Category Archives: Poster Art

A Visual Compendium of Guitars – Pop Chart Labs

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Digital print continues to advance visual interpretation with eye appealing content. Direct from Brooklyn, NY, the music capital of the world we find an exceptional catalog of 64 famed guitars, A Visual Compendium of Guitars. This distinctive publication is a limited-edition print from Brooklyn’s Pop Chart Lab that illustrates some of rock’s most iconic guitars in beautifully articulated illustrations.

Each print is signed by the artists and numbered from a first printing of 500.

Using 100 lb. archival recycled stock certified by The Forest Stewardship Council, this poster is pressed on an offset lithographic press with vegetable-based inks in Flatlands, Brooklyn.

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The Rock Poster Society Event in San Francisco Tomorrow 8/18

Posted on by Musicofourheart

I love my hobby within my main music hobby, rock poster art collecting. I just renewed my membership with The Rock Poster Society based in San Francisco, California. They sent me a cool t-shirt based on this poster by EMEK for renewing ;)

It is my sincere wish to visit San Francisco with Rosemary in the near future. We’ve developed some very nice friendships there and would love to visit with our west coast friends someday :) I’d love to include a Rock Poster Society Event in those travels ;)

The Cannery

Speaking of Rock Poster Society Events that is the purpose of my music blog post today. Tomorrow The Rock Poster Soci­ety (TRPS) will hold the rock poster art event of the sum­mer! TRPS is team­ing up with the Acad­emy of Art Uni­ver­sity to present Rock Art By the Bay on Sat­ur­day August 18, 2012 at the Can­nery near San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. The show will run from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admis­sion: FREE

Join the event on Facebook Here

Rock Art by the Bay 2012 poster by Carolyn Ferris

A Tale of Two Posters

Posted on by Musicofourheart

I became interested in Rock and Roll memorabilia in the 70′s. My passion for rock merchandise has several areas of focus. I love rock poster art. Much of the walls in my home have unique framed art.

My membership in The Rock Poster Society has kept me in direct touch with famous rock poster artists and their monumental work. Yesterday I got to see the Fillmore East Rock Art Poster guru, David Edward Byrd.

The event began with a Rock Art Poster Fair that featured various poster sellers and several of the poster artists themselves. The centerpiece of the Rock Art Poster Fair was to witness the artist proofs of David Edward Byrd before we attended the exhibition and the talk by David Edward Byrd and Arnold Skolnick. I was blown away to see the artist proofs of David’s Jimi Hendrix Fillmore East posters. I intend to buy one of those proofs from his Web site this year.

I can’t decide between these two images below. The final poster feature The Jimi Hendrix Experience and is the final artwork. The first poster was David’s original poster, which I like the colors and lightning bolt effect of he chose for Jimi. Decisions, decisions…

Jimi HendrixJimi Hendrix Experience - Fillmore East - May 1968

We then went downstairs to see the Byrd/Skolnick, A Tale of Two Posters exhibit. The exhibition did great justice to both art icons. I learned how much more David Edward Byrd has accomplished beyond my understanding of him as the Fillmore East poster artist. He has made a major contribution to Broadway, Television and Film with classic posters and art for Godspell, Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Harry Potter. David Edward Byrd’s work is in a word, magnificent.

Godspell

Arnold Skolnick educated us about his art contributions for nook covers, photography and painting. Yes he is the creator of the Woodstock poster that we all know and love, but he has an amazing dimensional ability with his art that is impressive.

We especially loved his photography book Love Songs.

The next event was a talk that featured both artists. Their discussion was informative, lively, revealing, filling us with laughter and respect. It was a great chance to learn more about them, their art and the stories behind famous posters and famous people like Bill Graham.

We had a lovely time at this event. The exhibition was well curated. The talk was very informative. Thank you Bethel Woods Center for the Arts for a fantastic weekend.

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Grace Slick – Poster Artist

Posted on by Musicofourheart

One of my favorite live music introductions was Grace Slick awakening the Woodstock audience at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday August 17, 1969.

Today Grace Slick is an artist and a painter. This is her painting of Woodstock. I love her irreverent sensibilities.

Click <a href="http://www.areaarts.com/woodstock-by-grace-slick/">HERE</a> for more info

“at the time (1969). A concert with 1/2 a million people was unheard of. To be honest we were blissfully unprepared and unmercifully hammered by the weather. As the painting shows. The audience had to slog around in the mud. Young people adapt to that kind of a mess better than old farts.

