one month later . . . more ROCKIN' automotive-themed concert posters and an invite to the May 17th Marin-Sonoma Concours

(above) Jackie Greene, poster by Randy Tuten

(above) poster by Daymon Greulich

(above) poster by Tobias Geye

(above) poster by Scrojo

(above) poster by SteWo (Germany)

(above) poster by Jason McElweenie

(above) poster by Chris Hopewell /Jacknife Studios (England)

(above) poster by Art Chantry

(above) poster by Billy Perkins

(above) poster by Hugh D'Andrade

(above) poster by Victor Marco (Bordeaux, France)

(above) poster by Print Mafia

(above) poster by Craig Horky

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In the midst of all my 24/7 prep for the MARIN ROCKS exhibition, opening in the Fall in downtown San Rafael, I confess to have neglected my blog responsibilities . . . until I found a few spare moments to once again reflect on the abundance of talent contemporary artists bring to the automotive-themed concert-poster arena.

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First up is a masterpiece by Randy Tuten, for a Jackie Greene show at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. No one does concert poster lettering better than Tuten, in my opinion. And that's Tuten's own shoebox Ford! Now run, go check out www.rtuten.com.

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I post the Black Keys piece in honor of my new book-production editor-partner, Jason Eisinger. Jason and I are doing collaborative editing on Blair Jackson's new book, THE OFFICIAL BOOK OF THE FILLMORES--about the original San Francisco Fillmore, the Fillmore West, the Fillmore East, the new/old SF Fillmore brought back to life after the '89 earthquake, and all the Live Nation Fillmores (Detroit, Denver, Miami, NYC). The book will be published this Fall by Signatures Network (a div. of Live Nation) in partnership with IDW Publishing.

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FYI, the Black Keys used to rehearse in Jason's basement when he lived in Ohio.

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I don't know much about Tobias Geye, but he sure nailed the Hootenanny '02 poster shown here. Wonderful rhythm and what a lineup!!!

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The Scrojo piece is unusual for him . . . he doesn't traffic in automotive-themes usually. But this one should come with its own pair of 3-D glasses. You'll remember Scrojo did the front and back devil-girl / angel-girl cover illustrations for Dennis King's and my ART OF MODERN ROCK. Scrojo is probably the most prolific rock concert poster artist on the planet.

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Jason McElweenie recently appeared for the first time at www.gigposters.com. The conception for the old timey wagon-based illo is really right on for Old Crow, in my opinion.

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There is nobody rockin' the UK quite like Chris Hopewell and his Jacknife Studio. This is one of three pieces advertising the Eagles of Death Metal. You should check 'em out--powerful and seductive artworks all. Remember the series for Queens of the Stone Age which I showed you here several months ago? Yummy.

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Art Chantry is a most distinguished art director, postermaker, poster historian, and gadfly. We met during the production of my ART OF ROCK, back in the mid-1980s. Art suffers no fools, as I learned only too well. This piece is typical of his sense of humor, which often involves turning classic American advertising art on its head.

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Some artists need no introduction. Several of Billy Perkins' pieces appeared in ART OF MODERN ROCK and then in ROCKIN' DOWN THE HIGHWAY. Ol' Perkins continues to be the soul of Austin, TX.

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I'ved admired many a Hugh D'Andrade piece done for the SF Fillmore under the art direction of Arlene Owseichik. This one, for Calexico, is emblematic of his style--colorful and spooky in all the right ways.

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Who is Victor Marco? What is he doing hot-rodding in Bordeaux, France?

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I've shown you many, many Print Mafia posters over the years. Sometimes they hit you over the head with a lead pipe, sometimes they speak with rueful amusement. I liked their entire series for Lucinda Williams, an iconoclastic musician if there ever was one.

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Finally, there's Craig Horky, associated with the print/design studio of Burlesque of North America, which is one of modern rock's cutting-edge shops. He's another whose body of work merits a good long look at www.gigposters.com.

