I ran into Michael at a Chicago Kickball game, which sorta-kinda explains the panda face. He plays on James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub Party, a team I played for approximately six thousand years ago. We were a little rushed, as the game was about to begin, and my audio recorder cut out near the end of our already short interview as Michael was talking about how the tattoo marked a certain point in his life.
CFT: What’s your Chicago flag tattoo story?
Michael: Well, I wanted a tattoo for a long time. I couldn’t decide, forever, from like when I was sixteen. After moving to Chicago and living here for a few years, Chicago really kind of took a place in my heart, so I thought it’d be a good thing to do. Or at least that’s the idea that came. “I should get a skyline tattoo.” Originally I had envisioned just the flag and then a silhouette of the skyline. So smaller. But when I went to the shop after talking to the artist, I showed up and he had this big piece. It was a lot bigger than I wanted. But I saw it and I was like, “that looks really awesome, so let’s just go with it.” It was two sessions and I got it five years ago.
CFT: Who did you go to?
Michael: This guy Jake Kearney, who was working at Metamorph in Wicker Park and at Tatu Tattoo. I don’t know if it’s the same owner, but he did one session there and one session at Tatu Tattoo.
CFT: So you’re not from Chicago…
Michael: Well, I grew up in the suburbs. Twenty miles west of the city.
