Gaar at the Comet (Image: Todd Mathews)

By Todd Matthews

Music journalist Gillian G. Gaar has lived on Capitol Hill almost as long as she’s been writing professionally about rock ‘n’ roll—nearly 40 years.

She moved to the Seattle area from California in the late 1960s with her parents, and her affinity for music formed after she started playing clarinet in the Shoreline High School marching band. She later published and wrote for fanzines about Kate Bush and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, respectively, and spent 14 years as a journalist at The Rocket —the music and culture magazine launched on Capitol Hill — beginning in 1983.

“I always had an interest in writing,” said Gaar, who can be spotted around the Hill wearing a black leather docker cap that has become a signature accouterment in her author photographs. “I guess I was always interested in sharing with other people what I thought was cool and interesting.”

In addition to writing 18 books about Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Sub Pop Records, the history of women in rock ‘n’ roll, and other music-related topics, Gaar’s work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Seattle Times, Goldmine, MOJO, AV Club, No Depression, and American Songwriter. She was a project consultant for Nirvana’s 2004 box set With the Lights Out and editorial assistant for Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic’s book From Grunge to Government: Let’s Fix This Broken Democracy!

Her new book, Elton John @ 75, was published in September, just in time for the Rocket Man’s shows on Oct. 16-17 at the Tacoma Dome. Recently, Gaar stopped by Top Pot on Summit Avenue to discuss her new book and her long connection to Capitol Hill.

Q: You’ve written five books about Nirvana. In all your research, did you find interesting connections between the band and Capitol Hill?

A: They recorded the Blew EP at the Music Source on Pike Street. It’s long gone. They also played at Squid Row [on Pine Street], also long gone. Actually, I saw Kurt at the US Bank ATM at the intersection of Broadway and John. I was waiting to use the machine, and a guy in beat-up clothes was ahead of me. He turned around, and it was Kurt Cobain! That was a big surprise. Continue reading →