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HERE'S AN EVENT YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS: the May 17th Marin-Sonoma Concours D'Elegance, to be held at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael (for which Frank Lloyd Wright designed the buildings). Charlie Goodman is heading up the event--his collection is known all over the world. And among the exhibitors, Sammy Hagar and James Hetfield (Metallica), who are passionate car guys. Charlie and I are working on getting Neil Young's Linc-Volt to the show, along with the '57 Cadillac Biarritz that was the inspiration for Darell Mayabb's cover-art illo for ROCKIN'.

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The Concours is the first major car show in Marin in perhaps 25 years. I'll be there autographing copies of ROCKIN' at a special booth, so do stop by and say hello.

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Keep rockin' in the free world y'all.

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yer ROCKIN' author returns, with the latest automotive-themed rock posters

above and below: artist: Ken Taylor (Melbourne, Australia)
(below) artist: 8Ball (Austin, TX)

(below) artist Crosshair aka Dan MacAdam

(below) artist Jay Ryan - The Bird Machine Studio (Chicago, IL)

(below) artist Lindsey Kuhn (SWAMP, Denver, CO)

(below) artist Willem Koolvoort for Club Vera (the Netherlands)

(below) artist Mike Martin, Enginehouse13 Studio (Columbus, OH)

(below) artist Jeremy Wilson (Canada)

(below) artist Jim Phillips (Santa Cruz, CA)

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Yes, I've been away for several months, taking a brief break from the ROCKIN' blog while other projects matured. And hats off to President Obama. It's all about hope, change, and commitment to making a difference in peoples' lives. U rock, B. My son Jordan (a freshman at Georgetown) was in front of the White House on election night.

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I've just completed my sixth book, ART OF CLASSIC ROCK, about the Rob Roth collection of rock music promo posters focusing on the Rolling Stones, Elton John, The Who, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Queen. The publisher is Carlton Books, based in the U.K., and it should be out in time for Xmas '09.

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I've also been researching and writing the exhibition MARIN ROCKS for the Marin History Museum. This will open in September, 2009 in downtown San Rafael, CA. It's the first-ever exhibition focusing on the history of rock thru the Marin County lens. Because of Marin's proximity to San Francisco (just across the Golden Gate Bridge), many extraordinary musicians have made Marin their home for decades (or were visitors of note, or recorded major albums there). That would include the Otis Redding ("Dock of the Bay"), Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Steve Miller, members of the Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Co. with Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, Narada Michael Walden, Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield from Metallica, Dan Hicks, Huey Lewis and the News, the Sons of Champlin . . . the list goes on. More on MARIN ROCKS shortly.

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So I thought to reopen the blog by showcasing some of the car-themed rock posters which were produced in the last several months. These ain't all; many more to share with you in the next blogs.

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Atop, the work of Ken Taylor from Melbourne, Australia, widely considered rock's top illustrator now. The first poster is of course of Neil Young's Linc-Volt, about which many of you have read stories in your local newspapers. You can see more of Ken's work at http://www.gigposters.com/ and also make purchases from the linked Beyond the Pale, his poster-publishing company. I gather Neil himself was very pleased.

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Next, one of my personal heroes, 8Ball from Austin, TX. A true punk, a real renegade.

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Dan MacAdam (Crosshair Studios) did the Conor Oberst poster. You should check out all of Crosshair's work at http://www.gigposters.com/, as Dan does spectacular work involving re-purposed decaying uban architecture. This was his first use of a vehicle, and when I bought my copy I could hardly believe his attention to detail. Simply outstanding! One of my top 10 of the past five years.

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Jay Ryan, head of The Bird Machine Studio in Chicago, did the latest in his Flatstock series, this time using a classic racer. Flatstock is "Woodstock for postermakers," and happens twice each year, first at SXSW in Austin, TX (later this month - the 20th such show), and later in the year at Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle.

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I met artist Lindsey Kuhn, who runs SWAMP in Denver, while authoring ART OF MODERN ROCK (Chronicle Books, 2004). Lindsey is an accomplished skateboarder and printer. Nothing is too wild for Lindsey to tackle.

