But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day was this month (and with A Change of Tune’s second birthday on the horizon), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
And today, we are chatting with a musician out of Romney/Huntington, West Virginia. By day, you might know him as Brett Fuller. But by night, you might just hear his indie dance beats as DJ Charlie Brown Superstar. So how did a West Virginian turn a beloved cartoon character into a disco-spinning DJ? Let’s find out…
Credit Most Exalted
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Charlie Brown Superstar is in his element.
How did you start playing and producing music?
I got my start at the legendary Huntington club Gumby’s in the winter of 1994. Over the years, I gradually and naturally transitioned into producing. You tend to get to the point in DJing where you tire of playing other people’s music and want to spin your own.
Where does the name Charlie Brown Superstar come from?
I was playing at The Drop Shop in Huntington, where we were running a theme night called “Dueling DJ’s”. The premise of the event was that a DJ from another club would come to our club and would “compete” with me for the crowd’s favor. It was all friendly and in good fun, but while we were preparing for the first show, the club called me and asked for a name (as I didn’t have one at the time). I had been toying with the name Charlie Brown Superstar and went with it. It’s just a play on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar.
How has Charlie Brown Superstar’s sound changed over time (if at all)?
My sound changes all the time. It’s different whenever I sit down to work on something. It all depends on my mood and the vibe I’m feeling at the moment.
Where do you play in and around West Virginia (venues, festivals, etc.)?
I’ve played all over Huntington, but I have been the resident DJ at The V Club for the last decade. I’ve also played The Empty Glass, Boulevard Tavern, and Sam’s Uptown Cafe in Charleston, as well as 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown. I will be playing The Brew Skies Festival in August.
What’s been the highlight of your musical journey?
There’s too many to single one out. I’ve had great experiences ranging from playing house parties to DJing in front of packed clubs (especially my 8-year run on Mondays at The V Club) to playing with local and national acts on bills throughout my career.
Credit Most Exalted
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Charlie Brown Superstar.
What’s it like making music in West Virginia?
I don’t know if making music in West Virginia is any different than making music wherever you are. I mostly work by myself, so I can be anywhere. I’ve worked on my stuff on a boat in Mexico, riding in cars to gigs, and in other cities and states. I think it’s different now that the internet is making the world a smaller place. It’s as easy to be influenced by someone in a small town in Australia as it is by a local musician.
Do you feel held back by being in West Virginia? Or does it feel like a musically-supportive place?
At times, both. I’ve had amazingly supportive crowds throughout my career, but I’ve also had crowds who’ve turned on me as soon as I started playing. It just depends on the atmosphere of where you are.
Credit Courtesy of Charlie Brown Superstar
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What, in your opinion, needs to happen in the West Virginia music scene for it to move forward?
I think it has moved forward. I’ve been involved with this scene for over twenty years, and I’ve never witnessed a time where there has been so many talented bands and musicians going at once. In the past, it always seemed like there was “one great hope” that could “make it.” Now, I feel like there are a bunch of acts that could or are already on their way.
Any words of wisdom for folks wanting to get into music?
Follow your own direction and just do what you do.
Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from Bishops to Rozwell Kid, The Sea The Sea to Bud Carroll and more.
But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is upon us (not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
And on this West Virginia Day, we’re turning the focus from the artist to the places that they play, the venues where #WVmusic starts on a Friday night, ends in the wee hours of Saturday, and kicks off again that evening. But how does a band end up in one of these venues? And what can fans do to help? We spoke with some of West Virginia’s favorite venues (including Charleston’s The Empty Glass, Fayetteville’s The 35th Star, Huntington’s The V Club, Morgantown’s 123 Pleasant Street, and Thomas’ The Purple Fiddle) to come up with a guide on how to get your band booked across the Mountain State and beyond.
Credit Josh Saul
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Morgantown’s William Matheny rocks out with Huntington’s Bud Carroll during this 2016 gig at The Empty Glass.
Before you start looking around for a gig, it might be good to brush up on your #WVmusicvenue history.
Since its doors first opened in 1985, Charleston’s The Empty Glass has been a staple for both national and local acts in West Virginia. The Drive-By Truckers, Justin Townes Earle, NRBQ, Joss Stone, and John Inghram’s Slugfest have all hung their musical hats at this #CharlestonWV establishment at one time or another.
