File this one under cool Craigslist finds. Someone in West Seattle is selling the first 220 issues of The Rocket.
If you are a fan of music writing in the Seattle area then you know all about The Rocket. It was a free bi-weekly (and later monthly) publication that chronicled the local music scene and was published between 1979-2000. Pretty much every band that made any impact in the local scene, both big and small, had its story told in the pages of The Rocket. It was a local institution and on a personal note it was one of the reasons why I decided to start writing about music. So needless to say, I was thrilled to see this Craigslist ad offering up 220 issues for an asking price of $2,150.
Here’s a description of what’s up for sale from the ad:
The collection consists of one copy each of the first 220 issues of The Rocket, plus a few duplicates. All issues are complete and intact as published. Some covers are slightly yellowed in one corner due to sun exposure. Not included are a few final issues from the end of the publication run when it was, briefly, a bi-monthly.
Included in The Rocket’s pages are Bruce Pavitt’s Sub Pop columns, artwork by Matt Groening and writing by Almost Live comedian John Keister. As if all of that doesn’t make this an attractive offer, you’re also getting a treasure trove of local music history along with some pretty amusing and excellent writings from some of the finest music critics writing today (Charles Cross, Ann Powers).
Unfortunately The Rocket is no longer in print, but it sure would be great if a local institution purchased this collection and made the archives of The Rocket available digitally to the public. Hint, hint, EMP Museum.
Read more about The Rocket and its demise here and here.
