in a strictly binary gender culture. As I began to explore my persona and develop acts, the stage felt like an alternate dimension where all the normal rules of gender identity and expression didn’t apply. Now, I co-own Crimson Lace Cabaret, a dance company showcasing burlesque, dance, drag and gender performance. As we I dance, I try to further chart that uncharted and possibly unchartable space.

When you perform burlesque, how do you transcend gender through performance ?
Part of the reason I love burlesque is because it is a transgressive art form. It’s performed live, in front of an audience, where the performer divests themselves and presents their body for public consumption. Usually the act calls forth and challenges sexual and gender mores, such as the sexual power of women or the acceptability of different body types, but burlesque is also capable of discussing other cultural systems as well, such as race, ability and virtually any other intersectionality of identity. In my case, as a male-assigned person who enjoys femme expression but identifies with neither iconic gender, as I reveal my body I am inviting the audience to have a discussion about gender politics.  I do not typically wear fake hair, breasts, or pads to change the shape of my body.  By avoiding illusionism I try to get the audience to analyze their assumptions about gender. The other reason I enjoy burlesque is because I find the experience of shedding clothing cathartic. For me it represents a transcendent but futile attempt at shedding a gendered state of mind and state of being. 

Eileen's life is unique and precious and we are honored to have her join us on stage April 3rd 2014 at Beachland Ballroom from Spring Fling Strip. 
You can catch her in Columbus with Crimson Lace Cabaret. 
Thank You, Readers.

How did you get interested in music?
It was always a calling ever since I was a little girl. I think a lot of things got in the way, so I kept it on the back burner, but as soon as I realized it was who I was, everything started falling into place.

Did you start with piano?
I started with piano. It’s always been my main squeeze. I played flute a little bit because I was in the marching band, but piano was my deal.

Were you classically trained?
I did take lessons for a while, yeah. I was more of an ear student.

How did your teachers react to that?
They knew I was talented in that way, but they would always catch me. They would say, we know that you didn’t practice because you’re not looking at the music. They’re like, that’s awesome that you got the song, but read!
I actually started taking piano lessons again to go back and learn theory and all that fun stuff. It’s a different way of getting things, a more grounding way.

Has that helped your playing?
I think it has, I think it inspired me. Anything that has feedback is good, that’s why I like jamming with people. Sometimes, because I’m a solo artist, I get in a bubble and I get very critical, so it’s good to hear the honest truth from others.

Your music is built around that, the honest truth.
Yes, I’m very honest. I’ve noticed that if I’m not honest, I can’t finish the song, if that makes sense. Sometimes it takes a day, fifteen minutes; sometimes it takes a year and a half.

Is it difficult to get on stage and be that open?
No, actually, it isn’t. I really didn’t think of it that way. I used to have chronic stage fright and I was just afraid of playing in general. When I finally just tapped into and got through my set and enjoyed it, I thought it was awesome. A lot of people seem to really like my music. Some people say that my music is really said, but all in all, more people say it’s just truthful, and that’s alright with me.

You have to have a mixture of emotions in your music because that’s what you lived through, that’s what has inspired your writing.
Exactly. That’s who I am and that’s how you write a song. It’s good to help people feel those things—happy and sad and in between. Music is a moody thing, like the Cleveland weather. We have to branch out and be who we are. You have to be honest with who you are and you can’t compare yourself with others. Your path is your path. I think getting over my creative block, taking the steps to get over that, it was an epiphany that this is what I have to offer. This is just who I am and I have to be okay and accept that.

When you were trying to get through that creative block, what was your playing like?
I had to force myself to play and I had to listen to a lot of guidance, to nurture myself in different ways. It was re-turning on the intuition a little bit, listening to the hunches and being nice to myself. That’s where it comes from.  I think a lot of things we have to get over and we have that negative self-talk that’s in your way. That completely stops you, I’ve noticed. That’s why it was good to branch out and hear what my deal is, get feedback.
For a while, I didn’t even consider myself a musician. But this is who I am, this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. There’s going to be dark days I’ve heard, and bright days, but at least if I get to that one person that gets it, that’s it. People still come up to me and say you really helped me out with that one song or I heard you on the radio and that helped me. 


Tonight, Noon will open at the Beachland tavern for Estonian rockers Ewert & the Two Dragons. Tickets are still available.
Listen to Noon 
http://noon1.bandcamp.com/releases


Interview by Amber Patrick 
Images by Amber Patrick 

The World of burlesque has been a buzz with The Lucky Pierre's decision to drop a burlesque performer based on body size. The NOLA establishment voiced in social media the standard of beauty they were looking for, after further backlash and the negative attention that made national headlines the club apologized via facebook page too little to late. 
Catch Up with all the statements via 21st Century Burlesque.

