514 Washington St
Brainerd MN 56401
Stepping into Red at Night, one might think the shop is actually a spa instead of a tattoo shop. Its walls are painted a light green and glamorous light fixtures hang from the ceiling. That was the exact atmosphere shop owners Tyler Hamline and Mike Dieter had in mind when they opened their shop on April 1, 2017.
They realize getting tattoos and piercings can be a painful, stressful experience, so they seek to create a calming atmosphere that can put guests at ease. They do things at the customer’s pace, not rushing the process just for the sake of getting it done. They feel honored to help their customers, to help them overcome their fears and make them happy.
In discussing how Red at Night Studios got started, one of Tyler’s buddies knew a tattooer, Clint Lasher, who was starting a business. Tyler worked for Clint, who owned Pain Ink in St. Cloud, for 10 years. Tyler was the manager as well as a piercer. He wasn’t happy with certain aspects of how things were run and knew he wanted to start his own shop.
The shop’s name comes from the old saying, “Red at night, sailor’s delight.” This gives the shop a positive feeling, that everything is going well. It was also part of a song Tyler’s mother sang to him as a child. Tyler became rebellious after his mother’s death when he was 12, eventually dropping out of school.
Piercing gave him a creative outlet, as well as a job he loved. In his experience, tattoo artists and piercers seemed to have the most freedom out of any other profession: they could wear what they want and listen to the music they wanted to. He wasn’t artistic, so piercing was his way into that world.
Andy “Goat” Sandberg taught Tyler piercing at Cloud 9 in St. Cloud. He is now at Olde Town Tattoo in St. Cloud. Much like tattoo apprenticeships, piercing apprenticeships last several months without pay, but Tyler was grateful for his apprenticeship. It trained him to have a career that he loved and would last him a lifetime.
His dedication has landed him a spot on the Association of Professional Piercers, a group of which only 5 shops in Minnesota belong due to its strict guidelines.
The current tattoo artists at Red at Night are Mike Dieter and Jewett. Tyler is currently the only piercer.
See more photos from our visit to Red at Night below!