Although it’s the new #WVmusic kid on the block, Fayetteville’s The35th Star has hit the ground running with acts like Dinosaur Burps, Sly Roosevelt, and Black King Coal since opening its musical doors late last summer. The venue is located on the grounds of Cantrell’s Rafting, a space that hosted West Virginia bands for well over a decade before The 35th Star’s opening. Any local band that played there can testify to Cantrell’s being an enormous asset to the #WVmusic scene, so when the opportunity arose to make the area bigger and better, the space was revamped with a stage and professional in-house PA system to turn it into a year-round destination rather than just a spot for rafting season. Oh, and the venue’s name? It comes from the 35th star on the American flag, representing West Virginia’s statehood.
Credit Jimbo Valentine
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A mix of local and regional talent, this recent show at The V Club featured Huntington’s Ona and Ohio’s Angela Perley and the Howlin’ Moons.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for… The V Club! In the 1930’s, Huntington’s The V Club was actually a split building that housed a neighborhood grocery store and ice cream parlor. Once prohibition was repealed in 1933, the ice cream parlor began selling beer, and that was the end of that. This summer actually marks The V Club’s tenth anniversary as a #HuntingtonWV music destination, and there’s a lot to celebrate when you look at the venue’s gig history. Before they were household names, once little-known acts like Chris Stapleton, Josh Ritter, and Jason Isbell performed at The V Club. The same could be says for up-and-coming locals like Ona, Tyler Childers, and The Horse Traders.
In the 1980’s, it was known as The Underground Railroad. In the 1990’s, folks referred to it as The Nyabinghi Dance Hall (or The Nyabinghi for short). But for almost two decades, Morgantown music fans and friends alike have called this little piece of heaven 123 Pleasant Street. Consider this West Virginia’s 9:30 Club, with acts and styles ranging from Guided By Voices to Bo Diddley, The Flaming Lips to My Morning Jacket and even local talent like Todd Burge‘s 63 Eyes and upcoming Mountain Stage guests William Matheny and Qiet.
Greensky Bluegrass. The Avett Brothers. Crooked Still. These are just a few of the acts that have called Thomas’ The Purple Fiddle their musical home away from home (three times, in fact, when it comes The Avett Brothers). Located in one of the coolest and coziest towns in West Virginia, The Purple Fiddle is a combination healthy food restaurant, high quality beer bar, and music venue with a colorful name that shows how differences can blend and dissipate (red + blue = purple) when we share the common experience of a great concert.
So how do these venues scout for talent?
For some venues, booking isn’t a problem. John Bright of The Purple Fiddle says the venue has had no trouble filling the schedule with bands that contact them. “More times than I can name, I have heard that musicians are told by other bands that they have to play here,” Bright says.
“Being as old as it is, The Empty Glass is on almost every touring directory there is in the United States and abroad,” says Jason Robinson of The Empty Glass. “I don’t have a lot of time to scout for new local talent since we book seven days a week, but I try and keep my ear to the ground and find new local talent.”
Credit Kim Naylor
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The 35th Star is located in Fayetteville, West Virginia.
Word-of-mouth obviously plays an important role in getting booked, especially if you have someone outside of your band being able to vouch for you. Whether it’s fans, band friends, or local radio figureheads, it’s all about leaving a great impression with your music and professionalism.
“We are fortunate to personally know many of the bands that we book and count them as our friends,” says Sean Kinder of The 35th Star, “Our friends in bands turn us on to new bands that they enjoy and respect, which gives us a deep well of talent to draw from.”
What is the best way to reach out to a venue for booking consideration?
A well-written e-mail with links to your band’s audio or video seems to be the venues’ preferred way of being contacted. While you might be tempted to message them through Facebook or another social media outlet, using the channel they set up specifically for booking (i.e. email) will help them help you.
Bright says, “300 shows a year is a lot to juggle. E-mail is searchable, so I can always return to previous conversations about specific dates, times, and money. E-mail prevents simple mistakes based on miscommunication.”
“E-mail is preferred,” agreed Patrick Guthrie of The V Club. “Don’t be discouraged if there is no response to your email the first time. Sometimes there are too many to filter through.” But, he says, he will get to it.
Credit Courtesy of Hello June
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Morgantown’s Hello June performs a tribute to Bowie at this recent 123 Pleasant Street gig.
L.J. Giuliani of 123 Pleasant Street says, “[Make sure to send] links to the music, so we can get an idea if there’s interest in the band. Also find out if there are local bands interested in partnering [for a show]. If you see bands you want to play with, let us know, or contact them yourself so they can play [with you at the venue].”
