Rare and gorgeous original 21.25 x 27.25 boxing-style concert poster for “2 Big Shows” by Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company, with “Special Extra Added Attraction The Jeff Beck Group,” which was held at the Alexandria Arena, a “Roller Rink” in Alexandria, Virginia, on October 20, 1968. Printed by Creative Signs and designed by famous poster artist Dail W. Beeghly, the poster features a mixture of dark blue and bright DayGlo pink text and imagery that is highlighted by the large and smiling image of the lovely Janis Joplin along the left side, a picture that was famously taken by photographer Thomas Weir and that was later used as the back cover for Big Brother’s landmark Cheap Thrills album. Matted and framed to an overall size of 26.5 x 28.75. In very good to fine condition, with scattered creasing, a small hole to upper text, minor foxing and dampstaining to the bottom, and a small tear to the bottom center.
Despite his relatively small poster output, Beeghly is among the most celebrated poster artists of the era. He was known for his collaboration with promoter Durwood Settles and for producing vibrant, graphically interesting concert posters for acts like James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, and The Doors when they toured through the Washington D.C. and Virginia area during the 1960s. It’s purported that around 200 of these posters were printed and hung on telephone poles and in local establishments to advertise these amazing Joplin shows that witnessed her at her very peak with Big Brother and the Holding Company. The very prominent heading of Joplin’s name before the band denotes the young singer’s surging popularity while also presaging her eventual departure from the group following the release of Cheap Thrills. Moreover, the presence of the late great Jeff Beck and his group, which featured a hungry Rod Stewart on lead vocals, serves as quite the school of rock bonus, given their position as openers and how the band were touring on behalf of Truth, Beck’s hugely influential debut album. Beeghly posters are rarely offered at auction, and this example, which brilliantly promotes a sold-out Joplin and Beck showcase, serves as a sensational and historical hybrid of classic English blues and San Francisco acid rock.
