Room Nine
Encyclopedia
Room Nine was a Seattle based rock band
active from the early to late 1980s
. Contrary to many of the bands in Seattle at the time, Room Nine had a much airier and psychedelic
approach to their music. Although they never found the success of their peers, Room Nine was one of the early pre-grunge
era Seattle bands that helped lay the groundwork for much of the later scene.
Vanderpool suggested the band's name from the door of their portion of the beehive that was Seattle Rehearsal Studios near Gas Works Park
. During Room Nine's early days, Rudzitis and Boggan's home was called the Room Nine House, a place where local musicians and friends would socialize after gigs. Rudzitis shared the home with Feast drummer Dan Peters (later of Mudhoney and Love Battery
), renowned Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, artist Ed Fotheringham, occasionally Vanderpool and other scenesters. In his foreword to Charles Peterson's 1995 photo journal Screaming Life, author Michael Azerrad
later cited the Room Nine house as a key part to the formation of Seattle's music scene. Sometime before 1984 original drummer Scott Vanderpool left to head for The Evergreen State College
in Olympia
, where he immersed himself in that town's burgeoning music scene. He met Bruce Pavitt
(Sub Pop
) and Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening
, K Records
), started the Young Pioneers with Brad Sweek and Chris Pugh (Swallow, Saba, Sun May) and was instrumental in the formation of the legendary Tropicana nightclub, where his old band Room Nine would play regularly. He was replaced by new drummer Shawn Allen, who would stay with Room Nine until the end.
In 1986, the band also signed to the tiny Louisiana
based indie label C'est La Mort
, appearing on the first installment of the label's Doctor Death series later in the year. In 1987 the band recorded and released the critically acclaimed Voices...On a Summer's Day LP. The track "Sea Without a Shore" was a hit on college-radio stations, and the band took second place in the Campus Voice Magazine/Snickers Candybar "New Music Search for the best unsigned band in America" (a contest won two years later by Vanderpool's future wife Laura Weller's band Capping Day). By 1988 the band had broken up however with each of its members going separate ways (Rudzitis onto Love Battery
, Vanderpool onto Chemistry Set and radio DJing, Boggan briefly played in Black Sea with Michael Fulhaber and Danny Kelly (Heliotroupe), and then into the computer industry), and Allen into Peach and Cantona.
In the early 2000s, Rudzitis, Laton, Boggan and Vanderpool reconvened under the new name 'Down With People' and began performing shows around the Seattle area. Currently the band is recording an album to be released on the Flotation Records label.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
active from the early to late 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
. Contrary to many of the bands in Seattle at the time, Room Nine had a much airier and psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
approach to their music. Although they never found the success of their peers, Room Nine was one of the early pre-grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
era Seattle bands that helped lay the groundwork for much of the later scene.
History
Room Nine was formed in the early 1980s by Sammamish high school friends Ron Rudzitis (a.k.a. Ron Nine), Scott Boggan and Scott Vanderpool with light design guru Michael Laton added as the band's de facto light designer. Contrary to many of the bands at the time, Room Nine was influenced much more by psychedelic rock than punk rock.Vanderpool suggested the band's name from the door of their portion of the beehive that was Seattle Rehearsal Studios near Gas Works Park
Gas Works Park
Gas Works Park in Seattle, Washington is a 19.1 acre public park on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant, located on the north shore of Lake Union at the south end of the Wallingford neighborhood. Gas Works park contains remnants of the sole remaining coal...
. During Room Nine's early days, Rudzitis and Boggan's home was called the Room Nine House, a place where local musicians and friends would socialize after gigs. Rudzitis shared the home with Feast drummer Dan Peters (later of Mudhoney and Love Battery
Love Battery
Love Battery is an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington.For the most part Love Battery was an unusual group in the early '90s Seattle music scene, blending intense swirling psychedelic guitar work, pulsating rhythms, driving beats and heartfelt vocals derived from '60s garage/psych, '70s...
), renowned Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, artist Ed Fotheringham, occasionally Vanderpool and other scenesters. In his foreword to Charles Peterson's 1995 photo journal Screaming Life, author Michael Azerrad
Michael Azerrad
Michael Azerrad is an American author, journalist and musician. He grew up in the New York City area and received his BA degree from Columbia College in 1983...
later cited the Room Nine house as a key part to the formation of Seattle's music scene. Sometime before 1984 original drummer Scott Vanderpool left to head for The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...
in Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, where he immersed himself in that town's burgeoning music scene. He met Bruce Pavitt
Bruce Pavitt
-History:After briefly attending Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois and subsequently transferring to The Evergreen State College in Washington State, Pavitt started a fanzine entitled Subterranean Pop in Olympia, Washington in 1980, about American independent rock bands. Three cassette...
(Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
) and Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening
Beat Happening
Beat Happening is an American punk band formed in Olympia, Washington in 1982. Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis and Bret Lunsford have been the band's continual members...
, K Records
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...
), started the Young Pioneers with Brad Sweek and Chris Pugh (Swallow, Saba, Sun May) and was instrumental in the formation of the legendary Tropicana nightclub, where his old band Room Nine would play regularly. He was replaced by new drummer Shawn Allen, who would stay with Room Nine until the end.
In 1986, the band also signed to the tiny Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
based indie label C'est La Mort
C'est La Mort
C'est la Mort records was a small but influential independent record label that operated from the home of Woodrow Dumas in Baker, Louisiana. C'est la Mort specialized in ethereal, ambient, dream pop and darkwave bands, and operated from 1985 to about 1994....
, appearing on the first installment of the label's Doctor Death series later in the year. In 1987 the band recorded and released the critically acclaimed Voices...On a Summer's Day LP. The track "Sea Without a Shore" was a hit on college-radio stations, and the band took second place in the Campus Voice Magazine/Snickers Candybar "New Music Search for the best unsigned band in America" (a contest won two years later by Vanderpool's future wife Laura Weller's band Capping Day). By 1988 the band had broken up however with each of its members going separate ways (Rudzitis onto Love Battery
Love Battery
Love Battery is an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington.For the most part Love Battery was an unusual group in the early '90s Seattle music scene, blending intense swirling psychedelic guitar work, pulsating rhythms, driving beats and heartfelt vocals derived from '60s garage/psych, '70s...
, Vanderpool onto Chemistry Set and radio DJing, Boggan briefly played in Black Sea with Michael Fulhaber and Danny Kelly (Heliotroupe), and then into the computer industry), and Allen into Peach and Cantona.
In the early 2000s, Rudzitis, Laton, Boggan and Vanderpool reconvened under the new name 'Down With People' and began performing shows around the Seattle area. Currently the band is recording an album to be released on the Flotation Records label.
Band members
- Ron Nine (b. Ron Rudzitis) - vocals, guitar
- Scott Boggan - vocals, bass
- Scott Vanderpool - vocals, drums (1980–1986)
- Shawn Allen - drums (1986–1988)
- Michael Laton - light design
Compilation/soundtrack contributions
- "Angels Sing" on Doctor Death's Volume I: Cette Enfant me Fia Mourir (C'est La Mort Records, 1986).
External links
- [ Room Nine @ AllMusic.com]