Month: June 2015

B-day Tribute

B-day Tribute

Epiphone Les Paul Tribute Plus

Today would’ve been Les Paul’s 100th birthday so let’s talk the famous solid-body six string. Now the most sought after, and expensive, Les Paul’s come from Gibson, while more affordable models can be found under the Epiphone banner. Epiphone is older than Elvis and has been making instruments since 1873.  In 1957, Gibson bought its rival and has offered more affordable versions of Gibson guitars through the Epi subsidiary ever since.

Les Paul’s association with Epiphone, however, came before the Gibson buyout. Waaay back in the 1940s, Les Paul built one of the first solid-body electrics, ‘The Log’ at the Epiphone NYC factory. A dedicated dog, Les would head into the Epiphone shop at night and tool around with ideas. Basically, Les and Epi have got history. The Epiphone Les Paul Tribute Plus was created to pay homage to the brand and the man’s long-standing relationship. Continue reading B-day Tribute

The life and times of rocks greatest champion

The life and times of rocks greatest champion

Yesterday we pimped Rock ‘n’ Roll Billboards of the Sunset Strip at the Skirball. Today we’re taking a look at the main draw at the LA cultural center. The Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution Exhibition is as much a look at the rise of rock ‘n’ roll concert promotions as it is the man who invited the job.

The show features 400 plus items of memorabilia, photos and Fillmore concert posters. The gig posters that came from the Fillmore are a genre onto themselves created by a movement of talented artist who proved that you can actually be quite productive under the influence. A walk through the Skirball will find sketches and finished pieces from a who’s who of trippy artists including Wes Wilson. Continue reading The life and times of rocks greatest champion

Posters worth more than tweets.

Posters worth more than tweets.

Let’s take a moment and wonder if a tweet announcing a show will ever be worth money in a few years. Not to be hating on technology, but while the functionality of the gig poster has been diminished recently, the art form can not be let to die. Hear that millennials? To borrow a phrase from an ad campaign for an 80s music television station, say it loud say it proud, ‘I want my gig posters.’

This Pearl Jam gig poster for a Milwaukee show in 2014 was created by Ben Frost. Given a limited run of just 100, it is a rare find on the world wide wide. If you track one down for sale be sure to share.

Ben Frost is an Australian born artist who enjoys mashing up pop art to create fresh with familiar imagery. To view other work by the artist, click over to benfrostisdead.com, which isn’t nearly a gruesome as it sounds.

If you happen to be travelling through the Sea Tac Airport, you can see the Pearl Jam Milwaukee piece along with of other gig posters from the band. The exhibit is produced by the Experience Music Project Museum of Seattle.