Kinder adds, “It’s also helpful to include a specific, finely-tuned description of your band’s sound and influences. Hopefully that will let talent buyers and venues know what kind of energy you bring and how to best promote your music.”
How does social media play a role in booking talent?
Being active on social media is important for a variety of reasons. For starters, it gives venues a way to gauge a band’s popularity and guesstimate how many folks will come out to see them live. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram also give the venues a taste of the band’s interactions with fans and whether they use the platform enough to promote their music, their shows, and their venues.
“We think the best use of [band] social media is to showcase high-quality audio and video that really reflects a band’s live show,” says Kinder. And when they say “high-quality,” they mean no shaky hands and no weird filters. Keep it clean, keep it crisp, and have it be the best representation of what you can bring to the venue.
Credit Chris Morris
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Zach Deputy has brought his island-infused soul to The Empty Glass more than a few times.
“I think what buyers are looking for is that the band is working hard to promote their band and staying busy touring,” Guthrie says. “It’s certainly a good rule of thumb for bands to have [an active] social media presence to help them grow their fan base.”
“It has become a very important and handy part of the business… and sometimes a necessary evil,” says Robinson. “It’s always good to check Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and see how well the bands promote themselves and how organized they are with promoting.”
A band has booked the show. What do they do next?
A recurring theme for all venues was promotion. Yes, it is the venue’s responsibility to promote a show, but they also believe the bands needs to promote it themselves.
“It’s the responsibility of both venues and bands to promote and get people excited about events,” Kinder says. “Sharing videos on social media sites, posters, and inviting friends are all very important parts of getting people interested in an event and getting the band repeat gigs.”
“More bodies in the room means more money for your band and a higher chance of performing at the venue again,” Giuliani says.
Credit Melissa Stilwell Photography
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Chocolate 4-Wheeler is a band on the rise in Huntington. Catch them at The V Club if you have a chance.
“Just because the show is booked doesn’t mean the work is over,” Guthrie says. “They need to take responsibility of help getting the word out by promotion.”
What are mistakes a band will want to avoid?
“One mistake we see local bands make is overbooking themselves in a small area. While you may be able to get booked five nights a week, the band and the venues both lose out when you oversaturate the market,” says Kinder. “Showing up late to a show can make for a stressful environment. Crowds definitely pick up on that, [so] show up on time and be happy to be there.”
Robinson echoes those sentiments. “Not promoting themselves or being unprofessional during the show [are the worst attributes of a booked band]. Being organized and professional goes a long way.”
“For our venue specifically, [the worst mistake is] a band thinking a great crowd one time means they will get [another great crowd] the next time [or] every time,” says Bright. “Very rarely does a band bring us their crowd. A few do bring maybe up to half, but we always match it with unsuspecting tourists who just happen to be in the area and know to come here to see a good band.”
Is it important that a local opening act match the sound of a headlining national touring act?
Attaching a local opener to a show with a larger draw as the headliner is important for all parties. It exposes the audience to new local artists that they might not have gone out to see on a normal bill. But is it important that the two acts sound similar?
Credit Courtesy of 123 Pleasant Street
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When you have a #WVmusic line-up like this, who needs sleep?
“It’s not always necessary to have the same genre, but it really depends on the type of show,” Guthrie says. “It sometimes makes for an interesting night. There are times when a patron walks away from a show exposed to new music they would not have found otherwise.”
Other venues would prefer the genres complement each other, but they realize this isn’t realistic due to regional availability. “Being in Charleston, we don’t always have that option, so it’s good to at least have a good contrast of music and try and make sure that the listeners of one type would like or appreciate the other genre,” Robinson says.
“It’s nice, but a lot of times it’s not possible,” Giuliani says. “So at that point, you try to recognize a band whose audience is the kind that would still dig the band. You try to match them up the best you can, think of the audience that would come to see a show like that. If you have a local band drawing well, then it’s easier to bring in a regional or national act that isn’t too well known in the area. The biggest thing is originality, if they can draw heads, and if they can engage an audience.”
Bright agrees. “It’s more important to us that the energy of the acts is complementary, so they don’t necessarily need to be the same genre. We’ve had some really fun nights blending bands that don’t play the same sort of music. There can be a common thread between bands outside of having the same instrumentation or style. It works when you really deliberate (read: obsess) over the headliner/support dynamic, and it’s incredibly satisfying to give our audience those unexpected match-ups.”
