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If 1989 was the beginning of the end of the greatest three decades of rock music, 1992-1993 was pretty much the dead end of the long-winding oh-so-fun yet crazy and bumpy road. It was also the end of the great run that was Thrust Music Magazine, as we only published three issues in 1992 and one issue in 1993. But of course there were still some great bands and great shows going on, and numerous amazing musicians playing around the entire state of Florida.

In 1992, as the music scene began shifting and the economy was still suffering from a pretty significant recession, and magazine advertising revenue slumped, I finally finished my Associate of Arts degree at St. Petersburg Junior College. It was much different than my previous several year stint in the College of the Sunset Strip \w/ ;o), but better late than never when it comes to goals.

As you’ll note below, while moving on to things other than Thrust magazine, mothering a toddler, working on my bachelor’s and prepping for the ensuing years spent in law school, there’s not many ticket stubs. In fact, I plan to combine my puny collection of 1994-1998 stubs in my next post (dang, I know, that’s pretty sad given the awesome years of yore). But as we all know, everything changes. It’s all good.

For a closer look a the full issues and articles of Thrust shown below, visit Thrust Magazine on the Internet Archives.

As always, thanks go out to setlist.fm and concertarchives.org for the confirmation of dates and opening acts.

January 1992

ABOVE: The January 1992 issue of Thrust Magazine, one of three issues published in 1992, featured nine bands: Saigon Kick, the Genitortuers, Lucky James Peterson, Pearl Jam, Yngwie Malmsteen, and a “Florida Spotlight” on bands President Ray Ray from Jacksonville, Vandal from South Florida, Kim Steel from Orlando, and an act I first saw back in the early 80s in high school, Delores Telescope from Tampa. And of course I had to include the month’s ad for Tampa’s famous Rock-It Club featuring UROK, Secret Service (wow, I didn’t realize they were still around…maybe a different band than the early ’80s version?), Circus, Trash Palace, Syndicate, Kody Lee, Savatage on 3-6-1992, Heartless on 2-7-1992, Yngwie Malmsteem on 2-12-1992, Mr. Big on 2-18-1992 with Tall Stories, the Stranger band, and Ugly Kid Joe on 2-19-1992. Ahh, what a great month for shows!

ABOVE: The January 1992 issue of Thrust also featured a story on local legends the Genitortuers, a national ad for the newly released feature film Wayne’s World (released in theaters in February 1992), and lo-and-behold something I did not remember, a Columbia House ad….8 CDs for a penny! I’m still wondering if anyone actually fulfilled their agreement.

February 1992

ABOVE: The February 1992 issue of Thrust Magazine featured Saigon Kick, with sub-stories on The Ben Schultz Band, a spirituality discussion with Deicide and Vengeance Rising, and in the Florida Spotlight, St. Warren from Tampa, Gunslinger from Jacksonville, and Zion Knight from Orlando. I’ve included the cover story on Saigon Kick, as well as their full page ad for their second album release, The Lizard (my favorite).

ABOVE: A few select pages from the February 1992 issue of Thrust, including an ad and voter ballot for the 3rd Annual Tampa Bay Metal Awards (you can see the only program I have from this event in my 1991 post), Tampa Bay area radio station 98 Rock, a Rhino Bucket ad (a band I still see often on the Monsters of Rock Cruise which features Kix guitarist Brian Forsythe), and an ad for that year’s notorious-only-could-happen-in-that-place-in-time hard rock and metal convention, Foundations Forum (see the CD from that event below in October below).

March/April 1992

ABOVE: The combined March/April 1992 issue was the third and last Thrust Magazine publication of the year, and the second to the last issue, which was published in early 1993 (see below). The economy was in a recession and our fair music scene fought to stay alive, but a free magazine that paid several staff members on advertising alone was no longer feasible. And of course musical times were changing. The cover featured a band the publisher and I saw many times on the Sunset Strip before we moved to Florida, The Zeros, and a band that included one of our roomies, Love/Hate. The Florida Spotlight was on Morbid Angel, M.O.R.E., Rocky Ruckman & the Beat Heathens, and Zombie Birdhouse.

