Classic scene photos! U.S. Rocker's Rock Explosion '96 at Peabody's DownUnder

This is a very early Sean Carnage-produced show held in Cleveland at Peabody’s DownUnder on September 7, 1996 to promote Northeast Ohio’s #1 free underground music monthly, U.S. Rocker magazine.

Read: All 101 issues of U.S. Rocker are now online

U.S. Rocker publisher Brenda Mullen and I, her faithful minion (I was designing/ editing / selling ads / and distributing the magazine during this time period) hosted a huge party—a showcase in the crass parlance of the era—to celebrate the new, post-Grunge audience the magazine was speaking to.

Read where we were coming from: An oral history of U.S. Rocker‘s early years

The great Karen Novak was our most excellent photographer.

We filled the bill with all our favorite Cleveland bands: Cash Money, Craw, Duvalby Bros., Primitive, Disengage, Downside Special, Nucleon, Red Giant and Biblical Proof of UFOs. It was an incredible night of music!

Honestly, I have very few memories of the event itself because these bands and this crowd were a handful for young me—I was still pretty green at managing this kind of event.

I skipped the last Nirvana show to book my first concert with Craw & Boulder

They call me the working man ‘cuz… I was working my ass off! I think it turned out well. Thanks again for your support. Everyone who attended and who played was and is a dear friend.

PS. We’ve lost some folks recently including: Brenda, Aaron “Buzz” Boron, U.S. Rocker cover artist Stephen Kasner and Christina Barbera to name a few. Rest in peace.

Read: U.S. Rocker’s Brenda Mullen has died

Read: Recollections of Stephen Kasner

Read: Duvalby Brothers singer Buzz Boron has left us a legacy of incredible music

See complete photos from the Duvalby Bros. Sleepytime Medicine Band release at the Euc

All photos are by Karen Novak, from the U.S. Rocker archives.

Skip to the end to read my original write-up for the show…