Thursday, October 6

What I'm (still) listening to

Since everyone else has been talking about what they are reading this week, I thought I'd vary things up and talk about what I'm listening to. It's nothing new. In fact I've been listening to it for 20 years. Well, not like 20 years straight or anything, but it's definitely the music I go back to more than anything else. That would be this band:


I've been on an especially big Nirvana kick since mid-September when everyone was talking about the 20th anniversary of this album:


I totally got in on the act here if you want to read about how that album and Nirvana in general influenced my life.

I just got back from doing a Smart Chicks Kick It event in my favorite city on earth, Seattle, and since Nirvana is so heavily associated with Seattle (though none of them actually lived in Seattle until after Nevermind broke. They are originally from Aberdeen, Washington), my Nirvana streak continued, especially since I went to this super cool exhibit at the EMP (Experience Music Project) that is all about Nirvana's career.


(That's a giant blown up photo of Kurt crowd-surfing with a quote from Krist Novoselic that says "Music is an art form that thrives on reinvention." You can click to make it bigger.)

It was actually my second time to the exhibit because I'm that obsessed. (Also because I was traveling with Jeri Smith-Ready who is a fellow Nirvana geek and I had to make sure she saw the exhibit.) They have all these great video interviews with people in the Seattle music scene in the early 90s plus Nirvana memorabilia like this little display that includes the shirt Kurt wore and guitar he played in the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" music video as well as the MTV VMA award they won for the video:


As a result the Nirvana kick continues, but admittedly on this particular kick even though everyone else has been on about Nevermind a lot lately, I've been listening to their live albums. They put on a hell of a live performance, which sadly, I never got to see, but since I'm such a fangirl, I actually have just about every show of theirs that was ever bootlegged. My favorite right now is an official release though, their 1992 Reading Festival show. I'm also waiting to get my hands on the 1991 Halloween show at the Paramount in Seattle that was just released on DVD (but right now you can only get it at Best Buy and I'm an avid supporter of indies so I am waiting patiently til my local record store can sell it). They showed bits of it on VH1 a couple weeks ago and streamed the whole show on VEVO, but in case you missed it, here's a song that is still up on YouTube:



I also recommend checking out the Live, Tonight, Sold Out DVD which not only showcases some stellar live performances, but also the band's sense of humor, because yes, even though they are rarely portrayed that way, they definitely had one.

What about you? What band do you consistently return to? Or whose live performances do you love as much as their albums?

17 comments:

sunnynikki said...

I too am a huge Nirvana fan, it is actually the first band that I remember listening to solo from my parents. I'm also very in to the post- grunge era of the late 90s, Green Day and the like. Basically if it is rock and I grew up with it I probably enjoy listening to it.

Julie J. said...

I'm not a huge fan of Nirvana but can appreciate their music. Last Saturday, I went to a Weird Al concert where he parodied them!

I was a product of the 80's. I love the big bands with big hair!

I really enjoyed this post! :)

Harmony said...

Nirvana<3 Posts like this make me jealous because I feel like I missed out on something so amazing and awesome. I love Nirvana but there's always a part of me (and my dad, too, he always remind me of this) that says "Kurt was dead and Nirvana was over before you were born. You're not supposed to love them that much!" Which is probably a bunch of crap but anyway.

Right now, I'm on a Hinder kick. They might not be the most amazing or original band in the world but I am IN LOVE with their song "The Life". So relevant to my life!

Wendy Toliver said...

My first two cassette tapes were Motley Crue and The Hooters. I know, very different. Even now, if I hear a Hooters song, I start doing my new wave "kick" dancing. :) I was also into ska and slam-dancing. My first concert (sans parents) was either George Michael or LL Cool J. Again, very different. I have to agree that Nirvana speaks to me even now, and Harmony, I absolutely love Hinder too, esp. "Lips of an Angel." Great post as always, Steph!

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Juli Galetti said...

All three looking so weird with dirty long hairs,i never listen to Nirvana its a new band and many people dont like him,

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