ABOVE: Ads featured in the combined March/April 1992 edition of Thrust: The Rock-It Club jammed with Kody Lee, Secret Service, Stenhardt-Moon, the Stranger band, Trash Palace, Rattlebone, Asphalt Ballet, and MSG on 4-12-1992 (who I saw recently on the 2025 Monsters of Rock Cruise!), and page two of the Rock-It Club ad listed Nitro, RTZ, The 4 Horsemen (loved that LA band back when and let’s discuss tattoos someday) with War Babies on 5-9-1992 and a big favorite, Kix (whose retirement show I went to in Baltimore in 2023) on 5-14-1992. If you’re a big Kix fan, they all still have a pretty heavy presence on Facebook and singer Steve Whiteman has a fun podcast called Steve and Riks POTcast. And had to include an ad for Ace’s Records in Tampa, featuring albums from many bands in Tampa’s famed death metal scene.

ABOVE: Adrian Belew on 5-8-1992 at The Ritz in New York, New York. Looks like a table seat for $20. I’m guessing this is where the publisher got the autograph to our son Adrian. The show below was also at the Ritz…what a great week in New York City.

ABOVE: A used 3.5″ x 5″ sticker from Saigon Kick‘s The Lizard record release on 6-2-1992. My favorite Saigon Kick album…I wore this CD out hard. And what may be my first #merchandise photo – the front and back of a shredded 1991 Saigon Kick shirt, one which almost got the Thrust publisher kicked out of the Hard Rock Orlando unless he turned it inside out, as they were not liking the FYSMD.

It was cool to see Jason Bieler of Saigon Kick and Jeff Scott Soto giving us a few of the hits on this past 2025 Monsters of Rock Cruise. I also recently got to see the Saigon Kick 30th anniversary of the Water album [short] tour in 2024 in Clearwater, Florida. The band featured Jason and original drummer Phil Varone, with Jason on vocals. Around the same time there was a social media battle of sorts between the band members, sigh. Jason always sounds great and is always hilarious and seemingly happy, but it sure would be nice to see them again with whatever singer-magic Matt Kramer brought to the band. But I’m just happy I still get to see and hear the songs played live.

Above: Lollapalooza on 8-22-1992 at the Bicentennial Park in Miami, Florida. $26.50 including a $1 city charge. According to both setlist.fm and concertarchives.org, the line-up included Ice Cube, Lush, Ministry, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, The Jesus and Mary Chain.

ABOVE: Foundations Forum 1992 was held 10-1-1992 to 10-3-1992 in Burbank, California. These photos show the CD Sampler that was always a cool listen: (in order of artists): Cathedral, Extreme, Kyuss, Dead White & Blue, Non-Fiction, Cannibal Corpse, Saturday Night with Lynn Friend, Copperhead, David La Duke, T-Ride, Praxis, Blackjack, Tragic Romance, Vertical After, Skeleton, Circle of Soul, Animal Bag, Skew Sisken, Exodus, Forte, Crystal Pistol, Condemned, Scorcher, Abby Normal, Totem, Eyewitness, Lazarus, False Face Society, Repulsa, Epic Mystery Metal Myriad Contest, Pantera, Arcane Opera, Emerald Zoo, Hard Knox, Schnitt Acht, Cyperus, Aragathor, Rampage, Deadline, Crash 9-Teen, Scarred For Life, Yvette D’luxe & the Ugly Bastards. Another interesting tidbit: four tornadoes ripped through Pinellas Park, Florida while we were at this event and struck both our house and the Thrust magazine office. This was not the era of immediate world wide news or cell phones so we found out about it via a home-to-hotel room phone call.

ABOVE: Gosh, I love this. An internet search tells me this wonderful little “Hymn Book” of band insights and tidbits came with the promo kit for the Black Crowes‘ 1992 release The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, as well as with later “super deluxe editions” of their albums.

1993 – The Only and Last Issue of Thrust Music Magazine

ABOVE: The final issue of Thrust Magazine, published in the Spring of 1993, featured Young Turk on the cover.

BELOW: From the insides of the final issue, a “Pin-Up” photo (short-lived idea) of Earl (R.I.P.) and Arch from the Bleeding Hearts (such fun days with that band), an ad for the 4th Annual Tampa Bay Metal Awards on 9-4-1993; an ad for the Foundations Forum “Hard Music Convention” (with the world “Alternative” added this year) held on September 9-11, 1993 in Burbank, California; and a one-time article written by the one and only Kim Fowley (R.I.P.) when he was in town visiting.

ABOVE: Media/advertisers brochure for the Thrust sales team to recruit potential advertisers.