 My heart is heavy as I continue to process the sad news that yet another friend has died. Beth Hood passed away this last week and the news has just devastated me. She was bright, fun, smart, and passionate. How could she be gone? She was a mama first and foremost, and an artist and musician secondly. She was also voted Ms. Gearhead 2016/17 and it is in this capacity that we got to know each other. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and this sad news was all just a bad dream. Someone so alive and vibrant could not be gone; it just doesn’t seem real. I created the Ms. Gearhead contest because I was sick of women being treated as eye candy in the hot rod world. I wanted to celebrate the qualities women brought to our community and Beth had those qualities in spades. Smart, outspoken and fiercely committed to giving back to her community, she embodied strength, courage, resiliency and fortitude. As a single mom raising two little boys, she taught them by example. Helping them to embrace their own passions, she explored art as well as sports with her kids. Her dream was to one day open an art school for children, hoping to help kids find their own creative voice as she had. Sure, she was gorgeous. But it was that inner spark that shone bright through her eyes and laughter. She savored life and all it had to offer and lived it out loud, exuberant, passionate and creative in all she did. She became the Gearhead brand ambassador, wearing her Ms. Gearhead crown proudly to car shows and punk shows, posing for pictures and talking to customers but above all, being deeply true to her own person every single moment. I am blessed and grateful to have known and worked with her these last few years and deeply saddened that this bright vivacious light is gone from this earth. You now grace the heavens with the brilliance of a shooting star Beth. You will be missed each and every day. Read Beth’s interview here. Proceeds from the sale of the remaining posters will go to the Go Fund Me account set up for her boys. Check out this engaging interview as Ms. Gearhead # interviews Voodoo Rhythm's head honcho Rev. Beatman and Nicole Izobel Garcia. Video shot and produced by Victor Gonzalez Hope you enjoyed the article with Ms. Gearhead in the new issue of Gearhead! Now check out the video! A few days before Gearfest 2017, I sat down with the reigning Ms. Gearhead 2016, Beth Hood aka Tattoo Betty to talk about her experiences and passions. Photos by Roger Neria and Michelle Haunold. You can get a copy of her limited edition poster for your very own right here. Thanks to So Cal Speed Shop for giving us a great place for this photo shoot! But first, a little bit of personal stuff about her: Birthday: Aug 3 1983, Leo Favorite band: Hank 3 Favorite Drink: Jameson straight with a Pineapple back Favorite Food: Crab Not currently seeing anyone 2 kids: Robbie 9 (loves skateboarding) and 4 year old JR (the happiest kid ever!)  GH: What prompted you to enter the Ms. Gearhead contest? TB: I liked that it was at a punk show and not a super traditional contest. You were looking for personality, not beauty, you know inward beauty, not just outward beauty. There was substance to the questions. GH: You were selected as our Ms. Gearhead 2016. What did that feel like when your name was announced? TB: It was super awesome, it was exciting!  Ms/ Gearhead 2016 posing for pictures GH: How would you explain your role as Ms. Gearhead? TB: I’ve stopped by the booth at a lot of the events you’ve been at. It has been nice to just support and say hi to people whenever I could. I usually have the kids with me, so it’s pretty busy, and I can’t stay long, but that was fun. It was really fun doing the photo shoot and being connected to the whole company in general. GH: I like to think of Ms. Gearhead being the more social part of Gearhead, to help spread the word about women being involved with the company, not just guys. TB: I loved that you were excited and wanted me to stop by. I loved that when I was at Viva that you posted that Ms. Gearhead was at Viva, that was really exciting to me  Taking a break during the photo shoot to hang out with Gearhead shop dog Dooly GH: Tell me a bit about your personal life, who you are, what you do, and what you’re passionate about? TB: I’m passionate about art! I’m a tattoo artist so everything I do is creative. I’m also really athletic. I love skateboarding with my son. And playing baseball with him. He’s got a great arm, so I’m trying to nurture that. And punk shows! And I love cooking too. I’m a big cook; I love cooking everything. GH: I love cooking too! It’s one of my creative outlets.  