A Brief Look: The Gig Posters of Derek Vander Griend

Seattle based designer Derek Vander Griend has created an interesting catalog of gig posters in only a few short years.

There’s a sense of place in Vander Griend’s work — his style feels pulled from the design aesthetics of the Pacific Northwest during the ’90s and ’00s, specifically work done for Barsuk Records, Kill Rock Stars, Sub Pop, and K Records. The bright collage with odd dashes of humor are terrific reminders of the classic homemade band art that announced shows, peppered bathroom stalls, and adorned cassettes and 7″ releases.

Gig posters have become the record cover, where the audience flips through the images to be inspired, to get the nudge they’re looking for to hear a new band. There’s a bright joy in Vander Griend’s posters that accomplishes just that.