- THE LATEST FROM MISSION CONTROL -
You can find Band News below the Photos
You can find Band News below the Photos
The Retro Rocketts on stage (in the background near the Stars and Stripes) performing for the huge crowd and for the USO and American Idol on the Flight Deck of the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier in San Diego.
- BAND MISSION FLIGHT LOGS -
On Friday, June 16, 2016, we had the pleasure of playing again at 'Scripps Day', which is an annual event at Scripps Oceanographic Institute to celebrate the faculty, the staff, the students and the successes of SOI. It is a beautiful facility right on the beach in La Jolla, California. The staff always treats us like rock stars! There are some other photos from last year's Scripps event below.
WEB SITES:
http://www.TheRetroRocketts.com
http://www.RetroHarmony.com
EMAIL:
TheRetroRocketts@san.rr.com
FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Retro-Rocketts/177410708998793
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Retro-Harmony-Acoustic-Music/284617248220280?sk=wall
YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRetroRocketts
http://www.TheRetroRocketts.com
http://www.RetroHarmony.com
EMAIL:
TheRetroRocketts@san.rr.com
FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Retro-Rocketts/177410708998793
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Retro-Harmony-Acoustic-Music/284617248220280?sk=wall
YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRetroRocketts
Here's some other quick links to check out. . .
The Retro Rocketts Promo Reel - 2-2020
This next YouTube video is a solo effort by The Retro Rocketts founder, Don Swanson. Don grew up on the Atlantic Coast and was taught by a Swedish fisherman Father and Grandfather to have a deep respect for the Oceans of our world. This song is a tribute to them and to all individuals and organizations Worldwide that work to keep our oceans clean. The video is not an activist or political statement of any kind.
This next YouTube video is a song written and composed by The Retro Rocketts founder, Don Swanson. It was recorded in 2009 at Thunderbird Studios in Oceanside, California by the Retro Rocketts. Don wrote the song about his favorite town and specifically the area of town that he loves the most, Highway 101!
Photos of The Retro Rocketts at various events over the years
The Retro Rocketts engaging the huge crowd at the show for the USO and American Idol on the Flight Deck of the USS Midway.
Gerry (left) and Don - 2 of the Retro Rocketts looking out at the huge crowd, San Diego Bay and the Coronado Bridge while performing for the USO and American Idol on the Flight deck of the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier.
The Retro Rocketts performing for a Corporate event at the San Diego Hilton Mission Bay Resort and Spa
The Retro Rocketts performing for a dancing crowd at a Corporate event at the San Diego Hilton Mission Bay Resort and Spa
The Retro Rocketts performing on a gloomy day at the beach campus of Scripps Oceanographic Institute for the
Graduate's Celebration, June, 2015
Graduate's Celebration, June, 2015
The Retro Rocketts performing (background left) on a gloomy day at the beach campus of Scripps Oceanographic Institute for the
Graduate's Celebration, June, 2015. Despite the weather, over 500 people were at the event.
Graduate's Celebration, June, 2015. Despite the weather, over 500 people were at the event.
Don and Show Coordinator, Stephanie Sullivan 'Jettin' around
Don with Rocket Woman, Jessica Meir, a NASA Astronaut at the June 10, 2016 Scripp's Day event at the Scripps Oceanographic Institute in La Jolla, California. Jessica went through the programs at Scripps Oceanographic Institute in 2009 and was back to talk to the class of 2015-2016, the same event the band was performing at. What a special person to take the time out of her busy schedule to talk with Don about his love of Rocketry and the NASA Space Programs! Starting on September 25, 2019, Jessica spent 205 days as an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2020 and is now preparing for the Mars Mission. We wish Jessica and everyone involved with the Mars mission absolute success. This picture was taken by long time band assistant, Gary Terjenian. Interesting that the 'NASA' on Jessica's shirt flows right in to the 'Rocketts' on Don's shirt. BLAST OFF!
