Transcript (Unedited)
Tom Heath
This episode of Meet the Artist contains language and references to alcohol addiction. If you are looking for help with an alcohol addiction, you can reach the National Rehab Hotline at 866 -210 -1303.
Tom Heath
Welcome back to Meet the Artist. It’s a feature of the Tucson Gallery in downtown Tucson. We get to hang out with all these cool artists and they come and tell us their stories and keep all these podcasts on our website. It is the TucsonGallery .com. TucsonGallery .com, you can listen to past episodes. You can also see the work that we have available from each of these artists. And most importantly, there’s a newsletter you can sign up and learn about when they’re going to be in, because all these people do amazing things. And a chance to meet them, I think, is certainly worth signing up for a newsletter. That’s all done at the Tucson Gallery 300 East Congress. We’re across the street from Hotel Congress next to the Rialto, can’t miss us, we’re right on the corner. And today’s featured artist, he’s got a multidisciplined artist. He’s got some dance repertoire, he’s got some creative designs, does some artwork, and his name is Brian Dahl. Brian, thanks for joining us today.
Brian Dahl
Thank you very much for having me.
Tom Heath
And it’s Dahl, D -A -H -L. Correct. All right. You know, when I first met you, we were just opening the gallery, we were doing a meeting, opening the proper shops, we were doing a meeting, and you have your own space here. You are in the gallery, but you also have your own space where you do lots of stuff. And you introduced yourself as the guy who dances on Congress. Correct. And I said, huh, I thought that was just a weird thing, like why would he say that? And I realized that’s your business.
Brian Dahl
Yes. I branded myself as the guy who dances on Congress. So, I think we need to delve a little bit more deeply with that. So you’re, you tend to dance inside of the clubs, not necessarily right on Congress.
Brian Dahl
Not on Congress Street, but inside the clubs. Where I started was at Hotel Congress. And it was with Hump House. I was actually talking business with him. What is Hump House? Hump House is a local DJ, one of the better ones in town. So when was this, roughly? What year is this? I would say probably about 2016, 2017, roughly.
Tom Heath
Okay, so you’re talking six, seven years ago, you’re talking to a DJ.
Brian Dahl
On the stage, he was doing his thing and I was just watching and talking business with him at the nightclub. But then I started moving and people started recognizing me and said, Hey, you’re the guy who dances at Congress. You’re like famous. People know you. So yes, people recognize me and me and Hump House realized we could easily brand this and make this a thing and make people understand you can brand yourself quite easily and have an avenue how to market yourself.
Tom Heath
Okay, because that leads into some of the work that you do because you also help, now using that sort of philosophy, you work with small businesses and others to help brand them through social media mainly, right?
Brian Dahl
Mostly social media, but I also then help them, link them with other business partners. Okay. That’s big in business is to work with other people.
Tom Heath
All right, and you design, You have some of your own designs that you’ve got out there. We’ve got a couple on our website. Your profile is listed there, but your shop has obviously so much more. But tell us a little bit about what’s going on with this artwork here. What is –
Brian Dahl
So I started out promoting positive vibes only, but realized there was a lot of pushback. So I wanted to say, it’s not just about being positive, but being positive most of the time, go through the emotions. So I’ve also come out with it’s okay not to be okay. Okay, it’s okay to be okay And it’s okay to be okay, so you have to be able to deal with all your emotions All right, and then that that gets out in the world through like the t -shirts He shares social media stickers a little bit of everything and just I keep branding it branding it branding it So people know me as that guy
Tom Heath
Okay, and the the stuff that I’ve seen it’s interesting there’s similar messaging, but then it changes formats. Like you’ve got, for example, you have a sticker that has this information on it and it’s a heart, it’s okay to be okay, it’s okay not to be okay. But then you also have the same image and you have like the right half and the left half of the heart that come together to form a complete picture.
