Tequilla's Thoughts: Seattle, Grunge, Respect

Tequilla

I was asked by some friends down South to talk a bit about growing up in the era of the Grunge revolution. As I thought about what to write about on this topic, a lot of different thoughts went through my head (more than I thought would) growing up in the time period and with 20+ years of reflection. I listened to a lot of Nirvana music as I wrote this piece. I'm going to apologize in advance that this will run on the long side and may touch a bit on some relatively dark aspects.

Before getting into the topic of Grunge, I really think you have to have a strong sense of how/where Grunge came from. I'm a believer that music doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's art and there are compelling reasons why what we hear is what we hear. And to understand Grunge, you need to have a fundamental understanding about Seattle and the time period that we were living in.

As most know, I was born and raised in the greater Seattle area. I'm unabashed in my opinion that I live in the greatest place possible. I consider myself so lucky to grow up where I did, when I did, and be able to experience all the things that I did growing up here. I also consider myself so very lucky to be able to have the experience to live in such a vastly different place to Seattle in Dallas as well as have had the ability to travel to so many different parts of the country. It's given me the perspective to really appreciate where I grew up and ultimately to be lucky enough to move back to Seattle. There's nowhere else where I would rather live.

Growing up in Seattle, I think it's impossible to not have a bit of a chip on your shoulder. It's a city that probably deserves to win a Rodney Dangerfield Memorial Award for feeling like it doesn't get any respect. At its backbone, Seattle is a very hard working, blue collar kind of town. It's why in my opinion when you watch football games from Seattle you find that the fans appreciate great defense more than great offense. Defense is hard work. It's what we identify with.

There's an interesting dynamic in Seattle though that even though we crave respect, we don't necessarily want what comes with getting that respect. We love the myths that get created about how it rains here all the time (it doesn't). We love that that myth often keeps Californians away from moving. But at the same time, we long for getting the respect from the East Coast power brokers from New York and Chicago. We hate that we're kind of viewed as the third wheel on the West Coast compared to Los Angeles and San Francisco. It irritates us. In our mind we're as good, or better, than any of those cities. But at the same time, we're quick to point out when we don't have the problems that these other cities have. So it cuts both ways. To think that 3 of the most dynamic and change the face of the world as we know it companies have originated in Seattle is unquestionably a sense of pride in Boeing (changing consumer/defense aviation), Microsoft (personal and business computing), and Amazon (changing ecommerce and how consumers/business buy/sell goods). But still, while Seattle is recognized as one of the most technological and intelligent areas of the country, we always still feel slighted and that chip on the shoulder is always sitting there.

I'm a believer that music comes from one of two places: it is influenced by those artists that have come before you and/or it is influenced by what is directly going on around you. I could go through a laundry list of bands, musicians, and the like from Seattle. The influence is vast. But with respect to Grunge, I don't think it really came from anything before other than to probably lean more towards the rock side of things. But I think the origin of Grunge really came from the times much the same way that the Peace/Love hippie movement of the 60s came from a generation revolting against their square and conservative parents.

As a child of the 80s, they were interesting times. It was the era of Yuppies. Greed was good. To find someone that wasn't self absorbed was more of an exception. Materiality. Owning the latest CD player was akin to the idiots today that have to get the latest iPhone as it comes available. Loud, colorful, pastel clothing. Car phones. For anybody really needing a good reminder of the 80s, looking back at a lot of what you saw in television and movies at the time is a good reminder. Two of my favorites to look at are Wall Street (of course) and Cocktail. It was all about wealth and status.

And in some ways, I guess I'm a perfect case study of the time period. My parents divorced when I was young. The greatest gift my parents probably ever gave me was a desire to not be like them. My mother gave a few tools that made me move down the direction of stressing the importance of education but had enough of her own problems and self interests that she put well before mine. She remarried I'm not really sure why. It always felt more like a business arrangement to try to put a full time father figure into my life than her being "in love." My father remarried and as they began their own family, they did a terrible job of integrating the family often leaving me feeling like I was a second class child. As part of the terms of the divorce, I had to spend every other weekend with my father. Most weekends consisted of doing either what he wanted to do, what needed to be done with my half brothers as they were born, or me doing my own thing. Another term of the divorce was that I would spend a month during the summer with my Dad. Instead of taking time for quality father/son bonding, the summer generally consisted of being dropped off at my Grandma's at least 5 days a week while Dad worked. Needless to say, I have a great relationship with my Grandmother. My Dad, not so much.