The Retro Rocketts setting up for a show at the San Diego County Fair.
Some 'groupies' for a photo shot during sound check!!!
The following are some random photos of some of the Retro Rocketts journey.
Many of our photos are shot by professional photographers Brad Bernstein, Mitch Mitchell and others. We sincerely appreciate their efforts in making us look good! Photos are also taken by band Show Manager, Stephanie Sullivan, Show Roadies and friends.
Most of the above photos were shot by professional event photographer and Retro Rocketts show crew member, J. 'Mitch' Mitchell. The photo at the left (and above) is Mitch at work! Thanks Mitch for all you do. A couple of photos above and most of the photos below were shot by Stephanie Sullivan, Events Coordinator and overall band manager and the others by friends and family.
Here is the Band News Log
Most current news is listed on top.
Last updated on Thursday, October 28, 2021
Most current news is listed on top.
Last updated on Thursday, October 28, 2021
October 28, 2021 - Well. . . it was a good run. . .nearly 200 shows. The gear for a show weighs around 500 pounds and needs to be lifted 4 times for every show and it needs to be loaded, unloaded, (set up, torn down), loaded and unloaded. so, a ton of gear handled 200 times, that's 400,000 pounds of gear lifted over the 16 years we perfromed. No wonder I'm tired! 200 shows. . .Not bad for a band that essentially only had two full time members. As of this news log The Retro Rocketts have played their last show on October 1, 2021. . .but who knows. . .maybe life in America will be back to normal , whatever normal is. I want to thank everyone that hired us, everyone one that came to our shows and to all the people that provided show support over the past 16 + years. We won't say good bye, let's just say that it's 'bye for now'. . . .I wish everyone a Happy and Joyous Holiday Season!!!!
July 17, 2021 - We are happy to say we did our first show Encinitas Cruise Night Show (post Plandemic) on Thursday, June 17 but sadly had to cancel our Cruise night show on July 15. We hope to be back performing again at the August 19 show at this great Encinitas event.
April 22, 2021 - Well, so far, we have not had any confirmed dates for the upcoming outdoor concert season. We are hopeful that things will get back to some sense of normalcy in the weeks ahead and we will be freed from the shackles of isolation. It's definitely hard to sing with a mask on.
We hope that you, your family, neighbors and friends are doing well. Such a shame to live in such a beautiful area of the country where we do SO much outside that we are forced to live with caution if we venture out.
December 5, 2018 - This update has been a long time coming. Lots of changes. We have decided to pull back a bit on the number of shows we do and will focus on select shows. Our long time, super dedicated and loyal lead guitar player Marc Angel and the band parted ways back in June of 2018. Marc was with the Retro Rocketts for just about 8 years. Marc is a superbly talented classical guitarist and it was always amazing that he was able to play the complicated lead guitar parts when his background was a completely different discipline. His attention to detail and his efforts to always get the lead guitar parts as best he could will forever be appreciated. We hope he continues performing with his enormous classical guitar talents every chance he gets. I only wish I (Don) could play classical music that well!
We have a new lead guitar player, Ken Gill, who has been on board since this past Summer. He has been gelling with the band over the past few months.
We have an upcoming private wedding reception coming up on the 22nd of December and then who knows where we will be fortunate to play after that.
This Thursday night, September 21, 2017, marks the last show at the Encinitas Classic Cruise Night. We'll be on the Lumberyard Courtyard Stage from 5:30 - 7:30. This is a great open air courtyard with tables, chairs, umbrellas and eateries and places to grab wine and beer in every direction. The show is free, parking is free and the fun is free! We'll see you there!!
Next Week, Thursday, September 15, we'll be performing at the last Encinitas Classic Car Cruise of the season on the Main Lumberyard Courtyard Stage (Highway 101 and 'H' Street) from 5:30-7:30 PM. This is the only California car show that actually takes place on Coastal Highway 101!! Come early and check out all the classic cars and hot rods and then come to the show. We'll see you there!!!!