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Willem Koolvoort's poster for the Dirtbombs at Club Vera in the Netherlands once again emphasizes that automotive-themed rock poster art is not at all confined to the U.S. Club Vera, as a youth organization, dates back well over a hundred years, and for the past fifty years has been one of the Netherland's premiere clubs.

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I don't know anyone more hard-core-rock than Mike Martin (with the possible exception of our buddy, rock poster artist Stainboy Greg Reinel from Orlando), and everytime I visit Mike's home in Columbus, OH I remember why I got started in this car-rock thang. Because . . . it rolls.

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Canada's young Jeremy Wilson is one to watch. Just sayin'.

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Finally, Jim Phillips may be known to many of you because he's synonomous with the skateboarding industry. He drew the famous screaming hand logo. Jim's been a close friend ever since the days of ART OF ROCK, and it's always a pleasure to acknowledge his work. This particular piece, for Zero, at the famous Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, is quite exemplary of his automotive style.

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Lots to update you about in the weeks ahead. As Neil tells us, keep on rockin' in the free world.

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a new ROCKIN' blog feature_random best car-and-rock photos

(above) Ricky Nelson's 1958 Cadillac Brougham
(above) possibly the Red Barchetta from Rush's song of the same name,
here the 1958 166MM (Mille Miglia) Touring Barchetta

(above) from the movie 8-MILE (2002); (left to right) Mekhi Phifer,

Eminem, Evan Jones, and De'Angelo Wilson

(above) Janis Joplin and her Porsche

(above) Bruce Springsteen and his Corvette,

Haddonfield, NJ, 1978; photo by Frank Stefanko

c Frank Stefanko, shown by permission

(above) Charlie Ryan, who wrote the original HOT ROD LINCOLN,

with his own--legendary also--cherry-red hot rod

(above) Hank Williams' 1952 Cadillac, the car he died in,

on display at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, AL

photo by Dave Martin (AP)

(above) Ken Kesey's second FURTHUR (or FURTHER) Merry Pranksters bus

photo c Richard Blair

(above) Jose Pasillas, drummer from Incubus,

with his 1999 Ford F150

(above) The Kingston Trio, Mill Valley, CA, 1963;

photo by Lisa Law

photo c Lisa Law, shown by permission

(above) Neil Young, rockin' down Skyline Blvd.

photo by Danny Clinch

photo c Danny Clinch, shown by permission

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Since beginning work on ROCKIN' DOWN THE HIGHWAY back in 2004, I've had a keen eye out for really outstanding rock-and-cars photos. I aim here to share some the best I've seen.

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This will be a regular feature on this blog, going forward, so I hope everyone enjoys these as much as I do. Many came into sight after the book was published in 2006; some have been lingering in my archive, unfortunately too low-res to have included in the book, such as Ginny Winn's shot of Gram Parsons, shown at bottom left.

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I've many photographer friends, as you can imagine. My own work as an author has been inspired by the craft, dedication, and inspiration demonstrated by Lisa Law, Richard Aaron, James Haefner, Frank Ockenfels III, Michael Marks, Charles Peterson, Greg Bojorquez, Bruce Steinberg, and particularly (in no particular order) Jim Marshall, Paul Natkin, Robert Alford, Joel Bernstein, Jay Blakesberg, Danny Clinch, Steve Coonan of The Rodder's Journal, Henry Diltz, Glen E. Friedman, Lynn Goldsmith, David Perry, Neal Preston, Ken Regan, and Pamela Springsteen--to name just a handful.

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I hope, going forward, to credit each and every photographer whose work I display here. Sometimes I just don't know who took the photo, so if anybody out there knows, let me know pronto and I'll make the addition / correction.

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P.S. I plan to blog soon about the red Barchetta, and the Cadillac Brougham, so keep comin' back for more.

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Enjoy!

ROCKIN' with David Coverdale and Whitesnake (oh, and Tawny Kitaen too)

Whitesnake. That's David Coverdale top right.