The Ohio Burlesque communities have been very inclusive and sizeist mentalities are very minimal in the burlesque world.. or are they?  This stands as a question that performer Tangerine Jones answered in her XO Jones article (The Lucky Pierre's Scandal Shows Body Shaming in Burlesque Is Alive and Well) she writes 

"The New Burlesque revival presents itself as an alternative to the mainstream. From a branding perspective, it frames itself in nostalgia while embracing just enough edge and feminism to make it seem relevant and progressive. Over the last couple of decades, it’s been touted as empowering, embracing of all body types, ages, colors, and genders and as a tool for subversion using satire and sex. It has lived up to this ideal in certain respects and failed miserably in others." - Tangerine Jones

A few days prior Cleveland Burlesque Queen Bella Sin took to social media with

Is the burlesque community really inclusive or is the idea of inclusivity just an illusion? 

Per The Burlesque Hall of Fame statement 

*Burlesque Hall of Fame Spoke of Carrie Finnel that played 52 weeks straight at The Roxy Burlesque Theater located in Cleveland, OH- Where she allegedly invented tassel twirling. * 

While some argue that size is based on demand of the clientele and the mainstream ideas of beauty. The industry is changing with major example Plus Size Model Tess Holiday recently sign to Milk Modeling Agency in London. Ms Holiday at a size 22 and has inspired women with her campaign #effyourbeautystandards, Holiday made International headlines with her new contract, Showcasing the direction of the new industry that is growing rapidly. Recently Actress Jamie Brewer was announce to make fashion history as the first model with Down syndrome to walk a runway during New York Fashion Week. Proving that beauty does know disability. 

The industry is changing and the mainstream beauty standards are becoming a part of the past.
Will the world change  to accommodate all the wonderful beauty with in it or will 
these standards still stand? Only time will tell for now -
 
Our support for Ruby Rage is in every step she takes to live her truth, We have started to share the responsibility to join hand with #CLE4WOMEN and Cleveland's Burlesque Queen for the
 "All bodies are beautiful Rally " 
Taking place in Cleveland, Ohio at The Free stamp April 4th at 1:00PM 
This gathering invites all shapes, races and sexual orientations to stand for Ruby Rage and the thousand others that are discriminated by societies unrealistic standards of beauty. We invite you to join us and show support to our thriving community of women and men proud of their bodies. 


No More Size Shaming! No More Sizeist Mentalities! 
A Stand For Arms!
We stand for beauty! 

Good Life Body Piercing+Fine Jewelry has brought the art of body modification to a whole new level.  We had a visit with our very own Cleveland Queen of Burlesque and sat down with owner and head piercing artist Jeremiah Currier. 

OBF-When did you become passionate about body modification? 
Jeremiah- I was given the opportunity to be an apprentice without a whole lot of desire for body piercing at the time other than a few of my own body piercing experiences. But I instantly fell in love with it. Instantaneously! I like to improve things, progress things, and give input anytime i can on just about any subject that needs help or could be improved upon.  That affected me and my desire to pierce better, cleaner, and safer from day one. My most looked up to body modification industry idol and god is David Vidra, and I will never forget him saying, "The day you don't learn something new, quit!".  Every piercing that I do is like data stored in my brain.  Data that I will use to improve my next piercing, and the next, and so on.

OBF-What are your qualifications?
Jeremiah-I am the head piercer and owner of Good Life - Body Piercing + Fine Jewelry, "Akron's Own Body Piercing Specialists". I have been a professional body piercer for almost 12 years now. In June 2015, 10 of those 12 years will have been at my own professional studio here in Akron, Ohio. After my original apprenticeship much of a piercers best furthered education is through observing other piercers at other reputable studios. I would go and observe their aseptic technique, their bedside manner with clients who are often parents with young children, listen in on what they recommend for healing the piercing, and their sterilization processing. 

Every year I attend The Association of Professional Piercers conference in Las Vegas. The APP is an incredible organization that I will hopefully be a proud member of in the near future. The conference is 5 days packed full of classes taught by some of the most experienced and knowledgable piercers around the world. Even the non credited roundtable discussions are some of the best learning experiences of the whole week. There is no piercing of any kind that takes place the entire week. Just good old fashioned nerdy piercer hangouts!

I have taken classes such as Wound Healing Dynamics and Blood Borne Pathogens taught by Cleveland's own David Vidra with Health Educators Inc.

