It was late 1997... Dirtbag Clothing is a only a few years old, being run out of our 5 story walk up apartment in San Francisco. I was still doing freelance video work and one of my clients was Univision Channel 14 Spanish language news. While doing a story, I met a fellow news cameraman, Dennis Callaghan from the CBS station. He liked my hustle getting shots of a huge flood that closed down the freeway-- from that day, we stayed in touch. That's what freelancers did; we NETWORKED!!

A few weeks later, Dennis called me saying, "HEY! ...you want to assist me in taking photos of the Tom Petty gig at the Fillmore? At the time, Tom was the hardest ticket to get in the world…. it was THE concert event of the time, and the buzz was deafening. So before he could finish, I said I'll be there 4 hours early…

I arrive lugging 3 or 4 bags of gear, stoked to be working with a photographer that shot the all the major bands of the 70’s , 80’s and 90’s… I had an all access pass, but never left Dennis as I was there to WORK…. I was watching the gear while Dennis goes to chat with Tom (Petty)... Then, Dennis comes back to say we’re NOT going to shoot the show tonight as Tom was “not feeling it”…. so we’re going to drink… OH BOY!

We got a drink at the bar.. Then, while Tom was on stage Dennis suggested we get our next round not from the bar, but from the band's room backstage. For those who might not know, backstage at the Fillmore is super small and there was an even smaller area just outside where you can see the stage… So, I’m drinking the band's beer at the hottest ticket in town… I’m in heaven…

Someone set off some pepper spray in the venue or something, causing the band to take a break… Me, freaking out as I’m drinking Tom Petty's beer in HIS backstage area that is so small the band could barely fit…so I made the decision to head down the stairs, and to not intrude…. Well-- those stairs led RIGHT to the stage that Tom was leaving, so I literally bump right into him in the stairwell  ...I just ran into rock in roll royalty…

SUCH AN EPIC NIGHT.. and a few days later, Dennis tells me to pop over to his place and hands me a signed poster from that night… I have it on my office wall to this day!!! Now they have released a compilation from all those shows that just bring back such epic memories!! The Fillmore has great stories in the history of DIRTBAG…. I’ll tell another story soon.

-DIRTBAG JOHN

 CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO TOM PETTY: LIVE AT THE FILLMORE

Start Something LOUD this spring with the DIRTBAG Clothing Spring 2023 Collection...

A LITTLE ON TOP.... 

Our HUNTER Tropical Multicam FlexFit Hat sports the colorful, yet subtle green camo print, with a contrasting LOUD green or orange DIRTBAG CLASSIC logo that pops. This is the logo that started it all...

DIRTBAG Tour Tees....

This spring, as always--- our t-shirts are all about making a bold statement. Our designs range from simple and classic to eye-catching and LOUD.. so you're sure to find something that suits your style. All of our DIRTBAG TOUR TEES are made from high-quality materials and are designed to be comfortable and long-lasting. As a standard, we always use high-quality, thoughtfully-sourced material. We offer both short-sleeved and long-sleeved options, as well as v-necks and racerback tank tops (for the ladies) --coming in a range of colors, including black, white, grey, and red. Each shirt features some version of our iconic DIRTBAG logo in a range of colors. So whether you're looking for a LOUD statement piece to wear on stage, or just a subtle, casual t-shirt to wear on a day out.. DIRTBAG's got you covered.

DIRTBAG Clothing's Spring Collection is all about starting something LOUD, and our hats and t-shirts are the perfect way to do just that. Our iconic DIRTBAG logos are available in a range of colors and stylings so you can find the perfect look to suit your swag. Whether you prefer classic snapbacks, FlexFit, or trucker hats; short-sleeved or long-sleeved t-shirts, or just anything DIRTBAG... our collection has something for EVERYONE. Start something LOUD this spring and make YOUR statement with DIRTBAG Clothing on your back.

 SHOP THE SPRING COLLECTION: 

We are pleased to announce the birth of the first DIRTBAG OFFICIAL VENUE. The Looney Bin in Bradley, Illinois - otherwise known by its slogan, "Best Bands, Shittiest Place".

