Last Friday night marked a homecoming for one of the Dallas dance music community's prodigal sons. DJ Brett Johnson was born and raised right here in North Texas, but for several years now he's made his home on the other side of the Atlantic in dance-crazed Berlin. On Friday, he returned to Dallas for a sold-out performance at It'll Do Club.
It's a story that Wanz Dover chronicled for us right here on DC9 at Night ahead of the show, and we sent videographer Sarah Passon to It'll Do to capture Johnson in action and let him tell his story in his own words.
See also: Like Many DJs, Dallas' Brett Johnson Found His Real Home in Europe It'll Do Club to Host Second Anniversary Party This Saturday
Johnson's is a story that should be all too familiar to most fans of dance and electronic music, especially those right here in Dallas: Simply put, there's far more demand, and it's far easier to make a living, for DJs over in Europe. Artists who can sell out venues and even play arenas in other countries may not even register for most music fans in their own hometowns.
Such is the plight of folks like Johnson. But it works out okay for dance fans here in Dallas who are sharp enough to know their stuff. The upshot is that DJs who can sell out those venues and play those arenas in Europe wind up at a small club here like It'll Do, which is pretty well perfect.
In the video, Johnson reflects on the heyday of the Dallas dance scene and the setbacks that dance culture faces in the States. But mostly he was happy to be back with friends whom he came up DJing with back in the '90s. "I'm going to play my heart out," he tells Passon in the video.
DC9 AT NIGHT'S GREATEST HITS
50 Signs You've Been Partying Too Long in Denton Florida Georgia Line Danced on the Grave of Country at Gexa on Saturday What Your Favorite North Texas Band Says About You Does Dallas Want Its Own Austin City Limits? The Best Places in Dallas to Go When You're Stoned
