Why RastaReggaeRadio?

This website is a livication to Peter Tosh. Peter is a hero to me for his faith, persistence, and guts. He was about to start a radio station in Jamaica called Rasta Reggae Radio. Then he was brutally murdered under ambiguity. So, this is for him, and his memory, and his dream. Check out Steppin' Razor: Red X for more on The Mystic Man, Peter Tosh.

Why Concert Posters?

I Hope you like the art. I have been into concert posters since 1987, when I bought the book, The Art of Rock. I enjoyed reading about the evolution of music through art. Namely, date and venue specific events. The musicians, timeliness, and coming together of the concerts was just as amazing as the font, the detail, and the style of the posters. I also thought the production company, The Family Dog was cool because it was like a co-op of people that were at the forefront of the modern Renaissance, the psychedelic era. There were scenes that spread from the seed over space and time.

I graduated from college and moved to Berkeley in 1995 and saw a Family Dog poster for a current show, which was weird because The Family Dog had stopped their consistency with performances in the early 1970s. Yet, there it was, Gregg Allman at The Maritime Hall. I ended up thinking how cool it would be to write an article on the new situation. It turns out that Chet Helms lent The Family Dog name and image to the new concert production company housed in this old Sailor's Union of the Pacific building. The concert hall was in the third story and held 2,500 people and had a balcony. The Meyer Sound system was top notch, and the shows had recently begun on a regular basis.

That is when I had a chance to interview Boots Houghston about the new goings on at the hall, which had a team of financiers and hard workers as well as family backing. Boots was kind enough to offer me a volunteer opportunity which a few weeks later turned into a job position, being his assistant. This was a dream come true. Over the next few years I worked the office in many capacities, produced concerts, and saw bands like Burning Spear, (the Reggae in general was constant and top notch), Etta James, James Brown, Motorhead, and many more. It was a special time, for sure.

I started my poster company in 1997 in conglomeration with Chuck Sperry and Ron Donovan, aka the Firehouse Kustom Art Rock Company. The rest of the story is told in the posters. You will note that the images are all silk-screened by hand and in limited editions to never be reprinted. They are also blacklight sensitive, and all have their own story. Four of the posters have landed in the book The Art of Modern Rock, which brings my story full circle. Well kind of...

I have also collected posters through my time working at The Family Dog and I hope you also enjoy that aspect of the site. Also, while you are here at rastareggaeradio.com, please explore my radio show, Reggae Bloodlines from KGNU Radio.