Red Run Art Series (No Blackout Dates) – Package #19: “The Serenity of Suffering” Tour Stamp ft. Korn

Series Overview:
– Red Run Art Series (No Blackout Dates) is a mixed-media series by artist Damon Kardon created to celebrate the travelling circus that is the music tour. He has various bands and solo artists whose music and words have influenced him and his art over the years. He set out to encapsulate in these works everything that a band or artist puts forth with a new album and accompanying tour. What better way to convey the creativity and excitement of travel than in a postage stamp representing this new voyage?

“Red Run” is a postage term describing an assignment to handle registered mail and “Blackout Dates” a travel term meaning no time off from travel. These terms represent to Damon, a clear vision each band or artist delivers in their new album and then expresses 24/7 in their subsequent tour. Each piece he creates starts with a painted portrait of the band or artist. He then incorporates colors and elements of their new album into the background. Next, he takes that image of the finished painting and digitally alters and adds text through Photoshop.

The text seen on each postage stamp design incorporates new song and album titles as well as the names and dates of the tour. Each completed stamp design is a mixed-media collage representing the artist/band and their music. You shall see a new finished piece featured every week for the entire run of the series. Through their boundless creativity and determination, these artists/bands have put their musical stamp on the world.

Road-Ready Listening:
– Be sure to enhance your reading experience by streaming Korn’s most recent LP, The Serenity of Suffering, released on October 21st, 2016, via Roadrunner Records.

About the Painting:
– From 1994 to 2002, Korn was one of my favorite bands. Something about their sonic assault on my eardrums (as well as Deftones) made me kind of obsessed with their brand of metal. I hate to admit, but I lost track after the Untouchables album was released in 2002 and guitarist Brian “Head” Welch left the band. I loved that album, but my music taste sort of swayed after that for a while.

I just watched Loud Krazy Love which is a must-see doc if you are a Korn fan. It sort of chronicles those early “Blind” and Life is Peachy days but shows the inner turmoil running through the veins of this band. I understand now why “Head” had to leave the band and it also helped me to understand what drives each member of Korn a little more. It also helped me see how they returned to the brotherhood that first inspired and drove them.

In the time it took me to return to the music of Korn, I don’t think any band has come close to replicating their unique and powerful sound. I have had 2013’s The Paradigm Shift and most recent 2016’s The Serenity of Suffering on heavy rotation, and I can solidly say it is some of their best work. This is coming from a fan who covered “Blind” back in 1995 with his bandmates, with me unsuccessfully trying to replicate bassist Fieldy’s low-ass, sticky-heavy licks. No one can touch Korn, no one!

Package #19: “The Serenity of Suffering”:
– Check out Damon’s creative process by scrolling through the photos below.

Tour Dates:

05/03 – Jacksonville, FL– Welcome to Rockville
05/10 – Rockingham, NC – Epicenter Fest
07/18 – Austin, TX – Austin 360 Amphitheater
07/20 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
07/21 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
07/23 – Pelham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
07/25 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
07/26 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
07/28 – West Palm Beach, FL – Coral Sky Amphitheatre
07/30 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
07/31 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
08/02 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
08/03 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
08/06 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
08/07 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
08/09 – Mansfield, MA – The Xfinity Center
08/10 – Hartford, CT – The Xfinity Theatre
08/11 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
08/13 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
08/14 – Toronto, Canada – Budweiser Stage
08/16 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
08/17 – Burgettstown, PA – KeyBank Pavilion
08/18 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
08/20 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
08/21 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
08/23 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
08/25 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
08/27 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
08/30 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
08/31 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
09/02 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
09/04 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

Korn’s cover artwork for The Serenity of Suffering:

The Series & Future Artwork:

– Coming up in Package #20… Iron Maiden

– Previously in Package #18… Halestorm
– Package #17… Migos
– Package #16… Mastodon
– Package #15… Greta Van Fleet
– Package #14… Pearl Jam
– Package #13… The Fever 333
– Package #12… Slayer
– Package #11… MGMT
– Package #10… A Perfect Circle
– Package #9… Sheer Mag
– Package #8… Ministry
– Package #7… Judas Priest
– Package #6… Arch Enemy
– Package #5… Run The Jewels
– Package #4… Corrosion of Conformity
– Package #3… alt-J
– Package #2… G-Eazy
– Package #1… Killswitch Engage