Brian Dahl
Correct, so there’s, you want to have different, be able to market different images into one because it’s like you have two different personalities, three different personalities, but it’s okay to be those.
Tom Heath
Speaking of different personalities, we don’t have the camera for this, but your hair is different today. It’s like red and spiky. Is this for the podcast where you’re like, oh man, I need to get dressed
Brian Dahl
up? I had to get ready for the podcast and show up, but no, it’s for Halloween. I’m going to be Jimmy Neutron, and right now I’m evil Jimmy Neutron.
Tom Heath
Okay. What does that mean? You’re evil?
Brian Dahl
So in the cartoon, off the movie, there was a version of him as evil. And they’re split instead of like a Johnny Bravo, Curly Q, the older people.
Tom Heath
PPR. Gotcha. So, so you’re, you’re in transition to be Johnny Bravo. JNL. No, Jimmy, Jimmy Neutron. PPR. I’m so uncool.
Brian Dahl
JNL. But for older people, it’s, people know basically it’s Johnny Bravo to an extent.
Tom Heath
PPR. And for older, older people like me, we just nod our head and say, oh, that’s so nice.
Brian Dahl
JNL. Yeah.
Tom Heath
PPR. So your, your career, this dancing, I mean, it, it’s no longer just at Congress. You’re, So you’ve been hired by clubs and like what your role is to.
Brian Dahl
So I’m out three to four nights a week dancing for three to four hours straight to get people to dance. I’m that icebreaker. And then I keep them going.
Tom Heath
Okay. And then like, do you dance with them or do you dance like in a cage? How do you get them going?
Brian Dahl
So sometimes it’s next to the DJ on the stage. Sometimes it’s on the floor. It just depends at the bar or the nightclub. It’s different in each spot. So I’ve danced at Hotel Congress, Playground, General Ben’s, Highwire, Cobra are some of
Tom Heath
them and Zen Rock have been a few. So you get out there and then the DJ or the club pays you because they want to create some energy and you just help to add to that.
Brian Dahl
Yeah, I’m very high vibes, positive vibes. So I’m always going and really rambunctious.
Tom Heath
Okay, and then I’ve seen you’re also doing some stuff now on social media where you’re I think was at high wire Where you were questioning people in line and recording their answers and such
Brian Dahl
So yes, I’m the guy who dances on Congress asking questions in line at high wire That’s that’s gonna be need a bigger t -shirt for that and that’s from usually on Saturday nights from like 12 to 12 30 really roughly do it
Tom Heath
so before Before 2016, 17, Hump House, were you a dancer? Did you go out and just dance or?
Brian Dahl
So ironically, no, I did not dance at all, really. I just went out and had fun. Okay.
Tom Heath
And then just one night, I mean, tell me kind of what’s going through your mind.
Brian Dahl
So I worked for a few different shirt brands and companies that made me able to understand branding.
Tom Heath
Okay.
Brian Dahl
And then I worked at corporations that I understood how to make it a systems to the T.
Tom Heath
Okay. But that branding and systems to the T that…
Brian Dahl
That helps in my broader object is to consult with people.
Tom Heath
Okay. But still, I’m still thinking about this night with Hump House. Like, what led you to start kind of dancing? Was it…
Brian Dahl
So it gave me the, I would say, building my brand, people seeing me, and it’s a way of building an audience.
Tom Heath
But when you started, was that your intent? Like, hey, I could become famous for dancing? Or did you start, like, what moved you? The music, I mean.
Brian Dahl
I just moved with the music.
Tom Heath
I just went with the music. And at what point did you realize, I know people recognize you, but at what point did you realize, hey, this is a brand? Was it quickly?
Brian Dahl
No, it took probably about a year. I slowly transitioned into it. At first with stickers. I added and that was an easy thing to hand out because everyone slaps it on their hydro flask now And that I put on my sticker my the guy who dances on Congress so everyone looks at my social media
Tom Heath
Then at what point did someone say hey this guy who doesn’t at the time doesn’t dance regularly But now is dancing like he would be good for creating energy like who came up with that idea Yeah.