This Saturday, May 21st, we will be performing on the main stage at the 'America on Main Street' festival in El Cajon, California from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Please check out our tour schedule page for other future dates.
The Summer Cruise Nights have begun. Get those hot rods and show cars out of storage!! Tonight, Thursday, May 19, 2016 we will be playing from 5:30 - 7:30 PM at the Encinitas Classic Cruise Night right on Historic Highway 101 and will also be there on the third Thursday every month through September.
The Spring and Summer music season has begun! Please join us this Saturday, April 16, 2016 at the 90th Annual Coronado International Flower Show. We will be performing on the Spreckels Park Main Gazebo Stage from 3:30 - 5:00. Please review our schedule page for more upcoming 2016 shows. We thank you for your continued support and hope to see you at an event soon!
Happy New Year everyone! We hope it's a great year for you, your family and friends! Looking towards Spring, we will be listing our 2016 schedule very soon. We hope to see you at a future show.
October 5, 2015 - Well, we just got back from a weekend up in Bishop, California, performing at the Schat's Roadhouse on Main Street to help celebrate the Fall Colors Car Show, Bishop's biggest event of the year. We performed from 6-10 PM on Friday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 3rd to a packed house of great people. Speaking of great people - the Schat family also owns the famous Schat's Bakery in town and between the bakery and the restaurant, you couldn't ask for better food or better people to prepare and serve it.
August 4, 2015 - This month, The Retro Rocketts Band celebrates it's 10th anniversary!!!! The band was started in August of 2005 by Don Swanson, Elizabeth Banks, Jackie Hurley and Larry Cornwell. What started as a small get together to sing some songs soon turned into a full, 7 piece band which has evolved and changed over the past decade to a 4 piece band. It has been a fantastic journey with the major disappointment being that we lost Larry to cancer last year. The band is still going strong and we are looking forward to future shows and meeting new people along the way. We want to thank all of our clients, supporters and fans and a very special thank you to Stephanie Sullivan who has been there as our event coordinator and manager since the beginning. We hope to see you at the shows we'll be doing over the next 10 years!!!
July 15, 2015 - June was a great month where we performed at 5 great events, 2 back to back. We had the pleasure of playing our music for Scripps Oceanographic Institute in La Jolla, right on the coast, a block party in Cardiff By The Sea, the San Diego Hilton Mission Bay Resort and Spa and for the City of Encinitas again. July has been slower but we're playing tomorrow night at the monthly Encinitas Classic Car Cruise right on Highway 101 in beautiful downtown on the coast.
May 8, 2015 - Well, Spring and Summer are really heating up for the band (no pun intended). We have a bunch of shows lined up and already have shows booked into November. Upcoming shows include Oceanside's weekly street festival, the Sunset Market on May 14th and then a week later on May 21st, we'll be back for the 5th straight year, performing all five dates (May-September) at the Encinitas Classic Car Cruise right on Highway 101!!! Check our schedule page for dates and times of all shows. This August will mark the 10 year anniversary of the Retro Rocketts. It was August of 2005 that band leader Don Swanson, along with Elizabeth Banks, Jackie Hurley and Larry Cornwell (RIP) started the band. We'll be in the 'Retro Studio' tomorrow, May 9 to work on some new songs for the shows ahead. We look forward to seeing you soon!
March 16, 2014 - The Spring and Summer concert season is rapidly approaching and we have some great events lined up that we will be doing. Please check our Show Schedule page for more information. We have been working on some new material and look forward to seeing you soon! Thanks for all the support of our music over the past 10 years!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
December 6, 2014 - The band had it's official (Christmas Show) music rehearsal yesterday at the 'Retro Studio'. The mainstay Christmastime songs were added to the set list for the upcoming show at Oceanside's weekly street festival, the Sunset Market on Thursday, December 18, 2014. This is a fun, free event for the whole family from 5 - 9 PM on the main stage.