A Crown and scepter makes all the difference! TB: Cooking is an art! It’s one of those arts that people don’t really care about anymore. GH: You mentioned you are a tattoo artist. Tell me about how that started. TB: I’ve always been into art, my whole life. My 7th grade art teacher had me teaching the class. And I did AP art in high school so I got college credit for art. I knew I wanted to do something art related. My parents wouldn’t help me with art college. I had someone offer me an apprenticeship at a tattoo shop and I thought, oh my God, that’s super cool! I never realized that was an option. My parents then offered to help me with college, but I’m pretty spiteful, and I said no, I’m going to do this tattoo thing. And I’m glad I did. Otherwise Id’ be working for the man, and that’s no fun. GH: How long have you been a tattoo artist? TB: 12 years ! GH: Wow, that’s a long time! What else are you passionate about?  TB: My kids. My kids are my life. GH: Do you do art with your kids? Yes, my youngest one is really into art, so we draw and paint together. My oldest doesn’t like to sit still for that, he’s the athletic one, so I really just work with the younger one. Some day I’d really like to open a non-profit art school for kids and really work with kids using art as a way to help them grow and think for themselves. GH: That’s great! Ms. Gearhead is about being of service and using your gifts to help others. An art based non-profit for kids sounds great! TB: Yeah, I think about it a lot. And I hope to get it started sooner than later. GH: Anything else you’d like to share with the Gearhead readers? TB: Yes, ladies, don’t be shy about entering the Ms. Gearhead contest! It’s so much fun, it’s really rewarding, and it is not about how you look but who you are.  There you have it. Ms. Gearhead is fun, playful, creative, passionate and shines her own light. Ladies, if you are interested but afraid to enter, this is your heads up that there is more reason than ever to join us Sat. Sept. 30, 2017. To make it easier, this year’s theme is Rosie The Riveter! Dress up as you would imagine her to look today, or dress as the vintage Rosie did! Everyone gets the same question: How are Rosie’s qualities of service, passion, creativity, ingenuity alive today in your life?
All proceeds from the contest to benefit the Sacramento Friends of the River.  These last few weeks have been anything but normal around GEARHEAD HQ. Final preparations for GEARFEST 2016 have occupied more time than I planned for, but that is normal when you’re putting on a festival that has so many moving parts. Organizing Gearfest has been a labor of love. It feels great to have the passion flowing through my veins again. I feel like a car that just had an oil change and tune up—revved up and ready to go go go! I am excited, really truly excited to meet, hang out, rock out and just enjoy something social again. Listening to music that fuels my soul, drinking a few brews, checking out cool cars, eating some good food…. this is what running a company like Gearhead is all about.  I’m excited for the Ms. Gearhead Contest as well. Doing something good for the community and recognizing powerful creative women in our scene at the same time is a win-win for everyone. And besides, it’s fun! To sign up, or just learn more about the contest check out the contest page. Think back on those dark days not so long ago when I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to listen to a record again or pull myself out of my pajamas, get dressed up and go see a band or a car show. Times were pretty rough, and it looked like GEARHEAD was gonna go the way of so many other small creative businesses. But thankfully, with the help, support and enthusiasm of you, my community, things have come 180 degrees around. Its like doing donuts in the dirt; the thrill is back, enjoying doing something really fun, even if it’s kind of risky, makes life worth living. For those of you who can’t make it, don’t despair. I plan on making Gearfest an annual event, each year a little bigger, a little better and with a lot more warning than I gave you this year. I have no excuse; I am simply learning once again to navigate the trials and tribulations of running a small business and learning to ask for help. Please make sure to introduce yourself if you're coming. I love meeting the people who support Gearhead! For a full schedule, please check out the Gearfest page. To commemorate the event, a limited run of Gearfest shirts is now available featuring the poster on the back and the Gearhead logo on the front of a white t shirt.  I’m getting better with the social media thing and will hopefully have photos and video up pretty quick after the event. I’m sure other folks will be sharing as well: use #gearfest2016 and #gearheadrocks as the hash tag if you do!
