Friday, Oct. 20

The Rolling Stones called an album "Tattoo You." Your average heavy metal band member is festooned with them. The artist formerly known as Slug from the Jim Rose Circus is covered head-to-foot. Yes, tattoos have been part of the rock culture almost as long as they've been part of the US Navy's, so singer-songwriter Jake La Botz is doing something big about it. He's on a tattoo parlor tour across America. In Boston, he's at Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo Friday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. and we are assured it is every bit a real gig. La Botz, who's got a few tats himself, has quite a past: car thief, indie film actor ("Ghost World"), potential member of Velvet Revolver and a post-modern bluesman praised by one of our favorite hard-assed writers, Jerry Stahl, this way: "Not everybody will get (his music) because not everybody's ready for the truth.'' La Botz is touring to support his new CD, "Graveyard Jones." Just show up and let La Botz do his thing. Free.

380 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 627-522-6444 fatramtattoo.com