If you’re remotely plugged into the Bay area music scene, then you’ve probably experienced David Cabassa’s work — thing is, you probably haven’t heard it.
The 28-year-old New York-originating designer is one of a few handfuls of artists that contribute their talent to the local scene by creating posters for shows. Trained in illustration by the Rochester Institute of Technology, Cabassa — better known as Mega Supremo (@megasupremo on Instagram) — relocated to Tampa in 2012 and became interested in poster design after seeing all of the handbills plastered on the walls at Crowbar in Ybor City. His work mostly tries to express the feeling he gets while listening to an artist.
MUSIC ISSUE 2018
Meet 30 young Tampa Bay musicians who are (re)making a scene
“I’m a huge music fan but I don’t play any instruments, so [this] is my way of being involved in a community that’s really important to me,” he said. “On the surface gig posters are an advertisement that gets someone out to a concert, but once the show has passed, they can serve as conversation pieces about the concert where you met your wife, got blackout drunk or discovered your new favorite band. Being a part of that conversation in my own small way is what it’s all about.”
This article appears in Jul 19-26, 2018.