November 27, 2014 - The new Retro Rocketts web site is now LIVE and you are looking at it. Tell us what you think!
November 25, 2014 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all the wonderful people that have supported our music over the years. We hope
that you, your families, your friends and neighbors have a fabulous get together this Thursday and we look forward to seeing you at one of our shows very soon. Make sure to check our schedule regularly because we are booking new shows into 2015 already!
November 15, 2014 - Well, Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas will be here before you know it. Wasn't it just July 4th? Yep, the holiday season is in full swing. We just performed last night at a fabulous Surprise Birthday party in Alpine at the Community Center for some wonderful people, their families and friends. Everything was perfect and everyone was treated to great food, ambiance and fun, thanks to the tireless efforts of family members of the Birthday Boy! We want to thank everyone for having us be a part of the celebration! Our next show is on Thursday, December 18th at Oceanside's weekly street festival, the Sunset Market. We perform from 5-9 PM on the Main Stage.
August 25, 2014 - It's been a while since our last update so thought we would fill you in on the latest happenings. . .
It's been a busy Summer, going to a lot of shows, doing our own shows and we wanted to let you know about a new tribute band that our friend, Phil Rowland is the founder of. Phil used to be the percussionist in an Eagles tribute band called Hotel California which is where we first met. His new band is called 'HeartBeat City' and it is an absolutely spot on tribute show to the "CARS". They played at Pala Casino lately and their show was fantastic.
If you get a chance to see the show, DO NOT MISS IT! http://www.Heartbeat-City.com. Their video demo on the site is a couple of years old and (sadly) does not reflect how awesome the current show is. This video is a little newer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6PXQouTk3E. Definitely a show to see. Marty, the Retro Rocketts drummer has been buying some new gear for his percussion work and lately has integrated some vintage cymbals into his very cool, very vintage TAMA drum set. The sound from the 'Retro Percussionist' is outstanding.
July 19, 2014 - Well, our show at the Encinitas Classic Cruise Night this past Thursday night wasn't without a hitch and some challenges . .Marc's new multi effects guitar caused him so much trouble, he stopped playing it and went to his old standby Fender Stratocaster. If that wasn't enough, Don's vintage Fender Stage 160 amp blew up on the James Bond Theme song so he had to play the rest of the show with his 23 year old Yamaha Acoustic guitar through the PA system. All in all, the show went on with minimal downtime and it was fun and the fans were supportive as always.
April 26, 2014 - 'Doctor' Martin Bastuba is now our official new drummer, replacing our long time drummer, Mike Muenich. 'Marty' as we call him, is a great addition to the band and we welcome him on board. Please come out and say hello to the newest Retro Rockett!
March 23, 2014 - Things worked out very well at rehearsal last Saturday and it looks like we have a new drummer/percussionist - "Doctor" Marty. He seems like a great fit and we will be spending some quality time together working on the complexity of our songs. No shows or rehearsals this weekend, just cleaning and changing strings on guitars getting ready for upcoming shows.
March 15, 2014 - Rehearsing today with a new drummer to fill the shoes of our long time, great drummer, Mike Muenich.
March 6, 2014 - Performing tonight at the annual Wounded Warriors Welcoming Ceremonies for the Marine Trials competition. It is our third year being at this inspiring and humbling event.
March 2, 2014 - Stitches have been removed (February 26) and Don's finger has healed well enough to play the guitar again! It's still not perfect but it works. Thanks for all the 'get well' wishes from everyone! We'll see you at a show very soon. Our next show (private event) is this Thursday, March 6 at the Wounded Warriors annual event at Camp Pendleton, CA. We will be performing the show in Collaboration with USO San Diego, an organization that has been orchestrating 'good will' events for our military troops since 1941!