Saying goodbye on the last of three days. The clump of musicians on the stage is appreciating the audience and visa versa. Everything except murder is happening in the crowd – as it would in any gathering of that size.

I have taken the liberty of inserting some individuals who could not have been there, but maybe there were in spirit – Abraham. Buddha. Mohamed. Jesus. Adam & Eve. Alice in Wonderland. The White Rabbit. My Daughter and Barack Obama.

For composition and space. I have simplified the stage gear and the sound towers. If it looks like a cartoon – it was.”

Grace Slick

Moonalice is a band that has given new life to the art of the rock music poster. They issue a rock music art poster for every one of their concerts. I got this poster of theirs at the Gathering of the Vibes Festival in 2009.

7/25/09 Moonalice poster by Alexandra Fischer

Moonalice has partnered with some of the best rock art poster artists. Take a stroll through their Moonalice Poster Web Site.

Grace Slick and Moonalice are partnering together. Legendary singer Grace Slick will team up with Moonalice for a ‘Visual Concert of Grace Slick’s Phantasmical, Whimsically Droll” on April 22 at George’s in San Rafael, CA. The exhibition will feature her newest painting, titled “Crossover,” along with a live performance from Moonalice.

Grace Slick recently designed this poster for Moonalice for their April Fools Day concert in Hartford, Ct. Classic Grace isn’t it ;)

4/1/12 Moonalice poster by Grace Slick

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The Theme Song for Occupy Together – Steppenwolf’s Monster

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Occupy Together continues to gain momentum from the impetus of Occupy Wall Street.  I suggest the insightful song by Steppenwolf, “Monster/Suicide/America” as the theme song for the Occupy Together movement.

The words reinforce our understanding about who we know the Mon$ter to be. Who will not obey. Greed.

And though the past has it’s share of injustice
Kind was the spirit in many a way
But it’s protectors and friends have been sleeping
Now it’s a monster and will not obey…..

America where are you now?
Don’t you care about your sons and daughters?
Don’t you know we need you now
We can’t fight alone against the monster

Lyrics by John Kay, Copyright 1970 MCA Records Inc.

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Renaissance – Concert Review, Infinity Music Hall, September 16, 2011

Posted on by Musicofourheart


We couldn’t ask for a more beautiful evening midst the rolling hills of Connecticut for Renaissance in concert at Infinity Music Hall.

Infinity Music Hall has such superb acoustics. The hall is an architectural wonder, a visual treat for the eyes and senses. We usually get our seats in the mezzanine, overlooking the main floor. This provides us with a great vantage point to watch the musicians as well as the entire stage.

Renaissance designed a unique concert experience in performing two of their best albums, Turn of the Cards (1974) and Scheherazade and Other Stories (1975) back to back, playing every track in logical sequence. These two albums actually follow each other in the Renaissance discography forming the heart of their catalog.  It made perfect sense to witness their music performed in concert as we listen to it on the recording. I long for the days when WNEW-FM, 102.7 NY City featured progressive album rock.

The band was in top form initiating “Running Hard”, as Annie Haslam joined the stage to enthusiastic applause. Annie Haslam acknowledged her fans with equal gusto. Turn of the Cards unfolded quickly before us as Michael Dunford pointed out. “Black Flame” and “Mother Russia” were my favorite songs of the first set.

Scheherazade and Other Stories, the second set, took us in a whole different magical direction. I found myself  thoroughly intrigued with this series of songs. “Trip to the Fair” opens the album, taking us to a fair in the renaissance age. “Ocean Gypsy” took us to the water’s edge, a  place of utter tranquility.

“Song of Scheherazade” which is performed in 9 movements was happily beyond the masterpiece I envisioned it might be live. My music appreciation was enhanced with new found dimensional harmonies, richly accented by the dual keyboard interplay.  The band worked in collaborative splendor to create elegant music baroque. I was ecstatic to float in dream  sequence on the puffy clouds Renaissance formed all around us.

The evening ended with a single encore (I must admit I felt guilty after listening to two full recordings of great music requesting more…). “Mystic and the Muse” failed to disappoint. It was yet another high point of the evening as Annie Haslam reached her highest arias to our blissful astonishment.