Finally, I want to take a moment to thank the sponsors who helped make GEARFEST 2016 possible: Asphalt Rodeo, Sacramento Tattoo and Piercing, Rolling Rock Beer, Beautiful Disaster Cosmetics, Kustom Koffins Apparel, Tres Noir Optics East SMF, and Dave’s Dawgs. You guys rock! Now let’s go shake some action! XoXo Rev. Michelle  Ms. Gearhead is strong, independent and above all, true to herself and her inner voice. She is compassionate and kind, and works for the rights of those less fortunate than herself, but she is not a push over. She is a protector and voice for animals and the earth, conscious that being a leader comes with great courage to do what is right and stand up against what is wrong. She is diplomatic and follows a path of peace when facing conflicts.
She is 100% her own person, not following trends or fashions but her own inner guidance and passions. She feels safe expressing her opinions even if it is not popular. She is honest and forthright, and speaks from her heart. She follows the path less walked by others and enjoys the challenge of finding her way in a sometimes-overwhelming sea of conformity and expectations about what a woman should do and be. Whether Punk Rock or Pin Ups, Rosie the Riveter or The Rockettes inspires you, please join us in selecting the next Ms. Gearhead during intermission during Gearfest 2016. The first 15 women to donate will be entered in the contest. *All contestants may dress however they feel most inspired, at their best and most powerful. *Each contestant will have 3 minutes to speak about why she embodies the qualities of Ms. Gearhead. *After a short deliberation our judges will select Ms. Gearhead 2016 based on how closely she meets the personal qualities of Ms. Gearhead. The winner will receive a photo-shoot with the pictures to be included with a write up for the Gearhead website, Facebook and other social media sites, and the title of Ms. Gearhead 2016. She will also get to wear the Ms. Gearhead tiara and carry the Gearhead sceptor until the next Ms. Gearhead contest. The entrance fee is a $20 donation, which includes the price of admission to Gearfest 2016. All proceeds from the Ms. Gearhead contest will be donated to Chicks in Crisis, an Elk Grove, CA based non-profit dedicated to providing support and resources for pregnant women (and their partners) with prenatal care, life skills training, parenting assistance, clothes, emergency food, baby supplies, and legal guidance. In addition, a raffle will be held during Gearfest 2016 with half the proceeds going to one raffle winner and the other half going to Chicks in Crisis. To further support this charity, every Gearfest 2016 attendee can get a $2 discount at the door by bringing one or more of the following: • Diapers: Sizes 4, 5 and 6 • Clothing: Newborn to Size 5T • Baby Wipes • Maternity Clothes • Gift cards ($25 or less) Are you our next Ms. Gearhead? Please join us to find out! Here it is, the dog days of summer, and this is the first GEARHEAD newsletter since April. It really has been “dog days” for me: I put Gearhead on hold to raise a litter of 7 corgi puppies these last few months. Born May 1 to my dog Twix, it has been an incredibly wonderful, exhausting process. You can see pictures on Instagram using #gearheadmascot. The pups have now all gone on to their new forever homes, so I am once again able to pick up the wrench and start work again on Gearhead. While I’ve been raising these pups, I haven’t been idle. Several new products, including the new “Live Fast. Be Weird” shirt and a Gearhead Trucker Cap (in 3 different colors no less!) were under construction, and they’re now available in the web store.
