Dead & Company's 2022 Custom Painted D'Angelico Guitars for Headcount

CONTEMPORARY ARTIST AJ MASTHAY ILLUSTRATED BY HAND FIVE D’ANGELICO GUITARS TO COMMEMORATE THE 2022 DEAD & COMPANY SUMMER TOUR

GUITARS TO BE AUCTIONED OFF TO SUPPORT HEADCOUNT, REVERB AND DEAD FAMILY CHARITIES

(Download hi-res HERE)

 

New York, NY (June 6th, 2022) – As Dead & Company prepare to embark on their annual Summer Tour starting on June 11th at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the non-profit organization HeadCount unveiled a new set of customized guitars that will be auctioned for charity at each concert. AJ Masthay, a contemporary artist who is extremely popular with Grateful Dead poster collectors, designed artwork on D’Angelico guitars that will be auctioned on the tour this summer, raising money for Dead Family Charities. Bids will be accepted on the guitars throughout the tour, in both the Participation Row activism village and the Loose Lucy’s VIP lounge. Remote bids can also be accepted. Participation Row travels to every tour stop and is organized by HeadCount, a non-profit organization that promotes voter registration and civic participation, along with REVERB, which promotes environmental responsibility. Anyone seeking more information can contact HeadCount’s Major Gifts Director, Kristina Raines at kristina@headcount.org.

 

The guitars feature commemorative, one-of-a-kind art by AJ Masthay. Masthay’s guitar art is derived from his “Ripple” series of original works, as well as another called “Seasons,” which was featured in the “Neither Here Nor There” solo exhibition at Spoke Art Gallery in San Francisco in May 2019. Limited Edition prints for this series sold out immediately. The art is featured on the pickguards, along with illustrations directly drawn on the guitars. One guitar, a D’Angelico Premier SS in Ocean Turquoise color will commemorate the entire tour and others commemorate specific two-night stops on the tour: San Francisco, Chicago, New York City and Boulder.  The city-specific guitars come from a run of limited-edition custom guitars made just for HeadCount, with “VOTE” on the fretboard, HeadCount’s logo on the headstock, and an American Flag overlay. Masthay’s art will also appear on REMO Drumheads, also up for auction.

 

Since 2015, the Participation Row auctions have raised 1.1 million dollars for HeadCount, REVERB, and over a dozen other “Dead Family” charities selected by the band. Bob Weir of Dead & Company is a board member of HeadCount and an artist endorser for D’Angelico Guitars.  Fans who can’t bid on a guitar can have the chance to win one for free by taking actions with the non-profits on Participation Row.

(Download hi-res HERE)

 

AJ Masthay is most well known for his unique style of reduction block printing in the concert art arena. His blend of traditional techniques and love of live music has made him one of the most prominent figures in the rock art industry. Born in 1975, AJ is a lifetime resident of Connecticut. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1997 from the Hartford Art School, majoring in printmaking, with an art history minor. Masthay established his own letterpress studio in 2001 and is currently based out of Hartford, CT. Clients include: Grateful Dead, Dead and Company, The Jerry Garcia Estate, Black Sabbath, Foo Fighters, South Park, Queens of the Stone Age, Widespread Panic, Umphrey’s McGee and many more.

 

This year, HeadCount are giving away a sold out print of Masthay’s inspiration, “Ripple,” in companion to the Tour Guitar. The below video shows the process of Mashtay creating the original artwork in 2020.

 

WATCH AJ MASTHAY DRAW HIS “RIPPLE” SERIES

 

In discussing the partnership, AJ Masthay said, “I’m a firm believer that if our democracy is going to function as intended, we all as citizens have an obligation to be informed and participate in said democracy, that’s why I am and will continue to be a supporter of HeadCount and their mission. My relationship with Headcount started over a decade ago and out of our partnership has come some of the most cherished pieces in my portfolio including the Bridge Session edition for Bob Weir and the “US Blues” piece from a few years ago, and of course this year’s guitar series.”

Dead & Company Summer ‘22 Tour Dates:

 

JUN 11, 2022 @ Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA

JUN 13, 2022 @ Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA

JUN 14, 2022 @ Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA

JUN 17, 2022 @ Folsom Field in Boulder, CO

JUN 18, 2022 @ Folsom Field in Boulder, CO

JUN 21, 2022 @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis Maryland Heights, MO

JUN 22, 2022 @ Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH

JUN 24, 2022 @ Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

JUN 25, 2022 @ Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

JUN 28, 2022 @ Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, IN

JUN 29, 2022 @ Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, MI

JUL 1, 2022 @ Bethel Woods Center For the Arts in Bethel, NY

JUL 2, 2022 @ Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA

JUL 5, 2022 @ XFINITY Theatre in Hartford, CT

JUL 6, 2022 @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY

JUL 8, 2022 @ Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA

JUL 10, 2022 @ Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA

JUL 12, 2022 @ The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA

JUL 15, 2022 @ Citi Field in New York, NY

JUL 16, 2022 @ Citi Field in New York, NY

 

About Participation Row:

HeadCount and Reverb have teamed up on every Dead & Company tour to present Participation Row, an interactive social action village which features non-profit organizations, activities, and the chance for fans to get rewards by doing good. Fans take action at each non profit booth, and are offered a limited edition VOTE pin plus the chance to win a band-signed D’Angelico guitar for taking action.

 

HeadCount:

HeadCount believes in the power of music, culture, and digital media to inspire participation in democracy. A non-profit, nonpartisan organization, HeadCount has registered over one million voters through our work with musicians like Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Dave Matthews Band, JAY-Z, and Dead and Company, and brands like Spotify, Ben & Jerry’s, and GrubHub. Online campaigns have won Clio and Shorty awards, while the organization’s 50,000 volunteers can be seen at more than 1,000 live events each year reaching young people where they already are – at concerts and online – to inform and empower. HeadCount Founder/Executive Director Andy Bernstein and Chairman Peter Shapiro were featured in Billboard’s inaugural ‘Change Agents’ issues for the organization’s pro-democracy mission during 2020’s unprecedented election season. For more information visit HeadCount.org.

 

D’Angelico Guitars:

Founded in 1932 by John D’Angelico, D’Angelico Guitars is a New York City-based guitar brand built on the history of one of the most revered luthiers of all time. Committed to maintaining the legacy of its original founder, D’Angelico intends to both honor its roots and offer forward-thinking instrument design for the modern player.

 

AJ Masthay:

Born in 1975, AJ is a lifetime resident of Connecticut. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1997 from the Hartford Art School, majoring in printmaking, with an art history minor. Masthay established his own letterpress studio in 2001 and is currently based out of Hartford, CT. Clients include: Grateful Dead, Dead and Company, The Jerry Garcia Estate, Black Sabbath, Foo Fighters, South Park, Queens of the Stone Age, Widespread Panic, Umphrey’s McGee and many more. Outside of the studio, AJ enjoys time with his wife Kara and two Labrador retrievers (Dexter and Halley). Other interests include treasure hunting at local flea markets and all things natural history, including an extensive osteology (skull) collection.