March 1, 2014 - We have started the long process of finding the right person to take Mike's place as our full time drummer/percussionist. It will be a tough task to fill Mike's shoes but we have some promising people that will be auditioning. In the meantime, we will be using the services of Paul Wheatbread when he's available. Paul is a seasoned professional drummer who has played with some of the famous musicians/bands from the 60s and 70s including being the full time band member as the drummer with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap in the 60s - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJFVPxBpezk&list=RDo2H6vY_ky9M
February 16, 2014 - While on a fabricating project, Don cut his first finger on his left hand requiring x-rays and stitches so depending on how it heals and if the finger can still bend enough to play will be determined in 2-3 weeks.
January 22, 2014 - Well The Retro Rocketts were to perform on the Main Stage at San Diego's latest mid week destination for fun, food and LIVE music - the Qualcomm Stadium Swap Meet but Don has been dealing with some health stuff and couldn't rally to the cause for this one. So. . . .what do you do - you call a great friend of the band and his troops to fill in for you. In this case, Gary Seiler and the Coast Riders band took the stage and rocked the house. The Coast Riders and The Retro Rocketts have a fantastic mutual respect and we're here for each other as necessary. If you're not at one of our shows, definitely check out one of theirs. http://www.garyseiler.com/coastriders
January 15, 2014 - The Retro Rocketts are honored to be asked once again to perform at the Marine Corps Trials for the Wounded Warrior Regiment Welcome/Opening ceremonies and dinner. We want to thank USO San Diego, The Wounded Warrior Foundation and all the people at the Hope and Care Center at Camp Pendleton for having us back for the third straight year. It is a true honor and privilege to be performing for these fine men and women who have served their country to valiantly. This year, more than 400 healing heroes compete in eight Paralympic sports including swimming, archery, shooting, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, cycling, track and field during the events scheduled for March 2-14, 2014. Top placing athletes will move on to national competitions such as the Wounded Warrior Games. USO San Diego is proud to be the lead non-profit organization supporting the Marine Corps Trials for the Wounded Warrior Regiment.
January 4th, 2014 - The Retro Rocketts long time percussionist, Mike Muenich, decided to hang up his sticks and end his time with the band and basically stop playing music and focus on his family. Mike was the "tempo soul" of the band and was a great listener to the feel of the songs. Locking in to the lead singer/rhythm guitarist, the connection between them allowed for subtle pace adjustment on songs if necessary. It takes lots of time together to 'read' each other that well. Mike may still join us on occasion. Mike was with the band since early 2009. We thank Mike for his years of loyalty and dedication to The Retro Rocketts music and wish him the best and that he gets well soon!
December 25, 2013 - Don bought a new Gretsch White Falcon G6136DC guitar. He always wanted one and what better Christmas present if you're a guitar player!
August 25, 2013 - The Retro Rocketts finished in the Top 4 in the San Diego's Best, UT Readers Poll - "Favorite Band" category over 100s of other bands in the San Diego area. Finishing in the top 4, the band got to perform on the last Day of the Del Mar horse racing season on the UT Cabana main stage.
July 17, 2021 - We are happy to say we did our first show Encinitas Cruise Night Show (post Plandemic) on Thursday, June 17 but sadly had to cancel our Cruise night show on July 15. We hope to be back performing again at the August 19 show at this great Encinitas event.
April 22, 2021 - Well, so far, we have not had any confirmed dates for the upcoming outdoor concert season. We are hopeful that things will get back to some sense of normalcy in the weeks ahead and we will be freed from the shackles of isolation. It's definitely hard to sing with a mask on.
We hope that you, your family, neighbors and friends are doing well. Such a shame to live in such a beautiful area of the country where we do SO much outside that we are forced to live with caution if we venture out.
December 5, 2018 - This update has been a long time coming. Lots of changes. We have decided to pull back a bit on the number of shows we do and will focus on select shows. Our long time, super dedicated and loyal lead guitar player Marc Angel and the band parted ways back in June of 2018. Marc was with the Retro Rocketts for just about 8 years. Marc is a superbly talented classical guitarist and it was always amazing that he was able to play the complicated lead guitar parts when his background was a completely different discipline. His attention to detail and his efforts to always get the lead guitar parts as best he could will forever be appreciated. We hope he continues performing with his enormous classical guitar talents every chance he gets. I only wish I (Don) could play classical music that well!