Brian Dahl
I would probably say Hump House. Okay. Hump House was kind of the one who I would, I only danced with Hump House for a long time, but then I branched off on my own finally.
Tom Heath
So he just called you up and said, Hey, why don’t you come out and dance and create a little, create a little energy and all.
Brian Dahl
We were friends. So we were like, Hey, I’m going to come out and talk to you anyways. Let’s, let’s build this. Let’s make this a, make it a thing because people are having fun.
Tom Heath
Okay. And now we’re, we’re six or seven years into this and at what point, there’s usually a tipping point in a brand where people understand what that means. Have we reached that tipping point? I don’t think so. Okay.
Brian Dahl
I think we’re close, but I don’t think we’re there yet. Interesting. There’s still a lot of work to do and I’m out three to four nights a week pushing, dancing, so people see me.
Tom Heath
Man, that’s just, that’s gonna be exhausting.
Brian Dahl
And then I’m at proper shops every day we’re open.
Tom Heath
Well, let’s talk, let’s switch gears. I’m sorry, I’m fascinated with the dancing because it’s such an interesting way to build a brand and and it’s just I just love that you just took it and went with it. So why I
Brian Dahl
picked dancing was I’m showing I’m trying to show everyone that you can do it out of anything it’s just you have to put the work in. So then you take this
Tom Heath
brand and the proper shops open and if you’re not familiar the Tucson Gallery sits inside of the proper shops as well it’s a collective we have somewhere around 15 different independent retailers Brian is one we also have clothing, jewelry, other artwork, metalwork, a fabulous woodshop in your booth.
Brian Dahl
What do you offer through your store? So my store is, I call it TGWDLC. It’s the guy who dances on Congress shop. And it’s all my merchandise, my logo on shirts, cups, hats, whatever I can get my hands on for merchandise wise.
Tom Heath
And so people obviously, some people know that and they come in for that, but you’re also selling to people that have no idea, like before I met you, I had no idea, but I liked the vibe.
Brian Dahl
Yeah, so the messages I push on there is positive vibes or it’s okay not to be okay, or power of positivity, because there’s too much negativity in the world. So I’m pushing these key issues that we need to make normalized.
Tom Heath
Do you, with the design, are you a graphic designer or how did you come through to create some of this stuff?
Brian Dahl
So, I had help originally with my first one, Black Broccoli and Carne Queso from Cream helped me design it. So, Black Broccoli is his own business company and then Cream Carne Seca is his own company also and it’s a screen printing company. And they helped me for the first year or so get my logo started and then I realized I needed to do it myself. So, I got the programs and started slowly learning and still learning.
Tom Heath
Yeah. So, you’re a self -taught dancer, you’re a self -taught brander, you’re a self -taught graphic designer. You like to take your own path in the world.
Brian Dahl
Yes. So, I say I went to hippie school. So, it kind of led me to… What is hippie school? So, it’s a progressive education. I went from 5 to 18 and graduated from that school pass fail. Okay. So you had to be you had to be motivated to be there.
Tom Heath
All right. So you graduated from hippie school and that has led you to kind of finding things out on your own? Yeah. Seeing the world from a different point of view than most. Okay. That seems very, from what I know of you, that seems very accurate. You do come with a really strong energy and I think that’s pretty evident to anybody that meets you. Thank you. You know,
Tom Heath
you’re out in these clubs dancing, working up a sweat, and I know, and this might be a little too personal if it is, just let me know, but I do know that you went through some challenges with alcohol and have since kind of really kind of avoided it at this point. Is that something you can talk about?
Brian Dahl
Yes. No, we can talk about it for sure because I’m very, I try to be open book. It’s that hippie schooling. Exactly. I was a party boy, I call it, and I partied hard for a long time. And I am actually now sober for eight years, eight plus years.
