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| Kelly Willis |
Steamboat Springs
1874
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February 14, 1995
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| 11" x 17"
(27.9cm x 43.18cm) |
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Though I didn’t know it at the
time, this would be the last poster that I would do
for the venerable Austin venue, Steamboat Springs. Though
flawed, it was a genuine labor of love; for I was completely
enamored with Kelly’s music. Commissioned at a
very late date, I was unable to search for an eclectic
image and was forced to rely on her standard publicity
photograph. Still, the sweetness of her face made it
all a pleasure. As an homage to the holiday upon which
it occurred I gave her a golden heart-shaped locket
with a quartertone highlight. Less effective was my
misspelling of that holiday by making a fugitive of
its central “n”. Such things can happen
when letters are stacked and the artist distracted by
an angelic face.
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| This was the last poster that I did for
Steamboat Springs 1874, and it was
done while the club was still the premiere venue in Austin’s
Sixth Street entertainment district. A genuine sweetheart,
it was only appropriate that Kelly play a Valentine’s
Day gig. She had only four months before released her debut
CD, Kelly
Willis, on MCA Records; and as this
was a show promotional of that release, its ten cuts were
featured prominently. The first cut, Take It All
Out on You by her husband Bruce
Robison, was receiving the most air play, both
locally and nationally. Other songs though were just as strong
from the cover of the Kimballs’ hit,
Heaven’s Just a Sin Away,
to the haunting Kevin
Welch piece That’ll Be Me.
This was the album that really garnered her the national attention
that was ultimately to yield her professional success on that
level. The show that night seemed to anticipate it. As February
morphed into March, Kelly would leave for Hollywood, where
she was to appear with Tim Robbins in the
politically dark comedy, Bob Roberts.
On this Valentine’s night though she was still a home
town sweetheart.
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