(above and all below) Tawny Kitaen in a highly memorable role.
Above, the incredible opening moment when she flips left to right.

I've been researching rock-and-cars video singles as we get closer and closer to turning ROCKIN' into film and television. Suddenly I remembered the Whitesnake video for "Here I Go Again," with David Coverdale singing and Tawny Kitaen (left and above) . . . dancing. Or, rather, slipping around rather provocatively on the hoods of two Jaguars, one of which was Coverdale's.

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This was back in 1987, when Coverdale and crew re-recorded "Here I Go Again" for their eponymous 1987 album WHITESNAKE (the original version was released as more of a blues song on their 1982 album SAINTS & SINNERS). The re-recorded song soared to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on October 10, 1987 and number 9 on the UK Singles Chart on November 28.

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Personally, I think it had something to do with Tawny's . . . uh, performance.

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The music video was directed by Marty Callner, who directed most of Whitesnake's videos in the 1980s. As one website put it, "this '80s sex kitten, Tawny Kitaen, ushered many a boy into puberty by writhing around in lingerie on the hoods of the two cars." Amen, brother. I can only imagine what it was like seeing it for the first time, as Kitaen comes into view immediately as the video begins, doing a full left to right round-off across the two hoods. Yeah, baby!

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Kitaen would become Coverdale's wife for a couple of years, and she appeared in several other of their videos, including "Is This Love" and "Still of the Night." They divorced in 1991. Before Whitesnake, she had been associated with the burgeoning "glam metal" scene of the '80s, as she dated Ratt guitarist Robin Crosby. Her legs appeared on the cover of Ratt's self-titled EP sporting black stockings and black pumps, pictured with white rats. Then, in ripped-up clothes, she appeared on the cover of Ratt's OUT OF THE CELLAR.

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After her divorce from Coverdale, she was romantically linked at various times to Tommy Lee, O.J. Simpson, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jon Stewart. She married Anaheim Angels pitcher Chuck Finley in 1997, but had a difficult personal time for many years. In 2002, she was arrested in Newport Beach, CA and charged with domestic abuse and battery for attacking Finley while the two were driving home. Kitaen reportedly kicked Finley several times with her high-heeled boots (shades of the Whitesnake video shown above), leaving visible marks. Finley filed for divorce three days afterwards. Actually, she's had a pretty active run as a television actress.

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What we remember from all this (besides Kitaen's big, big hair and lithe body) is the sheer astonishment brought forward by '80s cars-and-rock videos like this. Here are just a few of the 5,265 comments (thus far) accompanying the continuing YouTube broadcast of "Here I Go Again":

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mikeandjonnie (1 year ago): "this is quite possibly the greatest song ever made."

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ThisWasTheLastName (1 year ago): "BTW, if you pause at 2:19, you can clearly see a nipple!"

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enzo454 (1 year ago): "Wow, for me, "Here I Go Again" is the best song ever from Whitesnake. It's a good song to [get it on with] a pretty girl. And, yeah, I did it."

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PhoenixCelticEnigma (1 year ago): "They aren't glam. They're hair metal."

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nascar9141 (1 year ago): "I never lived through the '80s. I'm only 14. But I love this music and this is my favorite band."

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morningsnoopy (1 year ago): "I used to love this song, but the video [now] makes me cringe from the "look at me" redhead and too much shaggy perm going on here, but, hey, it was the '80s, and so I dedicate this to the old crowd I hung with."

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friskydingo2007 (1 year ago): "Tawny Kitaen dancing on ritzy cars. It just doesn't get better than that!"

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mernmernstein (1 year ago): "Check out the image at 2:18 of this clip. Are my eyes mistaken or did my day just improve??"

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javier855 (1 year ago): "Hard rock at its finest."

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PhantomsAngel1870 (1 year ago): "Ummmmmm . . . the only reason I watch this vid . . . that damn David Coverdale can work wonders with a mic . . ."