Tom Heath
Paul Jay So, so your sobriety came prior to dancing? Paul Jay Interesting.
Brian Dahl
James LeBell So the self -help, I think, actually reading and stuff, helped me to understand I can do whatever I want, and I don’t need alcohol to numb it.
Tom Heath
Paul Jay Wow. That’s very interesting. I mean, I knew part of that story, but I really would have assumed it happened that,
Brian Dahl
you know,
Tom Heath
the alcohol is what got you into the dancing because that seems to be what happens for a lot
Brian Dahl
of people. I mean, I did dance, but I wasn’t known as the guy who dances at Congress. I was just a crazy dancer and I was very wild and I was kicked out of a few bars. I was 86 out of a bar recently until this last year because of my old times. And that was eight plus years they had me kicked out. And understandably, I was not, I was friendly, but I was sometimes, I got too much.
Tom Heath
And I mean, it just, I know it seems odd to me that someone that is going through that, I mean, it’s probably a daily struggle, but now you put yourself right back in that environment.
Brian Dahl
Is that? To me, I’m able to not even think about it. I have, I’ve used other things like an energy drink or water to have in my hand, and I don’t even think about alcohol now. It’s not even a question, because where I’m headed is somewhere way better.
Tom Heath
And did you go through like a program? How did you?
Brian Dahl
So technically, no, at the time when I quit, I did not I when I was younger, I did have a super extreme DUI. I’m not shy to say that. And I did have no alcohol for a year. But I started drinking again after that. But again, then after that, I stopped cold turkey.
Tom Heath
Do you remember? Was it a moment? Or was it a thought?
Brian Dahl
I just was basically on my last cat life. If I did something stupid, I would have killed someone or killed myself.
Tom Heath
That’s pretty amazing to recognize that because a lot of people that I’ve known over the years that when they’re in that place, they don’t see it and it can get dark pretty quickly and I’m glad that you did.
Brian Dahl
Thank you. I do say if you need help, get help. There’s people out there who can help. There’s many different organizations, AAA, or is it AA, sorry, not AA. But AA, yeah, because they can tow your car. Yeah. If you heard it, you can get your car towed, but there’s AA if you need to use that route. Use it because it does help.
Tom Heath
Yeah. I think a lot of people would struggle with doing it the way that you did that. I mean, courage to you and kudos to you, but it’s…
Brian Dahl
It’s not… Yeah, it’s not normal, I would say. And I left the bar scene for about six months. I cut a lot of friends out for six months or so. And some friends I don’t still talk to. Some friends I do, but they’re friends I only talk to for five minutes. They’re hiking friends. They’re sports friends.
Tom Heath
I appreciate, I appreciate you sharing that. And that probably has a lot to do with some of this resolve that you’ve had to help build the brand over this time and kind of curious to see where all this, where all this takes us.
Brian Dahl
It’s going to go much farther than people believe. There’s a few projects in the works right now that I’m really excited about anything. You can share Yeah, one of them’s actually where I got just got my co -host for we’re gonna do a podcast What he’s cutting into my time people but our book club for a book club. All right All right I’ll let I will let it pass and I got hump house media to be my guy to shoot that all So tell me about this podcast. It sounds interesting. So we’re going to do a book What I can reveal right now is we’re going to read a book for two episodes. It’ll be in two episodes, we’ll talk about the whole book, me and my co -host. There’ll be more information in a week or two we can release. So how do people stay in touch with you? How do they follow you? On the guy who dances on Congress right now is my source for my Instagram.
Tom Heath
All right. Do you do Facebook or is that for?
Brian Dahl
I do have Facebook, the guy who dances on Congress. I have actually TikTok. I don’t like using TikTok, but I do have it as the guy who dances on Congress.
Tom Heath
see TikTok to me like you’re throwing out all these all these nicknames and it’s TikToks is like the cool place like you’d want to be there. Why don’t you want to be on TikTok?