At the end of the day, how important is #WVmusic to the venues?
“The West Virginia music scene is the life blood of our venue, and us as people. It’s why we’re here. We are truly fans of these artists,” says Kinder. “Our favorite thing is to see our regional and nationally-touring bands’ reactions to the level of talent our local acts bring to the table. They’re blown away by what we have going on in our music scene. If we can provide a space that supports our state’s exceptional musicians and songwriters while still exposing people to new artists from across the country, we have accomplished our mission.”
Credit Most Exalted
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The Horse Traders are another band to put on your #WVmusic list, especially if they’re playing at The V Club.
Guthrie says, “The local shows are our heartbeat of the club and community. They are our friends and family that create our music scene, and if they’re not playing a show, they are the ones supporting another show at the venue. [So] we try and support as much West Virginia music as possible without oversaturating the market with the same local bands. There is certainly a lot of different formats and genres to West Virginia’s music scene, and we try accommodate as much of it as we can.”
“It’s very important [to foster local talent at 123 Pleasant Street], but I also know that West Virginia is a very regionally-dictated kind of state,” says Giuliani. “A band that might be doing really well in Huntington or Charleston might not do well in Morgantown, and vice-versa. [Due to Morgantown’s waning and waxing student population], the audience can be somewhat fickle. Cultivating talent can sometimes be a tricky thing, [but at least] we’re blessed with a lot of great local talent.”
Credit Rachel Molenda / rachelmolenda.com
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The Purple Fiddle is a little slice of #WVmusic heaven in Thomas.
“It sets a standard of excellence that makes West Virginians very proud,” says Bright. “People like Kathy Mattea and Tim O’Brien keep the mountain music traditions alive. [It’s] important to stretch the limits of what a ‘hillbilly band’ sounds like, [which is] nothing like you think.”
Final words of wisdom from venues to bands?
“Raise the bar until you have all the facets of a great band combined in one,” says Bright. “Strive to improve the smallest of your weaknesses. Find a successful model in another act or other musicians, people doing what you aspire to do and emulate their dedication and practice. Surround yourself with people better than you are, and then rise to the challenge (and, if you can, put them in your band).”
“Open mics are always the best way to get a foot in the door,” Guthrie says. “And just because you played here before doesn’t ensure you another spot on the calendar. Another way [to get booked] is to try and make friends with local bands that have an established fan base at the club and see about opening for them.”
Credit Josh Saul
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As Mountain Stage host Larry Groce says, “Go out and hear some live music wherever you are just as soon as you can.”
“Take it serious. Be organized, have fun, and be professional,” says Robinson.
“The biggest thing I could say is, yes it’s the venue’s responsibility to promote your show, but it’s not our only responsibility. It’s yours as well,” says Giuliani. “A venue won’t have your back if you’re not going to bring heads in and generate business, [so] go out there and spread the word!”
“Work! Write, practice, and interact with your audience,” says Kinder. “West Virginia’s a small market with a huge amount of talent to choose from, with more bands popping up constantly. Skill is great, but audiences also want to see acts with heart and soul going for it as hard as possible.”
Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from Tyler Childers to Coyotes in Boxes’ Sean Knisely, Twin Cousins Records to Qiet and beyond.
But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day is coming up (not to mention A Change of Tune’s second birthday), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
And today, we are chatting with 37-year-old Jimbo Valentine. He’s not exactly a singer or a songwriter. But even though you don’t hear his work, you’ve undoubtedly seen it around the West Virginia music scene. From concert posters in Morgantown and Huntington to album artwork for Charleston bands to listening party signage down in Fayetteville, Jimbo’s work makes West Virginia music just as eye-catching as it is ear-catching. Since he’s worked on over 1200 pieces for various artists over the years, we asked him about his creative process, his favorite pieces and how music plays a role in his artistic life.
Jimbo Valentine is a graphic designer with Brand Yourself, not to mention a freelance artist. Hear #WVmusic (some of which he’s created posters for) on A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVmusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic and subscribe to our RSS / podcast feeds!
Credit Jimbo Valentine
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Jimbo Valentine regularly designs Huntington Music & Art Festival promotional material, including this poster from last year’s festival.