In our hunt to make a positive impact on performing musicians everywhere, we looked to the venues. Where artists spend their time cutting their teeth, performing their art, and trying not to get shafted by shortened sets, bad load ins, no communication, organization and worst of all terrible promotion. Come to this show/venue and witness how it's supposed to be done.

A HUGE thank you to NICK HUFFMAN for accepting the challenge of assisting in the development of the Dirtbag Endorsed Venue Program by providing a venue with the right attitude to test our ideas on how to make a performing musician's life venue experience better. We couldn't think of a more perfect venue to represent the values and ethics of Dirtbag Clothing and our commitment to support artists around the world.

This party is hosted by the one and only Dirtbag, DON JAMIESON.

Come celebrate with an ALL Dirtbag Endorsed Artist Bill.

Featuring:

QUOR - San Diego, CA -
Punch Cabbie - Chicago, IL -
On My Six - Rockford, IL -
A Silent Truth - Chicago, IL -
Gravel Switch - Jamestown, KY -

Don't miss an event for the record books. Dirtbags doing what Dirtbags do. Whether you are a rock 'n roll band or a rock 'n roll venue. Supporting each other and representing what a strong culture of rock 'n roll looks like.

From Nick Huffman:

This is a very cool opportunity that came to us last year that's been under wraps for a while (poorly, if you've been in and seen the floor), but, now it's officially out there.

Dirtbag Clothing currently endorses nearly a thousand original touring bands/artists, as they have since 1996. In the 90's, Pantera was definitely my favorite band, well into the 2000's, which is when I first became aware of them, thanks to Dime, who wore the shit out of their gear and now guys I have tons of respect for like Don Jamieson and one of my favorites in radio Shawn Sixx as well as a lot of the bands who play here, both regional and national.

Sometime last year, I got a call from Dirtbag Smitty, to see my thoughts of The Looney Bin becoming the first ever Official Venue of Dirtbag Clothing, which was quite an honor, make no mistake about it, just to be included the conversation and considered.

If there's one thing that I am not and the Bin is not, it's corporate. So, for us to be willing to drop a huge logo on our dance floor and front of building (when weather warms up), it's definitely something that I feel strongly about, not just because I wear their gear… Which I do. That reason is that Dirtbag Clothing sees the big picture in this industry, which, is that, yes. There are a lot of bad guys in it. We all know that. But, there are also a lot of good guys who do right by each other and help each other when the others fall, which is one of the things we've all preached as well as practiced here over the last nine years. Those are the kind of people who I like to associate with. I don't care if you're an owner, promoter, manager, publicist, press, musician, Radio, TV, etc., we all have our little space in this big game and the reason is because we love it. If there was any other reason, we'd all be out of our minds to do this to ourselves. The guys from Dirtbag/their Network are here to make this industry better. I can get behind that.

I couldn't have possibly been more humbled when we were approached/asked, and that feeling has not subsided at all. I couldn't be more grateful. It's still strange to me that people dig it here.

Oh yeah… Yes! We accepted! The official venue launch party will be on June 15. Our old friend Don Jamieson (That Metal Show) will be here, along with 5 very bin familiar bands. On My Six, A Silent Truth, Quor, Gravel Switch, Punch Cabbie (This post isn't intended to be an ad. I'll drop the event in the comments)

Huge thanks to everyone who had a part in this from day one until now. All roads led to here. No matter how big or small your part, please know that it's sincerely appreciated.

Please note: you won't see any big changes coming because of this, aside from in merch….(another day. Ball not yet in motion, but soon… Maybe now you'll all understand why I haven't ordered more shirts?…) and bigger things!

The artist for our floor was Jessica Carter of Art From The Heart, who I hired instead of using a decal. We did the piece over a few months and let Rock And Roll happen right on top of it, because we wanted it to look real. She nailed it…. FREEHAND!

The Looney Bin is located at 201 S Schuyler Ave, Bradley, IL 60915

See you at the show: