From 1981 to 2023, Lynagh’s Irish Pub hosted many local and national concerts here in Lexington. The owners commissioned me to create a series of posters to commemorate many of the famous acts they have hosted over the years. I created this Rick Danko concert poster design for one such act, the bassist of the legendary group The Band. He performed solo at Lynagh’s in 1999, just a few weeks before his untimely death.
Rick Danko concert poster design story
I sought out to create a vintage style poster simulating screen printed art. First, I found a suitable photo with a creative commons license attached. I then simplified it down to just black, and cut out the elements of the background, leaving only Rick, his microphone, and bass in the shot. After that, I added a solid green shade back in behind Danko. This made the image pop out from the neutral background.
After laying out the focal image, I added all of the show information. As with many old school posters, the layout of the text blocks is important. Of course, I made the name of the headline artist the largest and set it in the heaviest weight. The supporting artists list in the accent color green, with a horizontal rule above it to further emphasize the headliner’s name. Varying weights of the same font create continuity, while still keeping the information distinct enough not to get lost. Finally, I reversed out the show date from a black block. The block containing the Lynagh’s logo balances it out at the top. I surrounded said logo with a celtic knot pattern on either side. This is a nod to the Irish theme of the bar.
Lynagh’s asked me to create a template from this Rick Danko concert poster design, which we would use for future events. Essentially, I can just replace the main photo, change the accent color, and the specific information. Thus far, I have used this for a handful of events and everyone loves them.
Like this Band poster artwork? Contact me for your own!
This Rick Danko concert poster design is one of my favorites. Do you need a graphic designer for your next event promotion? Contact me today!