We have a new lead guitar player, Ken Gill, who has been on board since this past Summer. He has been gelling with the band over the past few months.
We have an upcoming private wedding reception coming up on the 22nd of December and then who knows where we will be fortunate to play after that.
This Thursday night, September 21, 2017, marks the last show at the Encinitas Classic Cruise Night. We'll be on the Lumberyard Courtyard Stage from 5:30 - 7:30. This is a great open air courtyard with tables, chairs, umbrellas and eateries and places to grab wine and beer in every direction. The show is free, parking is free and the fun is free! We'll see you there!!
Next Week, Thursday, September 15, we'll be performing at the last Encinitas Classic Car Cruise of the season on the Main Lumberyard Courtyard Stage (Highway 101 and 'H' Street) from 5:30-7:30 PM. This is the only California car show that actually takes place on Coastal Highway 101!! Come early and check out all the classic cars and hot rods and then come to the show. We'll see you there!!!!
This Saturday, May 21st, we will be performing on the main stage at the 'America on Main Street' festival in El Cajon, California from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Please check out our tour schedule page for other future dates.
The Summer Cruise Nights have begun. Get those hot rods and show cars out of storage!! Tonight, Thursday, May 19, 2016 we will be playing from 5:30 - 7:30 PM at the Encinitas Classic Cruise Night right on Historic Highway 101 and will also be there on the third Thursday every month through September.
The Spring and Summer music season has begun! Please join us this Saturday, April 16, 2016 at the 90th Annual Coronado International Flower Show. We will be performing on the Spreckels Park Main Gazebo Stage from 3:30 - 5:00. Please review our schedule page for more upcoming 2016 shows. We thank you for your continued support and hope to see you at an event soon!
Happy New Year everyone! We hope it's a great year for you, your family and friends! Looking towards Spring, we will be listing our 2016 schedule very soon. We hope to see you at a future show.
October 5, 2015 - Well, we just got back from a weekend up in Bishop, California, performing at the Schat's Roadhouse on Main Street to help celebrate the Fall Colors Car Show, Bishop's biggest event of the year. We performed from 6-10 PM on Friday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 3rd to a packed house of great people. Speaking of great people - the Schat family also owns the famous Schat's Bakery in town and between the bakery and the restaurant, you couldn't ask for better food or better people to prepare and serve it.
August 4, 2015 - This month, The Retro Rocketts Band celebrates it's 10th anniversary!!!! The band was started in August of 2005 by Don Swanson, Elizabeth Banks, Jackie Hurley and Larry Cornwell. What started as a small get together to sing some songs soon turned into a full, 7 piece band which has evolved and changed over the past decade to a 4 piece band. It has been a fantastic journey with the major disappointment being that we lost Larry to cancer last year. The band is still going strong and we are looking forward to future shows and meeting new people along the way. We want to thank all of our clients, supporters and fans and a very special thank you to Stephanie Sullivan who has been there as our event coordinator and manager since the beginning. We hope to see you at the shows we'll be doing over the next 10 years!!!
July 15, 2015 - June was a great month where we performed at 5 great events, 2 back to back. We had the pleasure of playing our music for Scripps Oceanographic Institute in La Jolla, right on the coast, a block party in Cardiff By The Sea, the San Diego Hilton Mission Bay Resort and Spa and for the City of Encinitas again. July has been slower but we're playing tomorrow night at the monthly Encinitas Classic Car Cruise right on Highway 101 in beautiful downtown on the coast.