I’ve also been hard at work on the details of GEARFEST 2016, the rock and roll/hot rod show that was revived last year to much ballyhoo and fanfare. Scheduled for Sept 24 at The Blue Lamp in Sacramento, the line up this year makes my heart sing: Sacramento’s Troublemakers, The Roxy Suicide from Colorado featuring Dave Mansfield from Gearhead recording artists The Mansfields, the long loved Bay area band Red Planet coming out of retirement especially for this show, and Pat Todd and the Rank Outsiders with special guest Leesa G from the Creamers (one of my all time favorite bands), performing a bunch of Creamers songs with the Rank Outsiders backing her!  At intermission the contest to crown Ms. Gearhead 2016 will once again take place, with the proceeds going to local women’s shelter Chicks in Crisis. Last year’s Ms. Gearhead, Jennifer Long from Thee Merry Widows, will be featured in the upcoming issue of Gearhead #20 (more info on that next newsletter). And of course there will be cars, food and other contests plus a cool poster for all participants! If you’re interested in being a sponsor, shoot me an email for more details. Our sponsors help defray the cost of putting on such an event and we treat your right! Finally, the vinyl frenzy seems to be picking up more speed every day. I can’t believe some of the old records being reissued now on vinyl. Lest you forget that Gearhead was WAY ahead of the curve on the vinyl thing, we’re running a Summer Sale on Vinyl. $5 LPs and $2s are yours to be had at the web store, but you only have until Monday August 15 to cash in on this crazy deal. Other out of print titles are also on sale, greatly reduced from their collector pricing, so hop on that as well.   Back issues of Gearhead Magazine As you’ve all heard by now, we will be selecting the first annual Ms. Gearhead this weekend during the Gearhead Anniversary Party! All women are welcome to enter, the only stipulation is that you have or once had, ovaries. Sorry fellas, no drag! This is a fundraiser for the Sacramento SPCA, who does so much good in this area for animals, sheltering them, rehoming them, and providing classes and training for the people who choose to love and adopt them.  Punk rock girls flying the Gearhead colors! It’s simple to enter! Once you’ve paid your admission to the show Sept 26, 2015 at The Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra, Sacramento, CA make your way over to the Gearhead Merch table and for a donation of $5, you’re enter! It’s for the animals people, so let’s have some fun with this! No matter what you look like, any woman should enter for a chance to win fabulous prizes! You can be an “every woman”, or you can look like Wonder Woman (a personal favorite of mine). You can be punk rock or pin up, rockabilly or a rad mom. It really doesn’t matter. What you’re going to be judged on is your speech, and why you think you’d make the perfect Ms. Gearhead! After all, you’ll be representing for the next year, till a new one is chosen! So practice your speeches ladies: WHY DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE CHOSEN AS MS. GEARHEAD?  The winner will get ALL these lovely prizes, so for a $5 donation and a few seconds on stage, why the heck not?! The prizes include a two-page spread in a future issue of Gearhead, which includes a photo shoot and interview for the story. The winner also gets a fabulous set of sunglasses from Tres Noir as well as some cute t-shirts; this prize is worth over $150. Sacramento Tattoo has donated a gift certificate of $50 towards a tattoo; Cock Grease has donated a goody bag with Beaver Cream, a hair pomade perfect for women, as well as a cute t-shirt, and Illumination Vacations donated a gift basket of Kona Coffee and gourmet chocolate.
But Wait! That's Not All! The winner also gets a $25 gift certificate from Phono Select, a gift certificate from Kylie at AJF Salon, and two fabulous signed screened prints from Bruce Gossett Studios. She'll also get a handmade Gearhead crown and scepter as well as a bouquet of flowers!  So remember, as soon as you get into the club, head over to the Gearhead Merch Booth and sign up! And remember, It’s not about what you look like, it’s about your heart and soul.
 There's so much happening before and during the upcoming party at The Blue Lamp, Saturday Sept. 26, 2015 I figured I'd make it real easy and post a time-line. Please feel free to share and post on your own social media pages! See y'all there!
