Red Run Art Series (No Blackout Dates) – Package #21: “Help Us Stranger” Tour Stamp ft. The Raconteurs

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 The Raconteurs’ most recent LP, Help Us Stranger, released on June 21st, 2019 via Third Man Records.

About the Painting:
– Rock n’ Roll is back from the dead! I’m not talking about Heavy Metal. Heavy Metal has never wavered. I have been mourning true guitar-driven Rock n’ Roll since the aftermath of Consolers of the Lonely, which was silently released 11 years ago and completely blew my mind. The Raconteurs were one of the first bands (or any popular music artist) to release an album in this day and age unannounced. I had been eagerly waiting for their follow-up to Broken Boy Soldiers and I had almost missed their 2nd album. There was no fanfare for Consolers which ended up being one of my favorite albums ever!

Now a nuclear rock assault has been launched with their new album Help Us Stranger and I could not be more excited! Plus, it just became their 1st number one Billboard charting album, and that is huge for an independent label like Third Man Records.

I saw Jack White, Brendon Benson, Jack Armstrong and Patrick Keeler (one of my favorite drummers ever) play the Roseland Ballroom (RIP) when Broken Boy Soldiers came out. I stood left to the front of the stage in front of a big-ass speaker. I still have ringing in my ears from that show. One of the loudest, most sonically-spiritual, fuck-with-your-entire-system shows I have ever seen. I can’t wait to see them this tour at Kings Theater in Brooklyn and play these new songs. I have always wanted to include them in this series and now with a new album and tour, my wish has been granted!

Package #21: “Help Us Stranger”:
– Check out Damon’s creative process by scrolling through the photos below.

Tour Dates:

07/13 – Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple Theater
07/14 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/ Eagles Club
07/15 – Minneapolis, MN – Armory
07/18 – Seattle, WA – CenturyLink Field
07/19 – Vancouver, Canada – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
07/20 – Vancouver, Canada – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
07/21 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield
07/23 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
07/24 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
07/26 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
07/27 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
08/11 – Knoxville, TN – Knoxville Civic Auditorium & Coliseum
08/12 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
08/13 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
08/17 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
08/18 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
08/20 – Columbia, SC – Township Auditorium
08/21 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
08/22 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
08/23 – Florence, AL – Billy Reid Shindig
08/29 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
08/30 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
08/31 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
09/03 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
09/05 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
09/06 – New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
09/07 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
09/09 – Boston, MA – House of Blues Boston
09/10 – Boston, MA – House of Blues Boston
09/12 – Toronto, Canada – Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
09/13 – Chicago, IL – Riot Fest
09/14 – Chicago, IL – Riot Fest
09/15 – Chicago, IL – Riot Fest
10/11 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival
10/12 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
10/13 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
10/14 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
10/16 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
10/17 – Kansas City, MO – Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
10/18 – St Louis, MO – The Pageant
11/08 – Miami Beach, FL – Miami Beach Pop Festival
11/13 – Santiago, Chile – Teatro Coliseo
11/16 – Mexico City, Mexico – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
11/17 – Mexico City, Mexico – Corona Capital

The Raconteurs’ cover artwork for Help Me Stranger :

The Series & Future Artwork:

– Coming up in Package #22… Slipknot

– Previously in Package #20… Iron Maiden
– Package #19… Korn
– 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