WRAT Rock Art Show debuts at mall Nov. 3-5

Hulton Archives Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

Legions of fans know Jerry Garcia as an iconic rock musician, but how many know he was also a gifted artist?

"People that are artistic in music, singing and song writing are artistic in a lot of different ways," said Scott Segelbaum, a former radio personality. "A lot of rock stars went to art school: David Bowie, John Lennon, Jerry Garcia. So many rock 'n' rollers met that way."

This weekend local fans can view a rock art show created by Segelbaum that includes original art, lithographs, photographs, handwritten song lyrics, animation cels and more from the greatest rock artists of all time.

WRAT (95.9 FM), a Greater Media radio station, will present its first annual WRAT Rock Art Show this weekend in the rotunda of the food court at the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown.

The rock art show is free and open to the public on Friday, Nov. 3, and Saturday, Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 5, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. All works are for sale and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

SCOTT WEINER Van Halen photographed backstage before performing at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, July 20, 1981.

The WRAT Rock Art Show will showcase an amazing collection of works from rock artists like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osborne, Pearl Jam and Van Halen to name just a few. The collection will also feature signed handwritten song lyrics, album cover artwork, gold records, animation cels, concert tour posters and more.

Tapping into the multifaceted creativity of rock stars, Segelbaum put together the first rock art show while working as a radio DJ at station KLFX in Los Angeles in 1992 and got a great response.

"It was hugely successful," he said. "So I created a big annual event."

When he moved back to Philadelphia as general manager of WMGK, he kept it going.

Two years ago he started his own touring company, Right Brain Revenue based in Philadelphia, and currently curates 25-45 rock art shows per year tailored to radio stations across the county.

Segelbaum said he sources art publishers, photographers and rock 'n' roll art distributors for material for the shows, which span the decades.

"We go as far back as the "Rat Pack, Buddy Holly and Elvis, and as current as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tool," he said. "It's not just artwork, but photos, handwritten lyrics, album cover artwork, concert posters - it's really cool."

Prices start at around $15, putting the art well within the range of fans.

"We created the show for music fans and music lovers," he said. "We're not a high-end gallery with a permanent exhibit. We are artwork for radio listeners, people who buy CDs, who go to concerts."

And, according to Segelbaum, rock art is a good investment.

"I'm a huge Beatles fan," he said. "I bought a John Lennon piece in the mid 1980s for $350, it was a limited-edition created by him. Something that's limited and signed by a superstar, it only goes up in value."

The show at the Monmouth Mall includes images signed by Paul McCartney, Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones, a lithograph of AC/DC signed by the whole band. Plus, Segelbaum promises "some really cool Springsteen images including a lot of real early photos of him when he was playing as an opening act in a coffee house in Philadelphia, unbelievable photos. As well as Bruce from the Born to Run era, Born in the USA era.

"The exhibit is free. Come out and enjoy it," he said, "and appreciate the other creative side of rock stars."

In conjunction with the show, WRAT will broadcast live Friday, 3-7 p.m.

For more information about the show, visit www.rockartshow.com. To contact Segelbaum, call (610) 389-1807.

WRAT-FM is owned and operated by Greater Media New Jersey, a subsidiary of Greater Media, Inc., parent company of 19 AM and FM radio stations in the Boston, Detroit, New Jersey and Philadelphia markets. It also owns a modern printing plant and a group of weekly newspapers in central New Jersey.

- Gloria Stravelli