Screen printed rock posters are my thing.
I remember reading somewhere a quote that said “music was the closest thing humans have to a time machine.” Isn’t it so true? A certain song lyric or guitar riff can immediately transport you back to a first date, a long ago summer ride in a convertible with the music blaring, or the angst of a seemingly end of the world high school breakup.
Music has always been something I’ve appreciated and have been enamored with how it constantly changes throughout the years and continues to spawn new sounds and ideas when it appears like everything that can be done – already has.
In this way it’s much like the profession I’ve dedicated my career to – design. And the collision of these two things, music and design, in the form of screen printed rock posters is area of particular beauty to me.
This was a great show and equally great poster. Poster design by Ames Bros.
As a Creative Director, throughout the years I’ve had the pleasure to work on many great brands and design a plethora of brand expressions, identities and packaging. It’s a job that’s never the same thing from day to day…and that’s what I love about it.
But working with brands, and the clients that come with it, also means design mandatories and plenty of cooks in the kitchen when it comes to decision making – it just comes with the territory. That’s why I love rock posters so much. I envy the designers and illustrators who get the creative freedom to work on this kind of visual communication.
There’s something magical about a rock poster. I have a personal collection that has turned my basement at home into an art gallery, shrine, place of design rock worship if you will. The walls are filled with posters from show’s I’ve attended.
All original prints signed and numbered, framed with the ticket stub from the show. Some all typographic. Others illustrative. Some of them smaller, not much more than letter size, while others are oversized. A few of the heavier ones use a paper stock that has soaked up tons of ink like a sponge.
All of them have so much individual expression and life leaping off the paper from those who created them. Someone had some fun making these. All of them are beautiful.
All time fav of my collection. The iconic Bob Dylan poster by Milton Glaser
But all of that skill and craft that went into creating these isn’t the only thing that makes them beautiful. They’re beautiful because they all represent a bookmark in time for me, a physical representation of a different place and time in my life. I have my own personal time machine waiting for me to use whenever I choose to.
I love my job. Contributing to the creation of some of the biggest brands in the world is incredibly rewarding, but part of me aspires to roll up my sleeves, design some posters for my favorite band and get some ink on me. Maybe whomever designs them wishes they could do what I do? Perhaps we could switch for a day?
*If you love collecting concert posters also there is a nice database here. Beware though as you may lose hours of your life going down this website rabbit hole, you've been warned.
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