Renaissance was very accommodating to their fans. We love that Infinity Music Hall has a designated area for merchandise sales, meet and greet/ autograph sessions. We purchased the 2011 Tour Poster and had it signed by all the members of the group. It was such a thrill to meet Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford at the autograph table. It means a lot when you can exchange a few words with people you admire.

Set 1 – Turn of the Cards

Image via Wikipedia

  1. Running Hard
  2. I Think of You
  3. Things I Don’t Understand
  4. Black Flame
  5. Cold Is Being
  6. Mother Russia

Intermission (15 minutes)

Set 2 – Scheherazade and Other Stories

  1. Trip to the Fair
  2. The Vultures Fly High
  3. Ocean Gypsy
  4. Song of Scheherazade
  1. i. Fanfare
  2. ii. The Betrayal
  3. iii. The Sultan
  4. iv. Love Theme
  5. v. The Young Prince and Princess as told by Scheherazade
    Scheherazade and Other Stories

    Image via Wikipedia

  6. vi. Festival Preparations
  7. vii. Fugue for the Sultan
  8. viii. The Festival
  9. ix. Finale
Encore
  1. Mystic and the Muse
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American Rock Poster Art

Posted on by Musicofourheart

I wish I had more wall space in my house to accommodate rock poster art. I have several rock posters hanging on my walls that I really enjoy looking at and studying for hours.

What brought this subject more into focus today were two points of intersection. I was looking at the Europe ’72 Vol. 2 CD on the Grateful Dead Web site. The new artwork from my favorite poster artist, Stanley Mouse for the Europe ’72 Vol. 2 CD, (which releases on September 20, 2011), captured my imagination once more. :)

I began to browse more about Stanley Mouse’s art when I discovered the Rockin Roses Web site. I became enchanted with the poster art I found there by Stanley Mouse and others…

“Stanley Mouse drew and painted from inside the music. The spirit that drove the music of the ’60s was the same spirit that drove his art.”
– Joel Selvin

This browsing then lead me to the American Artifact Web site which furthered my excitement when I learned that a rock poster artist documentary film by the same name had premiered last year. The DVD of the American Artifact film was for sale on their Web site and I soon placed an order for it for our movie night consumption.

I love that San Francisco serves as the origin of rock posters and also has The Rock Poster Society (TRPS) where you can become a member. I think I might join this fine organization in celebration of my 60th birthday later this year. I’d love to be able to attend the TRPS Fes­ti­val of Rock Posters event held on October  Sat­ur­day Octo­ber 8th, 2011 at the Hall of Flow­ers in Golden Gate Park in the beau­ti­ful city of San Francisco.

Festival of Rock Posters poster by Carolyn Ferris

As I thought further about art rock posters even more resources came to mind. I must come back to this topic again soon :)

Books

1) Bill Graham Presents: The Art of the Fillmore – The Poster Series 1966-1971 – Acid Test Productions

2) The Art of Rock Posters from Presley to Punk by Paul Grushkin

3) The Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion by Paul Grushkin and Dennis King

4) Gig Posters: Rock Show Art of the 21st Century By Clay Hayes

5) The Small Stakes Music Posters By Jason Munn

6) Rock, Paper, Show by American Poster Institute

Poster Companies

Hatch Show Print

Wolfgang’s Vault

Poster Organizations

1) American Poster Institute

2) The Rock Poster Society – TRPS

Poster Events

1) Flatstock 31 – Seattle

(Part of the fantastic Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival September 3-5 2011, Seattle Center)

2) TRPS Fes­ti­val of Rock Posters – October 8, 2011, San Francisco

Web Sites

1) Gig Posters

2) Jason Munn

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David Crosby and Graham Nash, Live on HDNet

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Rosemary and I enjoyed a lovely evening last night at the Palace Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut with David Crosby & Graham Nash and their eclectic band. We felt like we had been invited into the living room of two longtime friends.

The concert was broadcast live on HDNet. It was three hours of some of the best music, vocal harmonies and musicianship we ever saw in person.

Here is the autographed set list ;)

Rock Music Photographers, A-Z, Steve Joester

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Steve Joester is a British born photographer and mixed media artist working and living in New York City. He surrounds a photographic image with wild accented colors and textures. He incorporates a technique of nail polish, burlap, solder, gold leaf paint, and oil sticks. He infuses the photographs with vibrant richness of colors.  Joester creates […]