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New York’s elusive guitar legend can no longer hide in the shadows.
After 30 years of discreetly postering the city with flyers advertising his guitar lessons, Dan Smith’s grassroots campaign has earned him the most elaborate poster yet: a Times Square billboard.
Since 1992, New Yorkers have seen his face and slogan plastered on telephone poles and storefronts across Manhattan and asked, who is Dan Smith? Is he a legitimate guitar teacher? To New Yorkers, he’s somewhat of a modern Bigfoot or Sasquatch.
“I have always hoped to catch him in the act,” one Gothamite wrote on Reddit.
Known across the city as the “poster guy,” Smith’s “plain and boring” fliers with just his photo, contact information, and the bold phrase “Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar” plastered around the city in various neighborhoods have made him a local legend.
Much to Smith’s disappointment, no one called at first. But after two years of consistently following this simple strategy, he built a steady business that allowed him to leave his restaurant job behind.
He didn’t start to feel like a recognizable figure until 2000, when he first put his photo on his flyers, which coincided with the rise of the internet.
“I really appreciate using printed flyers; it’s this analog, hands-on experience that is deeper than digital forms of advertising,” Smith told The Post, adding that talking to store owners behind the counter and building relationships with them before hanging his flyer has been crucial for his marketing.
His minimalist approach accidentally built a legendary brand. The phrase “Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar” became a pop culture staple, referenced and parodied on The Daily Show, BoJack Horseman and in John Mayer songs.
Smith recalled taking an old BuzzFeed quiz titled “Are You a Real New Yorker?”— and was shocked to see the question “Who is Dan Smith?”
“I don’t feel different from everybody else, yet my flyer created a dynamic where it’s in the fabric of the city,” he told The Post.
So much so that his iconic flyer has been elevated to the biggest advertising display in Manhattan: a Times Square billboard, as Hewlett Packard printing company pays homage to Smith’s flyers through their Hometown Heroes campaign, which will be on display on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square today through Oct. 12.
Smith calls this honor a deeply gratifying affirmation of 30 years of hard work.
Despite some “fame,” Smith’s day-to-day hasn’t changed.
He still opens his studio around 9 a.m., teaches into the evening and spends his free hours walking through the city, quietly taping up his posters just as he did three decades ago.
Among his long list of students is former New York Governor David Paterson, who picked up the guitar again in 2020 after his wife mentioned seeing the ubiquitous fliers.
“I told (Smith) my story, started playing with him and found him to be an excellent teacher,” Paterson told The Post.
Because Paterson is legally blind, Smith tailored his teaching style to help him feel his way around the instrument without reading notes. “He’s a quiet hero — very hometown, right here 20 blocks from me in Manhattan.”
The duo even performed together at an event with Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2023.
“I think he’s made a “grassroots” impact and putting the fliers up was ingenious,” the former Governor told The Post. “He doesn’t over publicize himself or try to be a famous guitar teacher,” he added, saying his lessons feel like being a part of an “underground club.”
Other locals, like Ivan Rivera, were drawn in after spotting a flyer taped to a deli window at 17th Street and 9th Avenue.
“It’s therapeutic for me because it’s not just about the music — he feels like a friend I can sit and talk to,” Rivera told The Post, adding that he was thrilled to see Smith’s work recognized in Times Square.
“I have a great relationship with New York City and I feel comforted by the fact that people see my flyers around,” Smith said. “NYC is fertile for anybody with a dream, and putting my small flyers up helped me find my voice, so it’s the perfect place.”
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