Photo: M. DozierI'm excited today to interview my guy Mike Dozier. Mike is a writer/producer living in Los Angeles who's hoping one day to be able to see another concert and buy another poster. He's been building his concert poster collection for years and has over 50 prints with a concentration on Pearl Jam, NIN, and Jack White.
Eric: So, we've known each other for a while now, Mike. One thing I've learned to respect about you is your Pearl Jam dedication, especially your concert poster game. Can you tell us a little about how you got into collecting concert posters?
Mike: It just kind of happened. I remember when I first fell in love with live music and snagging a poster off some dive bar wall on my way out as a keepsake. It evolved to bigger venues and better posters. Then I started researching and finding different artists: Emek, Munk One, Ames Bros, Miles Tsang, and before you know it, I had a portfolio filled and text alerts for poster drops.
Emek print on film. Photo: M. Dozier
Eric: Like me with shoes! Why do you think some concert posters are so valuable and sought after?
Mike: The real answer would be supply and demand. Most posters don't get re-released, and if you're lucky enough to score an artist print, you can have yourself a very valuable poster. Poster artists usually get to release 200-300 numbered posters from their own website after the show.
Why are they valuable to me? They're pieces of art. Yes, some of them might be silly, strange, or even downright ugly, but each poster represents a moment that thousands of people shared. I would prefer a poster to commemorate that experience that I can point to, rather than a t-shirt I'll probably get too fat for.
Eric: What is your prized possession, and how did you acquire it?
Mike: I have a 2012 Pearl Jam Wrigley Field Cracker Jack poster by Kevin Shuss that I waited in line for for six hours with my buddy Nick that's worth $1,500-2,000. There was a heatwave of 7,000 degrees that day, but it was totally worth it because we have a memory and a concert that we will never forget. I also got extremely lucky and received a 2013 Pearl Jam Pittsburg Steel Worker poster from Munk One inside a mystery box! Pearl Jam sells mystery boxes every few years. They are full of random merchandise. I bought one for a hundred bucks and got a poster worth two thousand dollars! Took it to the framer the next day.
Pearl Jam Pittsburg Steel Worker Poster. Photo: M. Dozier
Eric: That's dope! If you could commission a poster around one Pearl Jam song, which one would it be and why?
Mike: Whoa! What a question! My brain short-circuited a second because a hundred songs just flooded my mind. I'll go with "Unthought Known." It's a beautiful song with incredible imagery that would make for a great print. "Feel the sky blanket you/With gems and rhinestones/See the path cut by the moon/For you to walk on." Yeah, I would hang that poster up!
Eric: That's a good call. So, what tips would you give to a newbie trying to get into the concert poster game?
Mike: I would recommend getting a portfolio case and storing them as flat as soon as you can. This will help protect them and it will be an easy way to display your art. Also, custom framing is beautiful but expensive. If you don't have hundreds of extra dollars to spend on framing, you can buy a standard frame from Michaels, just make sure you avoid hanging it in direct sunlight.
I would like to thank Mike for his time! You can check out some of the films Mike has produced and written. Devil in My Ride and The Rake are available on Amazon Prime. Vincent N Roxxy (starring Zoe Kravitz and Emile Hirsch) on Netflix. Follow him on IG and Twitter @DozierDozierDoz.
Happy collecting!
Eric
@comics_teacher
