10 great rock posters to buy now*

Photo Credit: Anthony Dihle/gigposters.com

By now, gig posters—especially those letter-pressed or hand-screened—are more or less a part of the modern design canon. They are often affordable, worthy of custom framing, and fully able to telegraph one’s musical and aesthetic taste in one fell swoop, while also serving as sentimental reminders of great shows enjoyed. There’s no shortage of places to look for them, so we pulled together a survey of some of the best artists and sites (in our humble opinion), along with some of our favorite prints from each. For those about to buy rock posters, we salute you.

Photo Credit: Hatch Show Print

1. Hatch Show Print, Nashville, TN
The granddaddy of all gig poster purveyors, Hatch Show Print in Nashville is still the place to go for old-country icons and blues royalty. It’s a family-run venture, and as the web site says, “one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in America,” founded in 1879.
Triple Johnny Cash, 14x22 inches, $16

Photo Credit: Yee-haw Industries

2. Yee-Haw Industries, Knoxville, TN
Yee-Haw picks up on the block-printed, old-school style of many of Hatch’s text-only prints, applying them to both classic performers (a la Ms. Lynn, at left) and up-and-comers.
Loretta Lynn Tennessee Theatre Poster, letterpress on recycled kraft card stock, $50

Photo Credit: The Bird Machine

3. The Bird Machine, Chicago, IL
Jay Ryan’s posters tend to have lovely, muted (but still rich) colors and lots of animals.
The Books, NYC 05/30/07, 18x24 inches, limited edition of 300 signed, $30

Photo Credit: Superkonductor

4. Superkonductor, Chicago, IL
David Head’s style is all over the place, from genteel, scrolling old-fashioned-looking designs to more blocky graphic ones (left). We like them all. (I also love that he has a Bill Callahan poster in his portfolio. My favorite.)
Explosions in the Sky silkscreen print, 19x25 inches, $25 includes shipping

Photo Credit: Dan Stiles

5. Stiles + Co, Portland, OR
Dan Stiles’ work veers a little darker and more contrast-y than some of the others, but in a really nice way.
Quasi, Wonderland Ballroom April 14, 18x28 inches on kraft paper cover stock, signed edition of 75, $20

Photo Credit: The Small Stakes

6. The Small Stakes, Oakland, CA
Jason Munn does a lot of brown, tan, beige and black, but isn’t this yellow and gray one nice? It’s too bad it’s sold out, but he has plenty of other posters to fall in love with.
Low 19x25 inch two-color silk screen

Photo Credit: Hammer Press

7. Hammer Press, Kansas City, MO
A simple image-focused poster from a typically more words-and-fonts-centric print shop.
Sufjan Stevens No. 2, 13x22.5 inches, $25

Photo Credit: Aesthetic Apparatus

8. Aesthetic Apparatus, Minneapolis, MN
A kind of moody, layered pick from Dan Ibarra & Michael Byzewski’s joint effort.
Sparklehorse w/Jesse Sykes, 18x24 inches, $20

Photo Credit: Diana Sudyka

9. Diana Sudyka, Chicago, IL
Diana’s work has a very storybook-illustration feel to it, and her web site is gorgeous.
Califone “Heron King Blues” poster, limited edition of 175, 18x24 inches, $50 (only one left!)

Photo Credit: Gigart

10. Gigart, San Francisco, CA
Gregg Gordon’s work is some of the busiest around, but as in the case of the Jenny Lewis poster at left, it can really work.
Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, 13x19 inch litho, $30

Photo Credit: Lil Tuffy/Gigposters.com

*And one great site for checking out lots of them:
11. Gigposters.com
One of the most comprehensive poster sites around, with work by the likes of Lil Tuffy (left), Anthony Dihle (way up top) and literally hundreds of others. Bonus: you can search by band name. The purchase process is a little confusing, though, as not every poster is for sale.
Two Gallants/Vetiver

For more rock-inspired home furnishings, see our post on Drink and Dream window shades.
And for even more posters worth investing in, check out Domino's guide to the arty variety.

What's your most cherished piece of music memorabilia? Tell us in a comment!

From the Community…

Comments 1-8 of 8

Posted by Jennifer Romolini, Shine staff Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:56am PDT

I have a cardboard Bob Dylan poster from a concert he played with Ani DiFranco in the Berkshires. It was raining and outside and he was impossible to understand the whole time, but I somehow had a good night!

Report Abuse

Posted by Anne Ichikawa, Shine staff Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:41am PDT

The concert posters I've collected from my time as show-going freak give me the warm fuzzies, and also serve as a reminder that I am getting old and don't like to stand on my feet for more than one hour at a time.

Report Abuse

Posted by kat.abegg Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:23am PDT

Well, for years, my show souvenirs were limited to tickets stubs and beer coasters and anything else I could nab from the bar, but I have now graduated to purchasing the occasional T-shirt or poster...largely because the designs have graduated from a drawing of a snake superimposed over a list of tour dates to badass pieces of artwork. In my opinion, Danielson Famile has the market cornered with hilariously inventive designs and trinkets...my fav show item was a shirt I got at one of their shows to give to a friend's little girl.

Report Abuse

Posted by Jan, Poppytalk Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:50am PDT

love gig posters! i always wanted to work in a place that made them.

Report Abuse

Posted by lolamakes Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:50pm PDT

I've always loved a lot of The Heads of State event posters. They've also got a design with a record and utensils too. hmm..., wonder who came out with that one first? A lot of the posters remind of older European movie posters.
great entry!

Report Abuse

Posted by jill Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:50pm PDT

I'm into album covers from the 60's-early 80's.I have been trying to find my old favorites,I had over 200 albums & the jerk I lived with years ago put them all in the attic & the records were ruined.When we moved out I forgot all about them,so now I've been searching flea markets,thrift stores & yard sales. The ones I have are framed & hanging on the wall by my stereo.They look great & bring back a lot of memories for everyone who sees them.

Report Abuse

Posted by sadie Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:16pm PDT

My love of 60's and early 70's music I suppose make me sentimental about my albums from that era even though I of course dont play them(no 33 1/3 record player) especially my Stevie Wonder album of Superstition that is also written in Braille on the cover.

Report Abuse

Posted by sadie Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:21pm PDT

My love of 60's and early 70's music I suppose make me sentimental about my albums from that era even though I of course dont play them(no 33 1/3 record player) especially my Stevie Wonder album of Superstition that is also written in Braille on the cover.

Report Abuse

Comments 1-8 of 8

At Home