Cole’s independent magazine, which turns 10 this month, has chronicled the ebb and flow of the Bellingham music scene, for better or worse, for a decade. Since Cole and a couple friends launched What’s Up! with about $700 in 1998, Cole has seen bands like Death Cab for Cutie, venues like the Factory and publications like the Every Other Weekly come and go.
A Western Washington University grad in sociology with no previous journalism experience, Cole jumped in with both feet to man the helm of What’s Up!, which reaches more than 10,000 readers each month. Cole, 37, optimistic and persistent in the face of the ever-critical musicians he covers, is a model of DIY tenacity.
Question: What spawned the idea for What’s Up! Magazine?
Answer: Cole, who moved to Bellingham from Seattle in 1992, said What’s Up! was modeled after The Rocket, an independent Seattle music magazine.
“Northwest Events, a (Bellingham) paper at the time, had a 200-word blurb about the local scene. The weekly wasn’t focused on music. Nobody was doing anything (substantial). I thought, what the hell, let’s start a music magazine. We (Cole, friend Sean Spain and ex-girlfriend Amy Marchegiani) had no business plan. We had a little bit of cash. (Spain) called me up in the middle of January ’98, and we had an issue six weeks later.”
Q: How has the Bellingham music scene changed since What’s Up! started?
A: “It was a different place 10 years ago. During the early ’90s there was a great music scene in Bellingham. Ten years ago there was only one bar (catering to live music) and that was The 3-B. Boundary Bay wasn’t doing music yet. In ’98 nothing was happening during the summer. It was just a sleepy college town. Now it’s a mini city. The town itself has a completely different feel. There was no Wild Buf-falo. There was no WhAAM (Whatcom All-ages Arts & Music).”
Q: How has What’s Up! itself changed in the last decade?
A: “The first issues were about as raw as you can imagine. I remember, right after the first issue came out, a girl from The Stranger was in town ... and was totally unimpressed. It was impressive that it was out, but that was the extent of it. It really hasn’t become what I wanted it to until the last three years. It’s a lot more focused, a lot more tight. Ten years ago it was a hobby, and now it’s a business. It’s a great job, but it’s a job.”
Q: Running an independent publication isn’t easy. What are your secrets to keeping afloat?
A: “I sunk myself in horrible debt! (Laughs) If it hadn’t been for that, I probably would have given it up a while ago. But now I’m out of that debt and (the magazine) makes a bit of money. You just have to know that you’ve got a good niche, and know that initially it’s going to be exceptionally difficult. The first couple years are just very difficult getting people to pay attention. Every so often something comes along to give you another push to be able to keep you doing what you’re doing. There are towns all over the U.S. that would support a What’s Up! magazine.”
Q: How do you deal with the guff you take from readers who think they know more about music than you do?
A: “If they’re bitching about it, they’re paying attention, and if they’re paying attention, that’s what I want. It just comes with the terri-tory. It took me seven years to realize that that’s just part of the job and to effectively deal with it.
Q: Words of optimism for those skeptical about the health of Bellingham’s music scene?
A: “Everybody’s pissin’ and moanin’, but the town is still better than 90 percent of the college towns around. If it wasn’t, What’s Up! wouldn’t exist. I’m making somewhat of a living off it, so it can’t be that bad. (Laughs) Organizations like (Bellingham Downtown Alli-ance for Music and Nightlife) and WhAAM are really helping by looking at the town now and saying, ‘How do we make this area better?’ Any town that has an all-ages venue and a strong all-ages group like that is in great shape. To me that’s the best sign of a strong music scene. And it just ebbs and flows. Things will upswing; we’re just in a down spot. It can’t always be paradise.”
