Tattoo & Music Scene Culture: Local Modesto Tattoo Shop Celebrates One Year Anniversary by Moshing All Night

Burning Bridges is a tattoo shop located in downtown Modesto that celebrated their one year anniversary by offering flash tattoo services, live band performances, vendors and a drawing for two winners to earn a $500 tattoo gift certificate.

The owner of Burning Bridges, Woode McCumber, has been tattooing since 2007 and hosted a similar event for their grand opening. McCumber shared that he wanted to do something as a means to give back to the community:

“It’s gonna be our one big thing every year. It’s kind of something that I want to do to give back to our friends and community and customers. So far it’s turned out pretty well this year,” McCumber said. “I feel very grateful to be a part of the tattoo community and to have such good support from the local community as a whole. I’m excited to see where it goes.”

Performances were made by bands coming in from Sacramento, San Francisco as well as those local to Modesto. These artists included: Malcriado, Dreamer A.M., V.V.M., Oxy and Malandro. In combination with the band’s merch tables, local vendors were present, selling their products and art.

Marcos Zaragoza (CSU Stanislaus alumni, Creative Media) is the photographer and long time friend of the members of the band Dreamer A.M. He shared that he enjoys taking the skills he’s learned from his time in the Creative Media program and applying them to when he goes to shows, as a means to document and help promote the artists performing.

One of his favorite things about coming to shows is meeting new people and seeing the community come together:

“I love to come out and see the scene. I think the scene here is really cool – a lot of kids. I love the turn out. I love the sense of community. I love how you’re able to make friends even if they’re not like the closest of friends…” Zaragoza said. “It’s a small, little community within a larger community and that’s what I love about it. Music brings everybody together… Everybody’s a little off-centered here, and we embrace it.”

Juan Ahumada was another event goer who got a tattoo during the celebration. He shared that he had previously been tattooed by Alex Avalos of Burning Bridges. He elaborated that this artist worked at his old tattoo shop before Burning Bridges was ever established.

“Alex’s hand is just really good,” Ahumada stated. “I came in last year in December and I got another tattoo from Alex and he just welcomed me back like it was nothing – like a long-time friend, and that feeling of just like welcoming just kept me coming back, and I just kept getting tattoos.”

When asked about what advice he would offer to other people questioning what tattoo they should get, Ahumada advised people to not overthink their choice of design and he recommended people look into the American traditional style due to its timelessness:

“Your body’s a canvas; you might as well use it,” Ahumada said.

Victor Walker, a frequent attendee of local shows, shares that his passion for the local rock music scene started in 2022. Being a fan of Dreamer A.M. and attending nearly all of their shows, Walker heard about the event via their Instagram, and came to support them.

When asked about any advice he’d give to anyone new to the scene, he stated:

“Be chill, be cool with other people in the scene. Go out with people that vibe with you. Start off small… Try getting into easier bands. Start off with indie, then get into punk and then hardcore punk and metal… The first few concerts I went to in the music scene were metal. It’s what I liked – and the first show, I got my first taste of a real mosh pit and I was like, ‘OK, I know now.’”

Collin Smith, owner of the recording studio South Star Studios in Modesto, was the event’s sound technician; Smith became involved with the event as his studio neighbors Burning Bridges.

When asked about his insight regarding managing the sound for shows, Smith said:

“I just have a genuine passion for art and music in general. I always have. So I think coming here and doing live sound of events is just a way to be a part of the scene. It’s kind of cool – you’re not just going to the show, you’re a part of the show. And I like – that’s something I’ve always really loved.”

Chris Garcia of Remontant Press was one of the vendors at the event selling his artwork. After moving from Chicago to California, he learned about the art of screen printing during his time as an undergrad.

Garcia draws inspiration from Japanese printing of the art nouveau era and builds his artistic themes from his personal experiences, displaying them through the lens of metaphors and symbolism.

Garcia met Woode McCumber through a mutual friend, in which they have remained in touch ever since. He said:

“Art is a great social lubricant for me because I get to meet so many other artists and people. So that’s how I met Woode. I was at a coffee shop and I was meeting with another friend, and he introduced me to Woode and we’ve been talking art and bonding about posters and screen printing.”

Oracle Blends was another vendor at the event, selling a variety of plant-based mocktails. Candace Fleming, the business’ owner, shared that she had been tattooed by Woode several times and was invited to sell her products during the celebration.

Fleming noted that her enterprise has been active for six months, and this was her first time at an event selling her products. One of her goals is to open a wellness cafe that offers a menu that is inclusive of people’s dietary restrictions.

“It’s going really good, it’s blossoming into a beautiful creation,” Fleming shared. “It’s just gonna keep growing, and I don’t know where it’s going or what I’m doing, but I am just here along the process, loving it… [I am] trusting, allowing, accepting all the abundance.”

Starla Preston, one of Fleming’s long-time friends and business supporters, noted that they both had experience in the bartending industry, eventually choosing to go sober.

“In the past couple of years, we have taken stints of not drinking which has turned into completely quitting alcohol for both of us over the last couple of years. It’s kind of seeming to be a little bit of a trend now, people are kind of stepping away from it,” Preston said, “So putting that together is where we kind of have the heart and soul in this.”

After the live performances, McCumber announced the two winners of the tattoo raffle, who were Chris Martinez and Isaac Ramirez.

Chris Martinez was excited about winning the raffle; having previously been tattooed by Woode, Martinez trusts his judgment.

“I’m going to talk with him about it because I have a pretty weird space in my arm, so whatever he proposes to me, I’m okay with it,” Martinez said, “I trust him. He’s one of the best in the Central Valley and whatever he says is going to look cool.”

When asked about any advice he’d give to people getting their first tattoo, Martinez shared:

“Don’t think about it too much. Just get whatever, and after that, it’s easier. It doesn’t have to have a meaning or anything like that – just get a cool tattoo. Feel good about yourself, and keep getting them.”

Isaac Ramirez, the bassist of the band Dreamer A.M., was also excited about winning the raffle, adding that this will be his first tattoo.

“I feel pretty cool, I feel pretty good,” he said, “Actually, I’ve wanted to get a tattoo for the longest time, I just never got around to it. But now, that door has opened up, so I’ll go ahead and go for it.”

When asked what he envisions on getting, Ramirez shared that he plans on getting a compass related design, an image that is personal to him.