Emergency Exit

Bob Masse (b. 1945) created this poster for Emergency Exit within the first decade of his career designing concert posters. Masse was a major force in creating the aesthetic of psychedelic, Rock art, beginning in the 1960s and continuing into the 2020s. He has designed for bands and musicians including the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970), Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin (1943-1970), Smashing Pumpkins, and David Bowie (1947-2016). His style is characterized by flowing hand-drawn text, bright contrasting colors, and art-nouveau inspired illustration, particularly the work of Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939).

Emergency Exit was formed in 1965 by Paul Goldsmith (b. unknown), Luther Rabb (1942-2006), Bill Leyritz (1945-2006) and Jim Walters (b. unknown). Although the band members all had a history with mainstream Rock ‘n’ Roll, their willingness to experiment with new sounds for new audiences led them to produce music best characterized as Garage Rock. The group only performed together for a couple of years, disbanding in 1967, but members continued playing music individually and with other groups. Luther Rabb, in particular, would go on to form the band Ballin’ Jack and later tour with Santana and War.