Lucky Monkey Tattoo Parlour — Attraction in Ann Arbor

I decided today to get a tattoo that I've been mulling over for about a year now, and my daughter suggested we head over to Lucky Monkey, a parlor where a tattoo artist who now works in Marquette used to be employed.

When we went in, we were greeted very pleasantly by Olivia at the front desk. She inquired as to our visit, and we told her we were looking to do a walk-in tattoo for each of us. She asked us to take a seat and informed us that the lone artist on hand at the time was busy with another customer, but it was a small tattoo and he would be out shortly.

It didn't take long until we met Casey O'Ryan. He looked over our proposed tattoos, discussed the size and the location we wanted, and then gave us a quick quote. We agreed, so he went back to prep his work area, taking the time to clean everything very thoroughly and meticulously.

My daughter went first. She was getting a phrase put on her forearm. When she came out about 20 minutes later, she showed me the work and I was very impressed with how crisp the linework was, even though she had wanted a fairly delicate font. It was very well done, and looked as crisp as the printed version we brought in for the example.

Casey once again cleaned everything up well and invited me back. He set up the table so I would be comfortable as I was getting a tattoo on my chest. He talked me through it all even though it wasn't my first ink, and made sure I was comfortable with the size and then the location. Once approved, he got me positioned comfortably and went to work.

Casey remained interactive throughout, talking to me and to Olivia as he worked. His hand was steady, as was the pressure with the needle and machine, and he worked with focus and didn't try to rush the process.

When he was done, I was very happy with the end result, and he gave me aftercare instructions and even gave me a great recommendation for a place to grab a bite to eat.

I have had a few tattoos in my life, and Casey ranks right up there with my favorite artists. Very cool cat with very steady hands and an eye for details. Worth every...

I've been a client at Lucky Monkey Ritual for over 2 years, and I cannot say enough amazing things about my tattoo artist, Josh Figueroa. He is incredibly professional, maintains impeccable sanitary standards, show genuine understanding of their clients' needs, and are extremely talented at their craft. The quality of work here is outstanding.

However, there's one significant issue that has persisted throughout my time as a client: the music situation. There appears to be only one person controlling the music for the entire shop, and they play the exact same playlist every single visit. After 2+ years of appointments every month to every couple of months, hearing the same songs repeatedly has become genuinely frustrating - not just for me, but I can tell it affects other clients and artists too.

One simple solution that wouldn't require major changes would be to allow other people in the shop to have certain days where they can play their own music on the main speaker system. This could provide some much-needed variety without overhauling the entire setup.

Music is such an important part of the tattoo experience, especially during longer sessions. When neither you nor your artist has any control over what's playing, it can create an uncomfortable atmosphere. I'd love to see Lucky Monkey consider giving individual artists control over their room's music, or even offering the option closing off the individual rooms where clients could have privacy and watch movies or work in silence.

The talent here is incredible, but this ongoing music issue is starting to impact the overall experience. With such skilled artists, a small change like this could make Lucky Monkey truly...

Absolutely appalled at the level of professionalism in this building. I was ratted by DJ and I got some script done and had to return for a touch up. In between both apts he had “thumbs down” my post on social media regarding Donald Trump which is fine. But then, completely ghosted me. I tried multiple times to message him. He just read it and ignored me. I think this is bad business for anyone. Keep your politics out of it. It was never a problem prior to him being on my page. Very weird.

In response to your response as the owner. I was put on his schedule after reaching out with my frustrations, was told to email what I wanted and that I’d be booked for my services and they put me BACK on his schedule. Which I said I was not comfortable with due to his actions in ghosting me. I asked to be booked with someone else. So you are incorrect, I did not waste anyone’s time. I am not going to sit down with someone jamming a needle into my skin who clearly dislikes me due to my beliefs and who I support as president HAHAHAHA!!!! I paid very well, tipped both times and planned to do the same again. No one cares about your homo stuff and what you support. The one that cares, is the one that acted the way he did. I was a paying customer from start to finish. And it’s nasty that you allow this in your shop....