It might not be that serious, but you are indeed fighting for your right to collect Beastie Boys concert posters. The group doesn't have the same lengthy careers of other acts I've covered, but they've been just as impactful. It's tough to become a successful musical act. But to have some success and then become a fixture in another genre is very hard to do.
This seminal hip-hop act has created songs that even today aren't really being heard anymore. Before I gush further about them, I have a confession. Hip-Hop is my primary genre of choice. So, to be writing about a group that's been so important to the genre and culture is going to be a lot of fun.
Fighting for your right to figure out which poster to buy
While the Beastie Boys musical catalog isn't as long as Stevie Wonder or Elton John, it's still a solid group of albums. Licensed to Ill and Paul's Boutique are two of the most respected hip-hop albums to date. Things really came together in 1986, when the band had fully shifted over from rock to rap. It's also the year the group went on the Raising Hell tour with Run DMC, Whodini, LL Cool J, and other various appearances from an assortment of artists. This particular poster is just one of several tour stops.
Unfortunately for me, I wasn't alive when this tour roared across the United States. If you're not familiar with the slew of characters depicted here, you might want to start Googling. Run DMC was coming into their own in the 1980s as well, and LL Cool J was vying for the hip-hop crown. Whodini is lesser-known but is still worth the search.
This particular poster is not too difficult to come by. Like most reprints, it's very accessible at $11.99. The original might be kind of hard to find, but unless you're dead set on finding it, the reprint should do the trick.
Technically, this concert happened before the November 1986 release of their debut rap album. Another interesting note of sorts is that the Raising Hell tour was a Run DMC tour; the Beastie Boys didn't tour their album until the following year.
Newer posters might be harder to find
The Beastie Boys continued to make albums into the early 2010s, finally culminating in 2012 with Hot Sauce Committee. Fast-forwarding to this critical point in the Boys' history is due to Adam Yauch's fight with cancer. This album was to be their last due to Yauch's untimely passing in May of 2012. Yauch missed the Beastie Boys' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which also took place in 2012. Their final album was as exploratory as it was good; an unintended swan song.
Posters from this final era could be hard to locate, due to the number of shows canceled. One of three music festivals they were slated to perform in nearby New Jersey, called the All Points West festival. The trio was replaced by Jay-Z, and what's strange about this poster is how hard it is to even find in the first place.
Reprints again tend to be anywhere between $20 and $45, respectively. Unfortunately, I cannot find a copy of this for sale. My guess is if you're after it, you better start searching and emailing folks involved with this festival. An original could likely be very expensive if it can be located. Either way, getting a piece of the end of the Beastie Boys would be an amazing addition to your wall.