5:30- 6 PM HOT RODS, CARS, MOTORCYCLES MEET IN FRONT OF THE BLUE LAMP. There will be cones set up in front of the club for hot rods and bikes to park, but please note, Space is Limited! All are welcome but you may have to park farther away. 6 PM BLESSING OF THE CARS RALLY BY REV. MICHELLE HAUNOLD This will be a short non-denominational blessing free to all attendees, and held in front of the Blue Lamp. All participants will get a coupon for $1 off entrance fee for the show. 6:30 DOORS OPEN— TIX ARE $10 AT THE DOOR, $8 ADVANCE Thank you to our party sponsors So-Cal Speed Shop, Sacramento Tattoo and Piercing and Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer. Everyone attending the party gets a free poster! FIRST 25 DOOR ENTRANTS GET A FREE GEARHEAD GOODY BAG! 7 PM THE SACTO STORYTELLERS 8 PM THE WHITE BARONS 9 PM MS. GEARHEAD CONTEST and Fundraiser for the SPCA $5 to ENTER All women are welcome, no matter what shape, size, or style of dress. Each participant will get a chance on stage to introduce herself and share why she thinks she should be Ms. Gearhead. The winner will get a 2 page spread in a future issue of Gearhead, a goody bag from Tres Noir Optics, a gift certificate for $50 towards a tattoo from Sacramento Tattoo, a $25 gift certificate from Phono Select Records, a goody bag from Cock Grease Hair Pomade, a goody basket from Illumination Vacations, 2 Limited edition signed prints from Bruce Gossett Studios and a gift certificate for a hair cut by Kylie from AJF Salon worth $50.WOW!! Plus a very cool home-made scepter and crown and flowers, and the chance to wear the title of Ms. Gearhead for a year. How cool is that?! Thanks to our sponsors Tres Noir Optics and Norcal Knock Out! 10 PM PAT TODD AND RANKOUTSIDERS 11 PM THEE MERRY WIDOWS Food trucks will be available during the event, and there will be a GEARHEAD merch booth.  The lovely ladies were part of the Miss Midnight Mass pagent in July, of which Gearhead was a sponsor! I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but there should be a Ms. Gearhead! And what better way to find her than throw a Ms. Gearhead contest!? GEAHEAD is pleased to announce there will be the 1st Annual Ms. Gearhead Contest as part of our Fifteen Year Anniversary Celebration Party at the Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95816 Sept. 26, 2015. The event will begin at 6 pm with a free car rally in front of the club and a non-denominational blessing by Rev. Michelle, followed by a show for 21+ featuring bands, food trucks and the Ms. Gearhead contest. The party will end at midnight. This event also marks the revival of our underground rock festival, Gearfest. Space is limited and guests are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance from the Blue Lamp website. The cost for the party is $8 in advance or $10 at the door. The cost of the Ms. Gearhead Contest is an extra $5 donation with all proceeds being donated to the Sacramento SPCA. Sponsor for the contest is Tres Noir Optics and Norcal Knockout. Sponsors for the Gearhead Party are So Cal Speed Shop, Sacramento Tattoo and Pabst Beer. The Ms. Gearhead Contest will be held during intermission between bands. All women are encouraged to enter regardless of their body type, hair, make up or dress. “Everybody thinks this is a Pin Up Girl contest, but it’s not,” says owner Rev. Michelle Haunold. “I want real women, with real bodies, clothes and their own style to enter! I’m no model, and I want a real woman to represent GEARHEAD for this Ms. Gearhead Contest. You can dress how ever you feel your best, and for some that’s in cute outfits and for some it’s jeans and Converse! I love women celebrating their bodies and individual style, no matter what they look like. Just as long as they’re comfortable in their own skin, that’s punk rock and that’s what I see Ms. Gearhead being!” The contest will be MC’d by Eva Von Slut, singer for The White Barons and Thee Merry Widows, two of the bands who will be playing the party. All contestants will get a chance to get on stage and tell the audience and judges why they would make the best Ms. Gearhead. The winner will be chosen by an independent panel of three judges, who will decide who the winner is. The prizes for Ms. Gearhead include a two-page story and photos in a future issue of Gearhead Magazine, shot by a professional photographer. Other prizes include a GEARHEAD goody bag, a gift bag from Tres Noir Optics, featuring a stunning pair of sunglasses and cute t shirts, a gift certificate to Phono Select Records, a gift certificate from Sacramento Tattoo, a gift bag from Cock Grease, limited edition art prints from Bruce Gossett Studios, and a hair cut and style by Kylie at AJF Salon. Plus she'll get a cute scepter, a crown and some flowers! To enter, the women simply need to pay a $5 dontation to enter once they're inside the club. All proceeds will benefit the Sacramento SPCA. Entries will be accepted up to the 9 PM start time of the contest. All women are welcome to enter for a chance to hold the title of the very first Ms. Gearhead. “Gearhead is run by a woman, and I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate a female’s perspective on what Gearhead is, as well as raise some money for the animals in need at the SPCA,” claims Haunold, who is a passionate animal lover. “I want all women to feel comfortable with their bodies, no matter what their look is. We’re all unique and beautiful in our own way, and I want to share that message with everyone who takes part in the contest.”
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