Classic Posters – The Interviews Book Two 1 Classic Posters – The Interviews Book Two DEDICATION This book is dedicated to poster artist Bob Fried, whose work to me is inspirational and grand. An ebook from Heart Center Publications 315 Marion Avenue Big Rapids, Michigan 49307 First published 2011 © 2002-2011 Michael Erlewine ISBN 0-925182-74-5 All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover poster art from 1967 by Michael Erlewine 2 Classic Posters – The Interviews Book Two Table of Contents 146 The Retinal Circus 04 Introduction 147 Artist's Rights Today 06 Interview with Todd Slater 148 ArtRock PCL Set 19 Interview with Stainboy 151 BGF - The New Fillmore Series 28 Interview Diesel Fuel Prints 153 BGSE: Bill Graham Special Events 41 Interview with jb (rastagrafix) 154 BGFD: Bill Grahamat Denver 43 Interview with Eleanor Grosch 155 Mark Arminski Series Set 44 Interview with Dennis Preston 157 Psychedelic Solution Art Shows 47 Interview with Carolyn Ferris 159 Major Bands in Other Countries 49 Interview with Kerry Awn 160 Major Bands in Southern California 50 Interview with Scott McDougall 161 Major Bands in Texas and the West 52 Interview with Casey Burns 163 Major Bands in the Northeast 54 Interview with Marco Almera 164 Major Bands in the Northwest 55 Interview with Zak Wilson 165 Major Bands in the South and Southwest 56 Interview with Ward Sutton 166 Major Bands of the Midwest 58 Interview with Tony R. Gorgon 169 Major Light Show Artists 60 Interview with Nocturnal Showprint 170 Major Poster Artists in Other Countries 61 Interview with Moxie Gusto 171 Major Poster Artists of California 62 Interview with Mat Marello| 172 Major Artists of Southern California 64 Interview with Mark Pedini 173 Major Poster Artists of West and Texas 65 Interview with Mark Dancey 174 Major Poster Artists of West and Texas 66 Interview with Justin Kamerer 175 Major Poster Artists of the Bay Area 67 Interview with John Kovach 177 Major Poster Artists of the East Coast 68 Interview with Jeff Gaither 178 Major Poster Artists of the Midwest 69 Interview with JCooper 179 Major Poster Artists of the Northwest 70 Interview with Finch 180 Major Poster Artists South/ Southwest 71 Interview with Electrofork 181 Major Poster Venues of the East Coast 72 Interview with Delanorock 183 Major Poster Venues Txas and West 74 Interview with Darren Grealish 185 Major Poster Venues of the East Coast 76 Interview with Steven Cerio 187 Major Poster Venues of the Northwest 78 Interview with Leia Bell 189 Major Poster Venues South/Southwest 79 Interview with Andrio Abero 190 Major Promoters of California 80 Interview with Jorge Alderete 191 Major Show Promoters in the Midwest 81 Interview with Tara McPherson 192 Major Promoters Southern California 82 Interview with Matt Mastrud 193 Major Show Promoters of the Northeast 83 Interview with Postergirl Press 194 Major Show Promoters of the Northwest 84 Interview with Unflown (Jacob Covey) 195 Major Show Promoters California 86 Interview with Heads of State 196 Poster Venues of Other Countries 88 Interview with Adam Cohen 197 Major Poster Artists of the Bay Area 89 Interview with Tom Deja 199 California Bands and Performers 91 Interview with Andrew Todd 200 Major Poster Artists West and Texas 93 Interview with Sash 201 Major Poster Venues of California 94 Interview Standard Design Company 203 Major Poster Venues of the Bay Area 95 Interview with Gregg Gordon 204 Major Poster Venues of the Midwest 107 Interview Gigposter’s Clayton Hayes 207 Major Promoters of Texas and the West 112 Interview with Jermaine Rogers 208 Major Promoters of South/ Southwest 133 Alton Kelley's Dinosaur Series 209 Antones Blues Club 134 Derek Hess Set 211 Armadillo World Headquarters 135 Grande Ballroom Set 213 The Straight Theater 137 Mountain Aire Festival 138 The Neon Rose of Victor Moscoso 140 Psychedelic Solution Card Sets 141 The Acid Tests Posters 144 The Maritime Hall Series 3 Classic Posters – The Interviews Book Two ClassicPosters.com - History Some years later, after I was kind of I have been in love with music concert pushed out of my former company, as posters since 1965 when I ended up in entrepreneurs often are, I decided to charge of advertising for my group the create the All-Poster Guide all by Prime Movers Blues Band. I guess no myself. However that URL on the web one else was interested or could figure (by that time) belonged to someone else out how to advertise but me, so before I so I settled on ClassicPosters.com and knew it I had converted a small attic dug in. room in the Prime Mover House at 114 Some years went by as I assiduously N. Division in Ann Arbor Michigan to a compiled data on rock posters. I also silkscreen shop. began to photograph posters so that years from now scholars could study It was there I spent who-knows-how- many hours cutting Rubylith screens them. In the basement of my and printing band posters. Replicating library/studio I built my own vacuum an image you love for a band you love table and paid $5000 for the latest was a slow but deeply satisfying professional camera in 2001, the Nikon process. The rest of the band (and me) D1x. Today that same camera is worth would then take the freshly printed maybe $300. posters and put them up all over town. With my vacuum table to hold the The posters didn’t last long either. The posters in place, special lights to next day many of them would be gone illuminate the posters,my Nikon D1x, I and we would have to do it all over began to photograph and measure again. I wonder where those posters are concert posters. Before I was done I had today. photographed over 30,000 posters, This was in the mid-1960s and concert handbills, postcards, and original art. music posters were reaching a new Collectors from all over the country audience and a new era. Of course, the eventually trusted me enough to either main poster scene was in San bring their collections to my studio Francisco. Eventually we heard about themselves or (while holding their the poster artists there and saw their. breath) dare to send this priceless art Wow! We loved it. overnight by FedEx. So it is no wonder that my love for And I made a number of trips to San concert posters remained later when I Francisco and the Bay Area to meet the became an archivist of popular culture artists and collectors of these posters, and started AMG: the All-Music Guide, those that were still with us. the All-Movie Guide, and the All-Game To make a long story short, although I Guide. When I sold AMG in 1998 I had built a wonderful poster site, because I plans for the All-Poster Guide, but the was delayed in my original impulse and company that bought AMG was not idea, by the time my site was interested in my ideas once they operational I had competition in purchased my company. The All-Poster WolfgangsVault.com. They had Guide was canned from day one, but I something I did not have, which was never forgot about it. deep pockets. I had no way to compete 4 Classic Posters – The Interviews Book Two with them and they built a wonderful site the most important poster artists and and also bought up almost every major collectors I have been able to meet. poster collection I know of. Some of them are short, but most of It was disappointing but that is the way them are long to very long. If you love life works sometimes. You snooze, you concert posters and their history, at lose. I was a day late and a dollar short, least in the mid-Sixties, then these as they say. Anyway that is all water articles will be a fun read for you. over the dam at this point. I seem to keep getting older and I am told that is a good thing compared to the alternative, so it is time for me to share some of my work with anyone out there interested in concert posters. Now I am careful to say “Concert Poster” because I have no interest in what are called “Promotional Posters,” however beautiful they may be. I only ever cared about actual posters that were made and put up around town for a real live music concert. We won’t be discussing promotional posters here. This is the first of what I hope will be several volumes of material on concert posters. I apologize in advance for any typos and the less-than-elegant formatting of this book. I don’t have the time or interest just now to clean it all up, although as you will see it is quite readable. I have too many other things to take care of while I am still on the planet, so please accept what I can offer, warts and all. And ClassicPosters.com is still very much alive although run by someone other than myself. Please visit their wonderful site for images, etc. I have donated all my 30,000+ images, articles, data, database, etc. to them and also the the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, where my work will be available to scholars in the future. What you have here are a group of seventeen interviews I did with some of 5 Classic Posters – The Interviews Book Two Interview with Todd Slater enhancement thru metallic inks and by Paul Grushkin unusual color blends can increase the richness and depth of the final piece.