Just Like Being There

Gig posters - we have all seen them plastered on the plywood walls of construction sites, slapped on lampposts and proudly displayed in glass cases, all to promote a band's appearance at a local venue. But how did this odd practice get started and who are the artists who create these eye-catching ads that have become valued collectibles, some selling for thousands of dollars? JUST LIKE BEING THERE reveals how a community of dedicated artists has created a unique means of expression. Scout Shannon's film profiles artists such as Daniel Danger and Jay Ryan, who are at the forefront of an expansion of the gig poster genre, as galleries like Austin's Mondo and Los Angeles' Gallery 1988 showcase their works and allow them to reach a greater public beyond the music fans who are their intended audience. However, in a community with strong roots dating back to the 1960s, this expansion into the larger art world is controversial - refreshing to some, sacrilegious to others.