Bluff City Tattoo

What, or more like who, is Bluff City Tattoo? That's a good question... We like to think that Bluff City is more than the four folks that started it and more than just the artists that work here. We like to think of it as every person who has done a guest spot, gotten tattooed here, or even just passed through our doors. But if you must know, here is our story...

Derek and Meredith were visiting from Virginia, as they had found themselves doing more and more of, since striking up a friendship with Brian. It was through Brian that he introduced them to a tattooer: Brent.

At this point, they had all gotten tattooed by Brent a good handful of times when they passed though town, and they all hung out a bunch and basically considered each other family. One day Brian mentioned to them that Brent was wanting to open his own shop... the wheels started turning and before any of them really knew what they were doing, Derek and Meredith had packed up all of their earthly belongings and landed in Memphis, ready to get to work.

It kinda seemed like a dream team so-to-speak... Brian, the lead guitarist in a "regionally popular local band," Brent, a well-established tattooer, Derek and Meredith who had a bit business experience running their own brand, Lumberjack Outfitters, as well as Derek being a jack-of-all trades kinda guy who could fix or do almost anything and Meredith, a tax accountant, and all around finance whiz. All of the parts and pieces one would need to undertake such an ambitious venture as opening a tattoo shop.

A few months after they got here, all four of them got to work looking for the perfect spot to put a tattoo shop, and in June of 2018, they had found it; in the up-and-coming Edge District.

When the four of us got together, we knew our vision for the shop had to be a little different than other shops in the area... we wanted to bring back the idea, and the feel of the traditional tattoo shop, which seemed to kinda be missing from the Memphis tattoo scene. You know the kinda of shop were talking about right? Flash and outsider art all over the walls, a big, open area for tattooing, tons of knick-knacks everywhere... that kind of thing. And after a few months of sweat equity, we pulled it off, and we opened our doors the day after Thanksgiving 2018.

We are located in the Edge District of Memphis (its not quite downtown, not quite midtown, hence the name "Edge") right between Sun Studio and High Cotton Brewery and across the street from Trolley Stop Cafe. Look for the blue streamer canopy over the intersection of Monroe and Marshall Avenues and the giant “Say Hello” sign!