May 8, 2015 - Well, Spring and Summer are really heating up for the band (no pun intended). We have a bunch of shows lined up and already have shows booked into November. Upcoming shows include Oceanside's weekly street festival, the Sunset Market on May 14th and then a week later on May 21st, we'll be back for the 5th straight year, performing all five dates (May-September) at the Encinitas Classic Car Cruise right on Highway 101!!! Check our schedule page for dates and times of all shows. This August will mark the 10 year anniversary of the Retro Rocketts. It was August of 2005 that band leader Don Swanson, along with Elizabeth Banks, Jackie Hurley and Larry Cornwell (RIP) started the band. We'll be in the 'Retro Studio' tomorrow, May 9 to work on some new songs for the shows ahead. We look forward to seeing you soon!
March 16, 2014 - The Spring and Summer concert season is rapidly approaching and we have some great events lined up that we will be doing. Please check our Show Schedule page for more information. We have been working on some new material and look forward to seeing you soon! Thanks for all the support of our music over the past 10 years!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
December 6, 2014 - The band had it's official (Christmas Show) music rehearsal yesterday at the 'Retro Studio'. The mainstay Christmastime songs were added to the set list for the upcoming show at Oceanside's weekly street festival, the Sunset Market on Thursday, December 18, 2014. This is a fun, free event for the whole family from 5 - 9 PM on the main stage.
November 27, 2014 - The new Retro Rocketts web site is now LIVE and you are looking at it. Tell us what you think!
November 25, 2014 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all the wonderful people that have supported our music over the years. We hope
that you, your families, your friends and neighbors have a fabulous get together this Thursday and we look forward to seeing you at one of our shows very soon. Make sure to check our schedule regularly because we are booking new shows into 2015 already!
November 15, 2014 - Well, Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas will be here before you know it. Wasn't it just July 4th? Yep, the holiday season is in full swing. We just performed last night at a fabulous Surprise Birthday party in Alpine at the Community Center for some wonderful people, their families and friends. Everything was perfect and everyone was treated to great food, ambiance and fun, thanks to the tireless efforts of family members of the Birthday Boy! We want to thank everyone for having us be a part of the celebration! Our next show is on Thursday, December 18th at Oceanside's weekly street festival, the Sunset Market. We perform from 5-9 PM on the Main Stage.
August 25, 2014 - It's been a while since our last update so thought we would fill you in on the latest happenings. . .
It's been a busy Summer, going to a lot of shows, doing our own shows and we wanted to let you know about a new tribute band that our friend, Phil Rowland is the founder of. Phil used to be the percussionist in an Eagles tribute band called Hotel California which is where we first met. His new band is called 'HeartBeat City' and it is an absolutely spot on tribute show to the "CARS". They played at Pala Casino lately and their show was fantastic.
If you get a chance to see the show, DO NOT MISS IT! http://www.Heartbeat-City.com. Their video demo on the site is a couple of years old and (sadly) does not reflect how awesome the current show is. This video is a little newer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6PXQouTk3E. Definitely a show to see. Marty, the Retro Rocketts drummer has been buying some new gear for his percussion work and lately has integrated some vintage cymbals into his very cool, very vintage TAMA drum set. The sound from the 'Retro Percussionist' is outstanding.
July 19, 2014 - Well, our show at the Encinitas Classic Cruise Night this past Thursday night wasn't without a hitch and some challenges . .Marc's new multi effects guitar caused him so much trouble, he stopped playing it and went to his old standby Fender Stratocaster. If that wasn't enough, Don's vintage Fender Stage 160 amp blew up on the James Bond Theme song so he had to play the rest of the show with his 23 year old Yamaha Acoustic guitar through the PA system. All in all, the show went on with minimal downtime and it was fun and the fans were supportive as always.
April 26, 2014 - 'Doctor' Martin Bastuba is now our official new drummer, replacing our long time drummer, Mike Muenich. 'Marty' as we call him, is a great addition to the band and we welcome him on board. Please come out and say hello to the newest Retro Rockett!
March 23, 2014 - Things worked out very well at rehearsal last Saturday and it looks like we have a new drummer/percussionist - "Doctor" Marty. He seems like a great fit and we will be spending some quality time together working on the complexity of our songs. No shows or rehearsals this weekend, just cleaning and changing strings on guitars getting ready for upcoming shows.
