Headliners

Comments (0) By Michael Leaverton Wednesday, Jan 14 2009

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Many rock posters are better than the shows they promote. For example, take Chuck Sperry and Ron Donovan’s poster promoting Bush’s 1997 gig at the Maui Cultural Center. It nearly justified the band’s career. Same goes for their poster of a Pearl Jam appearance at the Virgin Megastore, which, aside from the Pearl Jam theme, is impeccable. Not all bands, however, get upstaged by their promotional materials, and Sperry and Donovan have also made a ton of posters for exactly these sorts of bands. The results are spectacular — something to press under acid-free glass and hang on your wall for eternity, or until your spouse tells you it's time to put the fucking Sonic Youth poster in the garage. Even then, however, Sperry and Donovan still have you covered, since they also make art that promotes nothing except themselves — fine art. The work resembles their posters, all bold colors and strong wavy lines. At "Signs of Change: Chuck Sperry & Ron Donovan,” they haul out these originals, as well as a collection of posters for recent shows in the city. After a lifetime of celebrating bands, and nearly 10 years after teaming up to form the Firehouse Kustom Rockart Company in Oakland, this duo deserves the spotlight.
Jan. 16-Feb. 14, 2009