Are The Rocket's days in Seattle numbered? The Puget Sound Business Journal has followed up on the story of the possible sale of the music bi-weekly to Portland's Willamette Week, reported in It's My Party two weeks ago. According to the Journal, The Rocket's going rate is a mere $1 million, small change for a "legendary" two-city publication. In a rash response to the upcoming debut of the Portland Mercury -- The Stranger's new publishing endeavor and Willamette Week's first true competition in its 25-year existence -- Willamette Week made an offer on The Rocket. The Journal reports that the Willamette Week is calling for the "repositioning the 20,000-circulation Portland Rocket as a weekly, and shifting the [rock] music focus to more cutting-edge tune," with hopes of grabbing Portland's 18-35 year-olds--folks who don't now read the WW. It's rumored the paper will take on "extreme sports" as well. Gott in Himmel! One has to wonder what will happen to the Seattle Rocket (which surely could not survive as a weekly publication) if the sale goes through.
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Pearl Jam announced that Sonic Youth and Supergrass will open for the band on their forthcoming North American tour. Seattle audiences will get to see the cute Brits, who join the second leg of the tour beginning October 4 in Montreal and continue on until the November 5 hometown show. Those who just want to see Supergrass and bypass all that PJ crazy-ass fan malarkey can check them out at the Showbox on Saturday May 27.
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Elliott Smith has accomplished three more things I never dreamed I'd see him achieve back in my Portland days: First was his appearance on the Academy Awards three years ago; now he's featured -- nattily dressed in a suit and tie! -- in the May issue of Vanity Fair, AND he managed to debut his new album Figure 8 at #99 on the Billboard Top 100 chart (right above Snoop Dogg and the Eastsidaz), selling 19,006 copies the first week. What's next, an episode of Behind the Music 2?
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It was a rubbernecker's paradise Easter Sunday at Marco's Supper Club, where, it would seem, the rock-and-roll elite go to eat their holiday meals. Not only were Sleater-Kinney spotted enjoying sage appetizers at the Belltown restaurant, but who should walk in moments later but Rush frontman Geddy Lee. It gets better! Lee sat down at a table filled with all kinds of glittery folk, including Drum God of the Universe, Matt Cameron.
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More on everybody's favorite forthcoming Seattle cash cow: Rumor has it the Crocodile is having a difficult time rounding out the bill for the big book-release party for Mark Lindquist's vampiric novel, Never Mind Nirvana. A few of the bands approached for the May 9 date have flat-out refused, while others are seriously checking their consciences before committing. As far as a live reading goes, Lindquist has already been beaten to the punch: Harvey Danger frontman Sean Nelson kicked off their recent Crocodile show by reading several "choice" passages, much to the delight of the packed-house audience.
On a more serious note, here's an update released by booker Chad Quierolo on the condition of Tight Bros From Way Back When drummer Justin Olsen, who was in a horrible car accident while driving from Arizona to Colorado: After their car hit a median, both Olsen and his girlfriend were thrown through the windshield. A trucker performed CPR on Olsen until he could be airlifted to Albuquerque, where he was put on life support. He was taken off the ventilator on April 28 and is recovering from a separated shoulder, a lung infection, an open wound on his leg, and forehead lacerations.
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Last but not least, I'd like to dedicate this column to my old pal, the late, great Gatsby, who passed away Easter night. You were the perfect roommate for 15 years, and I miss you with all my heart.