Also, I took Surface to Surface Piercing and Genital Beading classes at the Hell City Tattoo Convention in Columbus, Ohio taught by body modification artist Steve Haworth. 

OBF-How and When did you decide to take the plunge into business ownership?
Jeremiah- I have an old acquaintance to thank for that. I was just someone in their very early 20's who was asked to be someones business partner for a tattoo and piercing studio. Yet another thing that I ' know that I had a passion for, entrepreneurship. My first business plan and pitch to my dad was, "I only have to do this many piercings a day to pay for all of the shops supplies, utilities and rent. If I do this many piercings a day I can support myself, keep a roof over my head and eat three square meals a day. What do you say? Can I borrow some money?".  My dad will never understand how many huge opportunities that he has given me in this lifetime, and even if he did understand he probably wouldn't accept the credit that is due. 


OBF-How do you think your business does it better then others?
Jeremiah-Motivation! I am motivated to provide the safest, cleanest, and least painful piercing that is humanly possible. Currently that is exactly what I am doing, but tomorrow myself or someone else is going to improve on one of those things, and the rest of us piercers will have to adapt. We also stick up for what is right! We are here to help all people through a journey of self expression.  We are not here to judge anyone. We only want to be of assistance during this incredible PERSONAL life experience. Lastly, and certainly not the least, we educate our clients very well on how and why their piercings need to heal a certain way. We are constantly battling false information and mistruths about body piercing.  

OBF-Your jewelry selection is quite unique tell us about it?
Jeremiah-Two part answer. Part #1 - Its quite simple actually. We only pierce with the highest quality jewelry that is available on planet earth. Also, we have options stacked on top of options from only the best jewelry makers like Industrial Strength, Neo-Metal, Body Vision Los Angeles, LeRoi, Body Circles, and Anatometal. We could do 200 nose piercings without any of them looking the same.  We can pierce with white and yellow gold which is always solid 14k or 18k and guaranteed to be nickel free. Rose gold is also an option, but only for healed piercings. And all of our stainless steel and titanium jewelry is ASTM certified, implant grade, internally threaded, and hand polished to a mirror finish. That seems like a lot of piercer mumbo jumbo, but until everyone is piercing with quality jewelry you may need to make sure that this is what you are getting before getting pierced. Part #2 - Pardon my french, but "surgical stainless steel" is shit. I'm mostly referring to the costume jewelry at the mall that commonly gets called "body piercing jewelry".  QVC and whoever the hell else made a lot of us think that grouping of words mean quality, but that is not the case. Most "body jewelry" is in fact costume jewelry and is only meant to be worn in fully healed piercings for short periods of time. Get your name, birthdate, social security number, and these words tattooed on you so you don't forget... "ASTM CERTIFIED IMPLANT GRADE. INTERNALLY THREADED. HAND POLISHED TO A MIRROR FINISH." 

OBF-What drives you to give your best work to each client?
Jeremiah-Simple and honest answer. Reputation! If you call my shop and one of our staff tells you that nose piercing are 50 dollars and up, but your friend is telling you that you can get any piercing at this other piercing chain for 15 dollars with this coupon, that person will probably not be coming our way unless they remember that they've heard really really good things about that guy or gal that pierces at Good Life. 

OBF-What are the 3 top piercings in your opinion to get ?
Jeremiah- #1 - Nipples! Nipples are pretty pointless. No one seems to breast feed anymore, especially guys ;) So get em pierced and have some fun with them. #2 - Septum! Oh my, the options are endless. Septum clickers from Body Vision Los Angeles are hotter than Jordans right now. #3 - Earlobes! This is a piercing that doesn't get much respect, and for someone reason a lot of people still disrespect this piercing enough that they might think that getting it done for "free" at the mall by a non-professional still sounds like a good idea. Earlobes have just as many options for jewelry and the procedure for getting them done is with just as much care, cleanliness, and precision as any other piercing that we do. 

OBF- Do you think body modification has become more accepted 
in this day and age? and Why? 
Jeremiah- I am a bit jaded since I don't get to spend much time with people who can not get certain piercings, usually facial, because of their jobs. Unfortunately, my honest answer is that this world still currently has quite a few people in it who think that there is something wrong with body modification or self-expression through body piercing. A lot of these people also own businesses that are so concerned about their profits and their conservative customers, so much so that they are willing to force upon rules and limitations on body piercings and other forms of self expression. You can't be yourself all the time, everywhere just yet.  YET!

OBF-what is the best part about your clients?
Jeremiah- Their genuine words and or shrieks of excitement when they get to see their new pretties for the first time in the mirror. I don't need thank you's, and you'd be surprised how many people look into a mirror, smile from ear to ear, and then walk out of the piercing room without even looking back and saying thank you. But really I don't need that.
 I just want to do something that they love so much. If they love it, then they will genuinely 
want to take good care of it. 