Interview Highlights
On the art he creates in and around West Virginia:
I do a lot of graphic design around the area and the state, making posters for The V Club and Black Sheep Burrito and Brews, as well as bands and events and festivals and really whoever needs whatever they need. I do a lot of album layouts and T-shirt designs and sticker designs. I also… oh man, I don’t know where to start [laughing]. Designing the cards for West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s #WhyListen: First Listen Music Party was a fun event to do.
A lot of people like to look down on West Virginia and don’t think we have much of anything to offer. But we actually have really good artist communities that have been building and building. I started working at The V Club in 2009, and I had been doing a little stuff before that, but that was when I really started getting more involved with everybody in the region. Ever since then, it’s been non-stop growing. Just all kinds of people you don’t expect who play music and make art and do all kinds of stuff. That’s really one of the best things we have to offer. But it’s getting people to recognize that.
On moving from Fairmont to Huntington:
I’m from Fairmont, from up in-between Morgantown and Parkersburg. Actually, this May marks my 14th anniversary of living down here in Huntington. I’ve almost lived here in Huntington as much as I’ve lived up in Fairmont. At this point of time, Huntington feels more like my home than Fairmont actually is.
Like most stories, it was a failed love story. I moved down here with a girl who was from Huntington and who graduated from West Virginia University. Give a year or so, she was out of the picture, and I was just left here. I started going to Marshall University for a little bit, and it didn’t work out too great. Now I’m here [laughing], trying to do something. I don’t know what, but…
On getting into art:
I had grown up doing art in high school, and I started taking art at Fairmont State for a year-and-a-half, but I dropped out of there. I didn’t do any art for a long time, but after I moved down here, I had a bunch of time on my hands and started learning how to use Photoshop. I bought some screen printing gear and taught myself how to screen print. I decided I’d try to make a go at this for a living, which I’m still working towards. So I tried learning how to do it around 2007, but 2009 is when I really kicked it off.
Credit Jimbo Valentine
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This 2006 Todd Burge / 63 Eyes / Tripleshot show marked Jimbo Valentine’s first as a #WVmusic graphic designer.
On his first gig poster:
It was for New Year’s Eve at a show at 123 Pleasant Street for 63 Eyes and Todd Burge. That was the first gig poster I had ever done. I got hooked up through the poster community because I would go to website called gigposters.com and post on their forums, and a guy on there from Saint Albans hooked me up with that gig.
I definitely listened to 63 Eyes and Todd Burge a bunch [prior to making that poster]. In high school and my formative years, that was my band. 63 Eyes were some of the earliest shows I had ever seen, back when 123 Pleasant Street was still The Nyabinghi. So it was really cool to make that my first poster because it was something I had grown up with. Todd is obviously one of the greatest West Virginia musicians we have, and I still have a big place in my heart for 63 Eyes.
On the number of artists he’s worked with in West Virginia:
Honestly, at this point of time, there’s not many bands in West Virginia or the region that I haven’t done something involving them. Which is pretty awesome. I’ve done over 1200 gig posters at this point of time, and some of them I have had the opportunity to do multiple things for. Working at The V Club has gotten me to be able to do posters for national acts and other regional acts. Like I just did a poster for The V Club for Kiefer Sutherland’s band, which is a weird thing to add to your list because I never in a million years would expect to be doing something like that. And that’s some of the cool stuff that I’ve gotten to do: the stuff I didn’t expect.
Credit Jimbo Valentine
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Jimbo Valentine designed the gig poster for actor-turned-musician Kiefer Sutherland’s recent concert at The V Club.
I’ve done posters for the legendary bands that I like, including Saint Vitus and The Obsessed, people who have been around for a long time. I’ve also gotten to do posters for really cool bands like Man Man and The Felice Brothers.
On listening to #WVmusic growing up:
There was a band from Morgantown called The Law Abiding Citizens, and I used to go see their shows. They were a punk hardcore band. Fast-forward after their break-up, they did a reunion show, and I got to do a poster for them. That was really cool.
There weren’t really any bands from Fairmont. I mean, there were bands up there, but it was weird at that point in time because some of them were basically bar bands, and I wasn’t old enough to see too many of them. But 123 Pleasant Street (back when it was The Nyabinghi), sometimes they would do early shows that were all-ages and then at night, they would do an 18+ show.
Karma to Burn was a band that I grew up listening to. They blew up, disappeared for a little while, then got back together, and I got to screen print posters for all four of their West Virginia reunion shows and a poster when they played in England. I’ve done stuff for their side projects and such, which is cool because I grew up listening to them. Now I work for them, and now they’re my friends. To me, sometimes it feels like completing a circle of your life.
