The Beautiful Mistakes with Dismal & Paine
What if the best photo, the best song, or the best show wasn't the perfect one—but the one where somebody took a chance?
This week, Brian Payne and Johnny Dismal return to the pond for a conversation about punk rock, photography, creativity, and why building community will always matter more than chasing perfection.
Summary
Some conversations have a destination. This one just wandered—and ended up somewhere better than we expected.
Brian Paine and Johnny Dismal join me for what starts as a conversation about concert photography, punk rock, and documenting the Bay Area music scene. Brian shares what it's like photographing more than two dozen bands in a single weekend, why he never wants performers to second-guess themselves, and how technology has changed the way we capture live moments. Johnny brings the performer's perspective, talking about stage mistakes, unsolicited feedback, and why musicians are almost always harder on themselves than their audience ever will be.
Along the way, we somehow end up talking about Japanese punk hospitality, AI, strip club playlists, Bay Area music history, and the evolution of local scenes from competition to genuine community.
But underneath all the stories is a conversation about something bigger.
Why do we create? Why are we so afraid of getting it wrong? And what would happen if we stopped chasing perfect and simply made the thing anyway?
Whether you're a musician, photographer, artist, entrepreneur, or someone trying to put a little more of yourself into the world, this episode is a reminder that the best work, and the best communities, are built by people who keep showing up.
Because sometimes the beautiful mistakes are the whole point.
Brian Paine
Brian Paine is a Bay Area concert photographer, punk-scene lifer, and former IT professional whose camera has become both his creative outlet and personal therapy. After decades working for companies like Nordstrom, Charles Schwab, Bill Graham Presents, and PayPal, a major layoff led him back to the local music scene that had always grounded him. Today, Brian has documented hundreds of Bay Area bands, capturing the energy, community, and beautiful imperfections of live music from the floor of the venue.
Resources & Mentions
Pussy Velour
https://www.instagram.com/pussyvelour/
Lost Puppy Forever
https://www.instagram.com/lostpuppyforever/
SF Rejects
https://www.instagram.com/sfrejects/
Last Thread
https://www.instagram.com/lastthreadhc/
Damage Party
https://www.instagram.com/damageparty/
Noise Agents
https://www.instagram.com/noiseagents/
Misfits
https://www.misfits.com/
Glenn Danzig
https://www.danzig-verotik.com/
Motörhead
https://imotorhead.com/
Testament
https://www.testamentlegions.com/
Iron Maiden
https://www.ironmaiden.com/
Black Sabbath
https://www.blacksabbath.com/
Teenage Harlots
https://www.instagram.com/teenageharlots/
Marty Robbins Ghost
https://www.instagram.com/martyrobbinsghost/
Plan 9
https://www.instagram.com/plan9punk/
Hellbillies
https://www.instagram.com/hellbilliesband/
Sewer Trout
https://www.instagram.com/sewertrout/
Party Force
https://www.instagram.com/partyforceband/
Helmsmen
https://www.instagram.com/thehelmsmen/
Houndsmen
https://www.instagram.com/houndsmenband/
Christina Hellflower
https://www.instagram.com/christinahellflower/
Gilman Brewing Company
https://gilmanbrew.com/
Drake's Brewing Company
https://drinkdrakes.com/
Kilowatt Bar (San Francisco)
https://www.kilowattbar.com/
The Ivy Room (Albany, CA)
https://www.ivyroom.com/
Fireside Lounge (Alameda)
https://www.instagram.com/firesideloungealameda/
Grinch Fest
https://www.instagram.com/grinchfest/
Garage Fest / Bargain Rock
https://www.instagram.com/bargainrock/
Folsom Street Fair
https://www.folsomstreet.org/
How Weird Street Faire
https://howweird.org/
Tokyo, Japan
https://www.gotokyo.org/
Germany Tourism
https://www.germany.travel/
Visit Arizona
https://www.visitarizona.com/
Visit Rochester, NY
https://www.visitrochester.com/
Meet Boston
https://www.meetboston.com/
The Glass Slipper (Historic Boston Nightclub)
https://www.bostonradio.org/essays/nightclubs/
The Golden Banana (Historic Boston Strip Club)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Banana
💡 Key Takeaways
“If you fuck up, don’t look at me, just keep playing. No one knows you messed up unless you tell them.”
~ Johnny Dismal
Imperfection is part of the art. “Wrong” notes, flubbed lyrics, and messy photos often carry more truth and energy than sanitized perfection.
Ethics in creative documentation matter. Consent, social media, and AI tags shift how photographers shoot crowds and how bands feel about being captured.
Community over clout. Shooting (and watching) every band on the bill, especially openers, builds a stronger, more supportive scene.
Tech is a tool, not the villain. Metta glasses, Lightroom, AI color grading, and iPhones can expand creative possibilities when used with intention.
Subcultures evolve, and get invaded. From Bay Area punk to Folsom to Japanese punk shows, “normies” and commercialization can both normalize and water down once-radical spaces.
Johnny Dismal is a longtime punk musician, songwriter, and performer whose decades in the underground music scene have shaped his philosophy on creativity, authenticity, and community. Whether he's on stage or mentoring fellow musicians, Johnny believes the best art isn't about perfection—it's about showing up honestly, embracing the mistakes, and remembering that music has always been about bringing people together.
Find Johnny’s art at Dismal Things
Johnny Dismal
“I’ll shoot the opening band as much as I’ll shoot the headliner.”
~ Brian Paine