OBF-What do you advise people that are first times to body modification ?
Jeremiah- Your self expression might be the key to your happiness, and your happiness is so important to achieving your full potential in this life.  Most importantly do whatever is right for you. When people start telling you that you are wrong, or "thats too much", or tell you that you are going to have to take that piercing out in order to get this job, consider this... How important is that piercing to you? Important enough to open up your own business that is a direct competitor of this person who is trying to limit your potential, your happiness, and your self expression? Enough to fuel you to create more opportunities for yourself and others that think like you? Don't just bow down to others bullshit rules if you don't believe in them. Stick up for yourself. Prove them wrong. Change the world.  

OBF-How do you feel about your business now vs when you first open?
Jeremiah- When I first opened I really only think that I was a "professional piercer" because I said so and because the Akron Health Department agreed with me for whatever reason. In all honesty, I would not have let me open up a shop with as little experience as I had. I was safe, clean, precise, and friendly but definitely not experienced enough. I too started out piercing with basic "costume body jewelry".  Now we are simply the best around.  I know it, and our clients know it. And I don't need an award from The Akron Beacon Journal to prove that. Although it would be nice if "Body Piercing" could get some respect and have its own category in the voting process. Just sayin ;) Body piercing isn't just some extra novelty item in the back room at a tattoo shop anymore.  

OBF-Tell us about the highland neighborhood, How do you like it?
Jeremiah- Only I, as far as I know, call it Lil' Frisco.  It has a reputation for being the artsy/gay neighborhood of Akron. And it is! It very proudly is!  My appreciation for my second favorite city, Akron, grew even greater after I visited my first favorite city, San Francisco.  The heart of it all is Angel Falls Coffee Co. Family style sit down ice cream feast at Mary Coyles. The best hummus grape leaves ever at Aladdins. Best/worst drum circles at Market Path Fair Trade Store.  Punk night at Annabells Lounge. Pizza straight to the face at Capris. Square records and Revival clothing where you can score extra bonus hipster points. Mike the Barber at The Highland Barber. Drugs galore at the Highland Pharmacy. Square Bar, top 200 Gay Bars in the entire world by Out Magazine.  Better and bigger than your local cheese sandwich factory, we've got Mr. Zubs. Hair salons. Dance lessons for all ages. Music lessons for all ages. Art festivals. Farmers markets. Incredible chinese food as long as you can put up with shit customer service.  Shiny new Jordans and Lebrons over at Next. And we have secret/free/outdoor library. Come and find it!!!!

OBF-What does good life mean to you ?
Jeremiah- It means quality and care. We are here to help you through your entire piercing experience and healing process. We're available to assist in any way from start to finish. 

OBF-Your employees seem quite happy and content what drives that friendly atmosphere?
Jeremiah- Our clients help with that a lot. We all really care deeply about each client getting the kind of piercing experience that they want/need. Its a challenge with each person who walks in the door, and to work at Good Life you have to be up for the challenge. Its hard to explain, but when the clock strikes 12, and we're about to open, what we all have in common is the excitement that will come with todays clients. We all like people. It's pretty incredible that whoever is working at Good Life today will get to meet 10-200 new people. All of us Good Lifers are very different people that may have never crossed paths if it weren't for our jobs here, but it turns out that a passion for body piercing, body jewelry, cleanliness, and people is definitely enough to form new friendships. 

*Bella was pierced with a BVLA Gold bezel and bead cluster 14k gold nickel free*

Plan Your Appointment! 
12-9 Monday - Saturday. Closed on Sundays. 
Appointments are recommended, walk-ins are welcome. 
Most questions deserve a short phone call. 
It's hard to reply to "how much for a belly piercing?" in a short comment on Instagram or Facebook when theirs so many options for jewelry and so many other questions that will probably follow. Sometimes our thumbs get tired of tapping and swiping our phones, but well never get sick of talking your ear off with our nerdy piercing information. But feel free to contact us in whatever manner fits you and your possibly discreet needs. E-mail and phone of course. And feel free to follow us and or contact us on Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter so we can brain wash you with all of our sparkly pretty things :)

330.374.0100
@goodlifeakron - Instagram
facebook.com/goodlifeakron
@goodlifeakron - Twitter
goodlifeakron.tumblr.com
www.goodlifeakron.com


Images by Perkoski Photography 
Model - Bella Sin - Cleveland's Burlesque Queen.
Piercer- Jeremiah Currier