That’s why I got into doing this: I love bands, and I love music. And I want to make T-shirts for bands, which is totally a 12-year-old goal that I was doing in my 20’s. But that’s really where that started from.
Credit Jimbo Valentine
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Were it not for Maryland rock band Clutch, Jimbo Valentine might not have gotten into #WVmusic graphic design work.
On his first gig poster for The V Club:
One of my all-time favorite bands is Clutch. They’re a Maryland / West Virginia-based band. I grew up loving them and going to their shows. I used to go onto their message board, and when I started getting into all this art, the guy who ran the message board hooked me up to make some screen printed posters for them. And then in 2009, the first time they played at The V Club, I had already contacted them and made a poster for them and showed up to the show with it. That’s when The V Club’s Patrick Guthrie saw it and found out that someone in town made it. That’s how I got hired at The V Club. That was all because of Clutch. That’s how all this happened.
On the process for making posters:
Once they have the opening acts and bands nailed down, I get to work. The next step depends on how familiar I am with the band. If it’s a band I already listen to, I might have an idea for the design. Sometimes I get an idea and then try to make that idea come to life. Other times I sit down and start trying to do things that might look cool. I’ll find old stock photos or a photo I’ve taken. Maybe I’ll get an idea from an illustration. Or a combination of all those things.
Credit Jimbo Valentine
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Yep. Jimbo did this Jason Isbell gig poster back in 2014.
Then I try to match it to the feeling that I get when I listen to that band. Even if it’s a band that I don’t know, if they have something online to check out, I’ll listen to it to see what kind of vibe I get from it. I’ll look at the things they’ve released and see what kind of vive they go for, so I can play off that. I always try to match it to the feeling of the band. I never try to shoehorn a band into a piece of work that I’ve made. To me, it’s all about representing what the band is about or what the band sounds like.
It also depends on the opening act. Sometimes you have a show where all the bands are similar. And sometimes you have a show that’s like a grab bag, where all the bands are different. Say you have an Americana show; it’s easier to tie it all together with that kind of imagery. But then sometimes you have a show that has an Americana band, an indie rock band and an acoustic something: that gives me the opportunity to do something a little weirder, a little broader. It really is a show-by-show basis.
On his favorite poster creations:
Some of my favorite posters are the ones where, when I did them, they were creative turning points for me.
Credit Jimbo Valentine
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It’s been a few years, but people still talk about this poster that Jimbo Valentine designed for Man Man’s 2014 show.
The Man Man poster that I did was one of my absolute favorite ones, because it was one of the first ones I did on a new tablet with a screen on it, so you could draw right in Photoshop. I loved how the poster turned out, and l lot of people have told me that’s their favorite poster that I’ve done.
I did one for the band called Universes. They broke up, and one of the guys moved away, but I did a poster for them a few years ago. It had a Native American in it, but the techniques I used in it? I had never done anything like that in Photoshop. It turned out so well, I ended up using it as a basis for painting a mural outside The V Club. So that’s one of my favorite ones.
I’ve done quite a few for Tyler Childers and Ona that turned out really well. I love working with those guys.
On the #WVmusic scene:
It’s really, really good now. I want to say that a few years back, we probably had more bands (at least in Huntington) and maybe a little more variety. At this point in time, there might be a little less bands, but all of them are top notch. So it’s a balance of quality over quantity.
Credit Jimbo Valentine
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Tyler Childers is but one of the many regional artists that Jimbo loves to work with, not to mention listen to.
One of my favorite things is stoner rock and doom music, and we had more of those bands here in Huntington a few years ago. But now we don’t really have those bands anymore.
On advice to folks wanting to get into gig posters:
If you know somebody in a band and they’re going to put on a house show or a show at a bar, see if you can do a poster for them. Do some work, show’em what you’ve got. And then if you have the opportunity, do your best. If it’s good enough, people will notice and people will start asking you to do it. You have to fight tooth and nail to get really, really big. It takes a tremendous amount of skill to get there, but sometimes it just takes being in the right place at the right time to get the right set of eyeballs on it.
Music featured in this #WVmusic chat:
Of the Dell- “Runnin’”
63 Eyes- “Who”
Big Rock and The Candy Ass Mountain Boys- “Good Ole Wagon”
