Band T-Shirt Guides

From LA funk flyers to stadium tour backs, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have put some of rock's best art on a T-shirt. Here's the story behind each era's classic designs and how to wear an RHCP tee today.

Ask anyone who went to a big rock show in the 70s, 80s or 90s what they brought home, and the answer is usually the same: a shirt. Not the ticket stub, which got lost in a drawer, but the tee bought from a folding table under the stands, still stiff with ink and smelling like the venue. Those shirts are the reason "vintage concert tee" is still one of the most searched phrases in band merch. This guide covers what makes a concert tee look the way it does, which tour designs keep coming back, and how to wear one without worrying about wrecking a collector piece.