Brian Dahl
I’m trying to focus in more in on Tucson TikToks more worldwide. Okay. So I’m trying to really brand myself in Arizona right now.
Tom Heath
And that’s are we an Instagram town?
Brian Dahl
It’s easier to I think social media to a specific area on Instagram or Facebook.
Tom Heath
All right. The things you would learn hanging out with Brian Dahl, if you have any questions about marketing or branding, check him out on his Instagram or Facebook page or my website, theguywhodancesoncongress .com. You can book me. I can’t believe that one wasn’t taken. That’s just surprises me.
Brian Dahl
Like, I know, right. The guy who dances on Congress.
Tom Heath
It seems like that’d be like, it’d be great if there was the guy who dances on congress12 .com. Uh, 11 other people had this idea. I think it’s just phenomenal. I love your energy. I love the fact that you just took something that just organically popped up and worked with friends, developed a business model out of it. And I think the key, and from someone from an outside perspective, is this stick -to -itiveness, the fact that this didn’t just take off and you have a brand. It was a lot of deviations and changes and subtle movements along the way. But the whole time you believed this is going to be something. And now it is something. And you’re telling me this is just the this is like the foundation. Okay, six years. Now I’ve got what I now I got
Brian Dahl
the foundation to do what I wanted. This is the very start of it. And it’s just pivot, learning to pivot a lot. Do you
Tom Heath
have a name for your podcast? Not yet. He has a name. He just doesn’t want to share it with me. I see. You can see his eyes like you know, we
Brian Dahl
there’ll be a time we release it on our Instagrams, me and my co -host, so it’ll be… See, tell me who your co -host is. Her name is Lola. Okay, so you’re
Tom Heath
gonna read books with Lola, and we’re gonna put this out in the world, and what kind of, what kind of, it’s video, you said there’s gonna be video? There’ll be, it’ll
Brian Dahl
be a YouTube station, too. Fantastic. So it’ll be a YouTube podcast, and we’re going to try also to stream it live, so you can kind of get some playback. All
Tom Heath
right, and are people gonna be encouraged to join you in this reading?
Brian Dahl
Um, there’s yes, we want people to read at their pace or listen in the on audibles fine to different audible, whatever app you use or through the library.
Tom Heath
But we will keep an eye on that and we’ll, uh, we’ll share information through, uh, through our social media channels. And if you ever want to connect with Brian, he does have a shop here inside of the proper shops. He is also one of the artists on our website, which is the Tucson gallery .com. You can check out, uh, he’s got his images up there that he has, uh, put onto other material. Uh, you can get a, you know, if you want to like a poster or canvas with his messaging on there or something cool, like a notebook, it’s all on the Tucson gallery, uh, dot com. And, um, yeah, you normally, I say you missed your chance to meet him. Cause you know, we don’t do these meet the artists all the time, but honestly, Brian is here Thursday through Sunday, uh, in his shop. So if you come into the gallery and you’re like, Hey, where’s Brian, we will, uh, we send you back there. But you’re probably going to ask for where’s the guy who dances on Congress? It’s always the guy who dances. So I appreciate
Tom Heath
your time.
Brian Dahl
Thank you very much, Tom. I appreciate you.
Tom Heath
If you or someone you know is looking for information about an alcohol addiction, you can call the National Rehab Hotline at 866 -210 -1303.
Tom Heath
Thank you for listening to Meet the Artist. This is a weekly production by the Tucson Gallery located inside of The Proper Shops at 300 East Conger Street in Tucson, Arizona. The mission of the Tucson Gallery is to support local artists by providing a space to show their art, a forum to engage with their audience, a virtual presence to connect with global patrons, an outlet to earn a fair price, and an opportunity to hone their business skills. Head over to thetucsongallery .com for more information about our live events. listen to other Meet the Artist podcasts, and check out the wide selection of art, gifts, and other items created by Tucson’s modern, thought -provoking, and forward -thinking artists.