Best-selling author and onetime publisher of legendary Northwest music magazine, The Rocket, Charles R. Cross, is throwing a reunion for all of the writers, artists, phographers, staffers and anyone who ever contributed to the publication. The soiree will take place Sunday, August 5, 2012, from 2:00pm until 7:00pm at the Feedback Lounge in West Seattle.
All musicians who were ever written up in the paper are welcome as well, giving the event a chance to be an 80s and 90s music scenester reunion such as has never been seen before or likely to ever be seen again. The event’s Facebook page promises a “Seattle music homecoming.” Admission is free, but a donation for MusiCares, the charitable arm of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences that aids musicians in need, is appreciated.
Cross calls it, “The Rocket Magazine 33 1/3 Anniversary Party,” as the mighty Rocket had it’s humble beginnings in 1979 as a music-focused offshoot of the Seattle Sun, an alternative weekly of the time.
“A year later, the Rocket would spin off as a monthly,” continues the event’s Facebook page, “and a decade later it would become a bi-weekly publication. Though the magazine would go out of business in 2000, it is fondly remembered by many (but not all). Here, on roughly the 33rd anniversary of the first issue, is a chance to gather together and remember a different time in music, and specifically Seattle music.”
Rocket reunions have been rumored periodically the last few years. Reached for comment, Cross, the man of the hour, had a simple response to the “Why now?” question. “It just seemed like enough time had gone by. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen many of these people.”
Cross is proud of the legacy of The Rocket. “When I took over in the mid-eighties I had many goals,” says Cross. “They were to create a national caliber publication that would make an impact in journalism. That was a lofty goal considering how many publications go under quickly. But in many ways we achieved it, and more.”
And at what point in the Rocket‘s history did Cross feel like he and his staff had succeeded?
“Certainly by 1991,” he adds, “when Grunge became an international explosion, I felt like we’d had an impact in encouraging musicians. I’m proud that we served as an incubator both for bands, and for journalists, photographers, and designers.”
When asked to speculate what the Seattle music scene or Seattle media would look like had there been no Rocket, Cross is circumspect. “I’m not sure if history is mine to write. It seems like someone else should address that.”
One thing is certain, The Rocket leaves behind a legacy of great music coverage and can boast that an impressive group of alumni passed through it’s pages. A partial list of luminaries who have worked for The Rocket and gone on to celebrated careers elsewhere would have to include: Jeff Christensen, Roberta Penn, Lynda Barry, John Keister, Wes Anderson, Daina Darzin, Craig Tomashoff, Ann Powers, Jim Emerson, Gillian G. Gaar, Grant Alden, Dennis P. Eichhorn, Matt Groening and Bruce Pavitt, among many others.
[The Rocket Magazine 33 1/3 Anniversary Party will take place Sunday, August 5, 2012 at the Feedback Lounge (6451 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98136), from 2:00pm until 7:00pm. This event is free, but a donation for MusiCares, the charitable arm of NARAS that aids musicians in need, would be nice. Cool tunes, fun posters provided, along with old friends and new ones too…]
