.SKA AND CUPCAKES IN SANTA CLARA

Counterculture and cupcakes collide on Saturday in Santa Clara, when former Psycho Donuts mastermind Kipp Berdiansky brings his new foray into dessert weirdness—this time, the mobile, customized cupcake truck known as Project Cupcake—to the Starving Musician for a launch party that will feature music from San Jose’s reigning kings of ska, Monkey, and surf rednecks the Gillbillies.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Berdiansky event without a truly bizarre twist. In that spirit, the launch party, which runs from 1-4pm, will feature a contest that allows five winners to get a free cupcake a day for life. Which wouldn’t be so weird, except that four of those five winners will also have consented to have a Project Cupcake logo tattooed permanently on their arms. (The logo is viewable at projectcupcake.com.) The fifth slot is just so those who are opposed to tattoos—or simply consider the idea crazy—can still participate.
Berdiansky says he’s had the tattoo idea in his head for years, but never thought it would actually happen.
“Originally I thought ‘no one’s going to go for this,’” he admits. So when he finally started floating the idea, he was stunned at how many people jumped at the idea of a free tattoo—with the promise of free cupcakes for life to sweeten the deal. So he decided to have a “Name That Tune” type contest at tomorrow’s launch party to determine the winners. There will be two lines at the contest—one for those who are willing to get tattooed if they win, and another for those who hope to snag the one slot offering free donuts for life without the ink.
The actual tattooing will take place Wednesday, Feb. 6, at Specialty Tattoo in San Jose.
Besides the live music and contest, there will also be cupcakes, comedy, and a blood drive and food drive at Saturday’s launch party. The event is free.
The fact that the soon-to-be-tattooed winners are ready to permanently brand themselves for Project Cupcake makes Berdiansky feel a strange protectiveness toward their commitment, he admits.
“It’s kind of scary in a weird way,” he says. “Now I’m feeling a real responsibility to keep this company going.”