Tony has also written a commentary on the making of the backdrops which follows the images.
This photo was taken at a sound check at The Crocodile in Seattle last November. Tony relates, "It is interesting for a number of things: first, it was Michael Wells' last show; secondly, Peter Buck is playing with the band; next, you can see some of the "Devil's Road" backdrops in their real context; and finally, I'm standing, back to the camera, observing the proceedings." (Full image: 56K) 
(Full image: 43K)
(Full image: 41K) "The Light Will Stay On"
It has been a unique project for me. One I've really enjoyed for a number of reasons. First, because the nature of my working relationship with the band, and primarily with Chris and Carla (good things just seem to happen when we start talking and developing ideas). Secondly, because of the always new technical and aesthetic challenges the works hold. And finally, because I see all of the works as sections of one large all-encompassing design Every year or two I add a new "chapter" to the story, not unlike, I think, the way the band looks at the evolving body of art they are creating. To me this is one of the most interesting aspects of the work: its development over time.
I then will determine an overall style for the paintings. With "STWOF" I wanted a very jagged, expressionistic look on unusual canvas shapes. I limited the colors to red, black, white and gold. Part of my reason for the coloring was because I'd been looking at a lot of Byzantine mosaics and paintings, and I liked their directness. Often something I've been checking out around the same time will become an influence. With the "Nighttown" CD design and backdrops, it was film noir. For "Devil's Road" it was stark woodcut imagery with a road theme.
I've been very lucky, and sometimes daunted, with the complete freedom the Walkabouts have given me in my work. Art often needs a sounding board, and to be plunging forward in solitude is often scary. Happily for me our dialogue, mine and the band's, has broaden over the years. Thus I can bounce preliminary sketches and ideas off of them for comment and develop a sense of direction. I'll typically make about 20-30 beginning pieces, and then narrow down from there.
The demands after the art has been developed are mostly technical: how are they going to be hung? what kind of material should be used? How much space does the band have to carry them? This last issue is why so many of the set-ups have multiple pieces. There's no room to carry one HUGE painting, and often the scale of the different venues will vary to where one place can (and must) have everything hung up, while another place can handle only two. Once these decisions were made, then it was the easy part - painting them. Yeah, right!
Anyway that's the story. I sure hope any and all of you who've seen my work over the years have enjoyed them. To me that's the biggest charge: giving someone an experience. I sure love doing it.
Those backdrops for the "Nighttown" tour were executed in quite a different manner. Here large scale digital printing, a brand-new technology, was used. I had just heard of this method, when, as fate should have it, Dani told me of a company - a neighbor of hers - who could do this. Here the art was based on some illustrations I did for the CD booklet composed on computer. This, being an entirely new mode of execution for me, proved to be a headache on occasion. The digital domain can be very fucked-up and temperamental as you likely know, what with the computer crashes, lost data, glitches and so forth. There were a few tense moments, particularly when you have only a one-time shot on these large scale printers. The look of the technique is incredible though. It's subtlety and flexibility has a very painterly quality. Obviously, being able to compose digitally offers a huge number of avenues for exploration.