Postcards from the Road: A Touring Musician’s Collection

When I was a touring musician in the 1990s, I picked up a habit that I never expected would turn into a time capsule. Every club, every restaurant, every roadside stop seemed to have a stack of postcards tucked away by the entrance or on the counter. Some promoted local bands, some advertised events, others were just clever art or photography that caught the mood of the time. Without really thinking about it, I began collecting them. One by one, they added up up into a growing stack that followed the art styles across the country.

Looking back now, these postcards are more than paper. They captured a moment in music, design, and culture that feels both distant and familiar. The 1990s were a different world: the way bands promoted themselves, the style of graphic design, even the colors and fonts all carried their own flavor. Holding these cards today feels like holding a moment of history, a glimpse into a world that was unfolding night after night on stage and in the crowd.

What makes them special to me is not just the art but the context. Some were from a club counter after a gig, others came from diners in small towns, where the postcards sat in a rack next to the exit. A few were from bigger cities, where competition for attention was fierce and the design work reflected that urgency. Collectively, they tell a story, not only about music and nightlife in the 90s, but also about the road itself and living out of a suitcase.

This blog series is my way of opening that time capsule and sharing it with you. I’ll be scanning and cleaning up these old postcards, front and back, then posting them here in batches. Today I’m starting with around thirty post cards, and there are many more to come. Some are dated, some are beautifully designed, and stand the test of time. Others are surreal in how much they capture the spirit of the era.

As you look through them, I invite you to think about where you might have been when these were first printed. Maybe you were in the crowd at a show, or maybe you were just discovering a new band through a flyer or a handout. These cards were part of that experience, quiet reminders that the scene was alive, constantly changing, and always moving forward.

This is just the beginning. Over the coming weeks, I’ll keep uploading more as I scan and catalog them. Each set will add another layer to the picture of what it was like to live on the road during that time. For me, they’re personal memories. For you, I hope they’re a window into the energy and creativity of a moment in music history that still echoes today. (Post cards show front and back.)