Vibes Ink Says Goodbye to Riverhead, Brings Tattoos to Southampton

Places to get tattooed and pierced are few and far between on the East End, but Vibes Ink Tattoo in Riverhead has cemented itself as a bastion of the craft over the last four and a half years. A home to five artists, including Taboo, the shop’s owner, along with a piercer and a community of loyal clients, Vibes Ink has created something special at 41 E. Main Street, but they will be moving east to a new Southampton location in November.

As the name suggests, the shop truly has its own vibe that’s cool but also welcoming, and the talent on display is undeniable. Led by Taboo, a Shinnecock Tribe member who is almost entirely self-taught, Vibes Ink feels like a refuge for the unique and creative people who go there, from Sherrill Harris, a lovely Riverhead mom with tattoos all over, including her face, neck and chest, to Gwen, a bright 17-year-old with long purple hair from Aquebogue who came to get her tragi (the nubs of cartilage in front of the ear canal) pierced, with permission from her dad, Chris, who joined her for support.

The walls are filled with original art featuring comic book characters and hip hop icons, and shelves hold a variety of tattoo care and piercing products, as well as hand-painted Timberland boots, Funko Pops and stacked volumes such as Garth Ennis’ seminal Preacher graphic novel, folders of flash art and tattoo books like Tattoo Machine Discourse and Basic Fundamentals of Modern Tattoo.

“My wife says it’s over 25 years I’ve been tattooing,” Taboo, whose birth name is Eric Roddy, says, explaining that he was always an artist before his unlikely start and unusual aptitude for tattooing. “I got forced into it,” he adds, pointing out that he was living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sending drawings back and forth with a fellow graffiti artist friend who was in prison, to help keep his mind off of doing the time, and that led to tattooing. “It was kind of weird, because his first day out, I noticed that everything that I had drawn for him and sent him, he had on his body,” Taboo recalls, noting that his friend’s cellmate was a tattoo artist and was teaching him by putting the art he received on his body. And now that he was out of prison, the friend wanted Taboo to learn so he could give him more ink, and he built a homemade machine so he could do it.

“So I start tattooing him. He keeps telling me, ‘Come out the skin a little bit, do this, do that,’ and by the outline, I get it done. I don’t hear nothing from him. No more. He’s not saying anything. So, I must be doing something right. I get to the shading. Still not saying anything. I’m shading the tattoo. I’m finished with it. He looks at it. He was like, ‘Yo, bro, this is perfect!’”

Relaying his story while applying a forearm tattoo with a remarkably light but effective hand, and causing almost no pain, Taboo says they then went outside to show people in the neighborhood and, as he points out, “The rest is history — my phone didn’t stop ringing.”

While he started with a knack for tattooing, Taboo’s skills improved over the years and he became a master of black and grey realism, including difficult human and dog portraits. He moved to Puerto Rico and met his wife Yanira, and they later returned to the Shinnecock reservation in Southampton, where he worked out of his house and then opened a shop.

In time, Riverhead, and a whole new level of success, followed with more artists, the addition of an experienced piercer, Emma Tiaks who Taboo calls “the greatest piercer in the world,” and celebrity clientele — like Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel and One Direction’s Zayn Malik. Taboo is also handing down knowledge to artists like his 23-year-old son Obet and other young up-and-comers.

“I love having the mentorship of Taboo, he’s awesome,” explains Jupiter, a skilled 19-year-old apprentice from East Hampton who’s been working and learning at Vibes Ink since getting tattooed there a year ago. “It’s great watching him work because he’s so advanced at the craft.”

Unfortunately, despite thriving in Riverhead and building a great business and reputation, Taboo says the area’s changing landscape and direction has made it impossible for him to remain in town. He has secured a new space above the BNB Tobacco & Cannabis shop at 52 Montauk Highway in Southampton, close to where he runs his Peshaun cannabis farm, growing top quality marijuana that will be sold at BNB, among other venues.

Without being on a main street, like in Riverhead, the new Vibes Ink will function more like a private tattoo studio than a traditional shop, though Taboo says they will accept walk-ins. The space will be an open concept with few walls, but Taboo is bringing his entire team with him, including his most experienced tattooer, Darwin Salmeron, as well as artists Niko, Obet, Jupiter and Emma the piercer — all of whom can be booked through the website, vibesinktattoos.com.

It seems likely Taboo’s clientele will follow them to Southampton, and he says he makes sure no one gets bad work done at Vibes Ink, even if they come in with a terrible idea. “I don’t want to let you leave my shop with a bullshit tattoo, something that you dreamt up, that doesn’t look good on the skin, but you thought of it. No, that’s my job as a tattoo artist. You bring me your dreams and I create them to on your skin.

Say goodbye to Vibes Ink in Riverhead through the end of October, or visit the new spot at 50 Montauk Highway in Southampton starting in November. Call 631-740-7354 or visit vibesinktattoos.com for bookings, hours and info.