HOME | POSTERS | PHOTOS | RADIO | SHOP

Back in 1980 I was just an impressionable high school kid walking into Zak's for the first time to see the Oil Tasters. My friend Jay Tiller told me about this three piece band - drums, bass and sax -- I had to see them. On stage, Richard LaValliere is filling the room with the thundering sounds from his bass - and it has two fried eggs glued to the body! I thought, fried eggs on a guitar! Brilliant!!

The music back then was important but it was the imagery that really pulled me in - creatively decorated instruments, DIY covers on the punk 45s and the graphic posters: they were almost as exciting as a band's performance (sometimes even more so).

This was the age of stapling handmade gig posters on telephone poles and boarded up windows (no computers, websites or email). Now, some twenty-something years later, the memories of the live shows might have dimmed but I still have these amazing posters.

This website is my way of sharing the artwork and memories of an era that wasn't documented as much as things are today. Enjoy!

-Ron Faiola (founding member/drummer in Couch Flambeau, former drummer/manager of F/i, ex-WMSE d.j. and milwaukee video production guru.)

Ama-Dots | Appliances S.F.B. | The Barnburners | The Baxters | Big Black

The Blackholes | Blacklist | Boy Dirt Car | Buck Byron | Colour Radio

Couch Flambeau | The Curves | Dark Facade |

Einstein's Riceboys | The Blowtorch | The Girl Scouts | Haskels | Kafka |

Liquid Pink | Messengers | Oil Tasters |

Pioneers of Modern Typography | Plasticland | Prosecutors | Sacred Order |

Shivvers | Shemps | Soko | Surfin' Furhers | Tense Experts | Valiants | Vers |

Violent Femmes | VU's | X-Cleavers | Yipes | Youth In Asia

Posters by Venue:

Avant Garde | Cafe Voltaire | Franklin Hall | Humpin' Hanna's | Irene J's

Metropole | Niko's | The Palms | Papagaio's | Starship | Stone Toad | Teddy's

Top of the Hills | Underground | Yano's | Zak's

I got a new scanner and on a cold, rainy November Sunday, I got these done. I still have more posters but they're bigger than 8 1/2 x 11", so I'm kind of stuck for now. But at least we have these... Enjoy!

X at the Starship 1981 Two nights, June 3rd w/Oil Tasters, June 4th w/Stellas (Die Kreuzen). $6 at the door is equal to $17 today.

A Ticket for X at the Starship 1981 I should know this, but who was behind Phon-E Productions?

Bush Tetras at the Starship 1981

James Chance at the Starship 1981

Prosecutors at the Starship 1981 Fifty Cents!?!

Effigies + Die Kreuzen at the Starship 1981

PiL w/Die Kreuzen at The Eagles Club 1987 This show was promoted by Tony Selig. The crowd was riled up and wanted Die Kreuzen to play loud and fast but they did really slow songs, which of course didn't go over very well. Also the show was held in the main ballroom but the built-in stage wasn't used for some reason. A temporary stage was built at the south end of the room. The $14 cover would be the equivalent of about $31 in 2018.

Oil Tasters w/Naked Raygun, Starship ('81? '82?)

Life and Death Troubadours, The Landing 1986

Cafe Voltaire Preferred Customer Card

Cafe Voltaire October 1986 Schedule

Cherry Cake Cafe Voltaire 1986

Invisible Babylon, Cafe Voltaire 1985 A free pass to the show from Presley!

Atomic Records Presents Appliances SFB and F/i Odd Rock 1988

Dassault + Cherry Cake at Jabberwoky 1983

Locate Your Lips at The Landing 1985

Da Bodeans at Teddy's 1984

Blowtorch at Hooligan's 1986

Die Kreuzen at the Underground 1985 This was the original location of Tony Selig's Underground, which was located in the basement of Peppers restaurant.

999 + Joe King Carrasco + Alleycats at the Palms 1981

Blind Robins Upstairs at Kodrics (year unknown)

Record Spin at C Club, 3rd & Wisconsin

Honeymoon Killers + Black Snakes, Unicorn 1987

Squares at Club Garibaldi 1986

Killdozer at the Underground and Earwaves With Null Heirs (Year Unknown).

Die Kreuzen at Cafe Voltaire With Three On A Hill, December 6 (Year Unknown).

Die Kreuzen at Cafe Voltaire With The Johnsons, January 3, 1987.

Die Kreuzen at the Orpheum Theater, Kenosha With Flowers of Death (Year Unknown).

Die Kreuzen at Odd Rock Cafe Century Days Release Party July 9, 1988. Poster by Richard Kohl.

Die Kreuzen at Cafe Voltaire With Paul K's Weathermen, September 5&6, 1987.

Self Gratifukation at the Landing With Tire Buddys, March 19, 1986.

Appliances SFB Underground Opening for TSOL, October 11, 1986. Promoter Tony Selig borrowed my drums for the show and TSOL stole 'em. Allegedly. AND it was my birthday... Happy f'n birthday, punk.

Naked Raygun at Central Park President's Room (Eagles Club) With Johnny and the Losers and Loyal Order of The Water Buffalo, October 21, 1989.

Sacred Order at the Underground Before they left for Los Angeles, August 28, 1986. Someone scribbled "What" after SO... Ope!

Liquid Pink at Cafe Voltaire With Funco, March 20, 1987. Here's Freight Train Home live from this show on YouTube.

No Trend and Boy Dirt Car at Cafe Voltaire July 28, 1987.

Stereotypes at Cafe Voltaire Album release party, February 6, 1986. Not familiar with this band...

F/i with Appliances SFB European Tour Bon Voyage Bash, June 8, 1991. I was in the band and made the poster.

Realm at the Landing Debut Performance! With Victim, December 11, 1985. Wake up the neighbors!

John Kruth + The Atomic Croutons at Odd Rock Cafe With The Mosaics, April 15, 1988.

Sonic Youth and Die Kreuzen at Wally Gators in Madison With Laughing Hyenas, November 6, 1989.

Soul Asylum at the Central Mall, Marquette University Free outdoor show, April 28, 1989.

Venom & Slayer at the Eagles Ballroom April 6, 1985.

Metallica at The Palms With Screamer, December 14, 1983. Were you there? Wish you were? $5 then would equal $12 today. Holy crap! Check Out the AUTOGRAPHS - Cliff, Lars and Kirk Darren scores - but Hetfield must've been in the can. P.S. Vodka!