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berfolley (1 year ago): "This band is still brilliant. I'm 23 and love them. My Mom loved them when she was younger."

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rrtt11 (1 year ago): "This was a fantastic song when it came out in '87, and I was a senior in high school. Saw them and others at the Texas Jam--Boston, Aerosmith, Whitesnake, Poison, and Tesla. Great, great day, except it was over 100 degrees on the field. I miss the '80s."

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Guffstang (1 year ago): "I saw these guys live in '87 with Great White opening. Tawny was there on the side of the stage. Such good times!!"

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Hunkola (1 year ago): "Oh baby . . . Roll down the windows and crank this baby loud and proud 'cuz it's a freakin' anthem for the ages!!!!"

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omega5959 (1 year ago): "My uncle used to listen to Whitesnake and he told me they are one of the coolest bands of all time."

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BritishBobbie (1 year ago): "I'm nearly 16 and my god I'm in love with the '80s. I mean, Dylan, Dire Straits, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, and Springsteen. Where the heck is that kind of talent these days?"

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millionspiders (1 year ago): "I love this song. I just hate that my Mom won't let me listen to it in her car."

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nickmaroudas (1 year ago): "Tawny is like the sexiest woman to ever dance on a car. Man, she is fine."

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bossford1 (1 year ago): "There is nothing like '80s videos!!! The '80s were the best time in my life!"

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Say no more, boys. Gotcha loud and clear. This vid's for the ages. I will remember that!

Best ROCKIN' automotive-themed concert posters for September '08

(above) RANCID, by the Firehouse
(above) NICK CAVE, by the Firehouse
(above) PERTH DANCE MUSIC, by Ed Shepherd (Australia)

(above) MELVINS, by Bobby Dixon

(above) SOCIAL DISTORTION, by Jimbo Phillips

(above) CONOR OBERST, by Print Mafia

(above) COLUMBUS DUO, by Adam Bogusiak (Lodz, Poland)

(above) STEREOLAB, by Matt Terich

(above) DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, by Gary Houston

(above) DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, by Jeff Wood / Drowning Creek Studios

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As you can readily appreciate, September was a great month for seeing the release of new automotive-themed rock concert posters, as well as one unearthed from Jeff Wood's Drowning Creek Studios archives and one done by Jimbo Phillips earlier this year for Mike Ness' Social Distortion.

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But I'd have to say that the silver championship cup goes to the Firehouse, for their two fabulous entries. Sometime later this week I'll be picking up my own copies!

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Especially nice to celebrate: posters from Australia and Poland.

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Poster lovers and collectors, heads up: the annual poster artists showcase produced by TRPS (The Rock Poster Society) will be held on Saturday, October 11th at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco (10:00 am - 5:00 pm). You'll see Chuck Sperry and Ron Donovan from the Firehouse, Gary Houston (who'll have traveled down from Portland, OR), Jimbo Phillips (who'll have traveled up from Santa Cruz) and one of ROCKIN's all-time heroes, Stanley Mouse--among many other notables.

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Many of you will note that Gary's DEATH CAB poster again uses his scratchboard technique that he employed to such great effect on the "State Trooper" full-page meditation in ROCKIN'. That technique also has graced Gary's work for posters he did for Willie Nelson, Alejandro Escovedo, BB King, and other notable musicians.

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The featured guest postermakers at the TRPS event will be Malleus, a hugely imaginative design-and-screenprinting collective from Italy, who've just released their first retrospective book, THE HAMMER OF GOD. They also will have a special show the night before at the ArtRock Gallery in San Francisco, and a book signing event at the 540 Gallery (also in SF) the day after, before heading up to Portland and Seattle. Readers of this blog may remember my sharing their snowscene-on-the-street poster done for Sonic Youth, which is absolutely stunning.

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It still amazes me, and happily so, that after all this time--forty years after Randy Tuten's Cadillac-centric Led Zeppelin poster produced for Bill Graham for their Fillmore West appearance with Country Joe McDonald--that such imagination can still be brought to bear on automotive-themed rock posters.