March 15, 2014 - Rehearsing today with a new drummer to fill the shoes of our long time, great drummer, Mike Muenich.
March 6, 2014 - Performing tonight at the annual Wounded Warriors Welcoming Ceremonies for the Marine Trials competition. It is our third year being at this inspiring and humbling event.
March 2, 2014 - Stitches have been removed (February 26) and Don's finger has healed well enough to play the guitar again! It's still not perfect but it works. Thanks for all the 'get well' wishes from everyone! We'll see you at a show very soon. Our next show (private event) is this Thursday, March 6 at the Wounded Warriors annual event at Camp Pendleton, CA. We will be performing the show in Collaboration with USO San Diego, an organization that has been orchestrating 'good will' events for our military troops since 1941!
March 1, 2014 - We have started the long process of finding the right person to take Mike's place as our full time drummer/percussionist. It will be a tough task to fill Mike's shoes but we have some promising people that will be auditioning. In the meantime, we will be using the services of Paul Wheatbread when he's available. Paul is a seasoned professional drummer who has played with some of the famous musicians/bands from the 60s and 70s including being the full time band member as the drummer with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap in the 60s - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJFVPxBpezk&list=RDo2H6vY_ky9M
February 16, 2014 - While on a fabricating project, Don cut his first finger on his left hand requiring x-rays and stitches so depending on how it heals and if the finger can still bend enough to play will be determined in 2-3 weeks.
January 22, 2014 - Well The Retro Rocketts were to perform on the Main Stage at San Diego's latest mid week destination for fun, food and LIVE music - the Qualcomm Stadium Swap Meet but Don has been dealing with some health stuff and couldn't rally to the cause for this one. So. . . .what do you do - you call a great friend of the band and his troops to fill in for you. In this case, Gary Seiler and the Coast Riders band took the stage and rocked the house. The Coast Riders and The Retro Rocketts have a fantastic mutual respect and we're here for each other as necessary. If you're not at one of our shows, definitely check out one of theirs. http://www.garyseiler.com/coastriders
January 15, 2014 - The Retro Rocketts are honored to be asked once again to perform at the Marine Corps Trials for the Wounded Warrior Regiment Welcome/Opening ceremonies and dinner. We want to thank USO San Diego, The Wounded Warrior Foundation and all the people at the Hope and Care Center at Camp Pendleton for having us back for the third straight year. It is a true honor and privilege to be performing for these fine men and women who have served their country to valiantly. This year, more than 400 healing heroes compete in eight Paralympic sports including swimming, archery, shooting, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, cycling, track and field during the events scheduled for March 2-14, 2014. Top placing athletes will move on to national competitions such as the Wounded Warrior Games. USO San Diego is proud to be the lead non-profit organization supporting the Marine Corps Trials for the Wounded Warrior Regiment.
January 4th, 2014 - The Retro Rocketts long time percussionist, Mike Muenich, decided to hang up his sticks and end his time with the band and basically stop playing music and focus on his family. Mike was the "tempo soul" of the band and was a great listener to the feel of the songs. Locking in to the lead singer/rhythm guitarist, the connection between them allowed for subtle pace adjustment on songs if necessary. It takes lots of time together to 'read' each other that well. Mike may still join us on occasion. Mike was with the band since early 2009. We thank Mike for his years of loyalty and dedication to The Retro Rocketts music and wish him the best and that he gets well soon!
December 25, 2013 - Don bought a new Gretsch White Falcon G6136DC guitar. He always wanted one and what better Christmas present if you're a guitar player!
August 25, 2013 - The Retro Rocketts finished in the Top 4 in the San Diego's Best, UT Readers Poll - "Favorite Band" category over 100s of other bands in the San Diego area. Finishing in the top 4, the band got to perform on the last Day of the Del Mar horse racing season on the UT Cabana main stage.