Nathaniel Ratliff & The Night Sweats - Xcel Energy Center

Well, sometimes a commissioned project gets unexpectedly shelved mid-production and it’s really no one’s fault. Such was the case with this Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats poster (which was to be a thank you from the venue). I spent time finishing it off anyways just for my own sake and now it’ll live on as a piece of unsanctioned fan art. That’s ok, I suppose because in the end I was still able to create something that I’m really proud of that was a good exercise while paying homage and thanks to a musician who’s music I love and has meant a lot to me.

I’ve been a huge fan of the band from the start, have been lucky enough to see them play live a handful of times and equally love playing the records for the family at dinner and enjoying them in solitude. Their music and its themes of yearning, rousing earnestness, contemplation and loss resonated with me during the isolation of the pandemic and, even more so, during the sudden passing of my father earlier this year.I channeled some of those feelings and the band’s use of nature-inspired imagery in their past merchandise and put it through the filter of my own personal love of vintage travel decals and came up with this concept. As an homage to my own father, I depicted him in his signature stance as the shadow figure in the foreground. It’s only fitting since his love of Elvis, Johnny Cash and Ray Charles no doubt pointed my musical compass in the direction of the band’s music. He also just happens to share a birthday with Nathaniel Rateliff, which I found out in a moment of serendipity afterwards.

Maybe someday I’ll get another shot to fully realize that dream gig of creating something for Mr. Rateliff and the fellas.Until then, onward and upward and thanks for all of the fantastic music!