I don't feel that my childhood was that uncommon during that time period in Seattle. It felt more common than not. For kids growing up in the area, there was frustration and anger. And while I never channeled my anger in a destructive manner to myself or others, there's no question that there was some anger that I've had to reconcile over time. And when I listen to Grunge music, what I hear is the pain, the anger, the frustration, and the release of a generation that felt somewhat neglected and longing for the respect of others. In some ways, it probably was a bit of a cry for help for many.

It had to be late 1991 or early 1992 the first time I heard of Nirvana. Up until that point, I listened to the radio and nothing really that interesting. I already had a fairly diverse musical palate at that point listening to stuff from the 50s and 60s growing up, listening to the hits of the 80s, the start of the R&B side of things that was taking hold in the early 90s (think groups like Boyz II Men). But there really wasn't anything that really resonated to the point where you really felt the music. Then came Smells Like Teen Spirit, and there's a game changer. To this day, anytime I hear the familiar beats to open "Da Da ........ Da Da .. Da Da ...... Da Da Da Da" it's transformative. There's something about the music that hit a chord with so many of us that were either in our teens or just about to enter it. It's really the first time I'd heard music where the words mattered less than the music itself. There was a certain pain and frustration that was palpable in the music ... and it resonated. Boy did it resonate. It was all that people were talking about in school. You couldn't listen to the radio for more than 15-30 minutes without hearing it. I could feel it ... but looking around, I could see others being about 100x more invested than I was. It was a real eye opener. From a lyrical standpoint, there are so many parts of that song that could ring true for so many. For me, the part that has always stood out is as follows:

Here we are now
Entertain us
I feel stupid
and contagious

As I think to why those lyrics have always stood out to me, I think it all circles back to my parents and the family dynamic that I grew up in. While I was grounded and was moving in the right direction, the one thing that I think every teenager to one degree or another needs in their life is reassurance. There are so many things that we're trying to figure out and reconcile. Everything seems to matter at the time but as we get older we realize very little of it does. We worry so much about what others think when the reality is that it is only those closest to you that really matter. But what we long for at that age is the support, the confidence, the feeling of importance, and acceptance that we are in fact moving in the right direction.

So many other Seattle bands popped up on the scene as well. And honestly, when you listen to the music, there's a certain commonality in all the music as they all have this gutturally strong, deep, painful, troubled, and aching for recognition quality to the music. Who can forget the video to Pearl Jam's Jeremy where you have a kid struggling for acceptance in the classroom and running through the woods lost? Alice in Chains' Rooster is a song that details the trials and tribulations between a son and his troubled Vietnam veteran father. And is there a darker song title than Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun?

To this day, when people ask me about who my favorite Seattle area band is, I will answer Pearl Jam. As I get older, there's no question that Nirvana's music was more influential. But growing up, as Nirvana released more and more, the music got darker and darker. It was impossible not to see that Kurt Cobain was completely fucked up and leading to a path of self destruction. And as a kid, there was something very uncool to me about that.

Getting home from school on an early Spring day in 1994, I turned on the TV to see that Kurt Cobain took a shotgun to himself and committed suicide. I can't say that I was particularly surprised. But it was all that was talked about on the news for a while. I remember going to school and the looks on people's faces was a look of loss. That's really the day Grunge died ... or at least started to die. Somewhere around that time period, there was a kid in our school that I would play sports with at recess, etc. that basically pulled a Cobain on himself with a shotgun. That further broke up our school. There were so many people crying and torn up. I was shocked because I never saw it coming ... never saw anything that made me think that this person was troubled. I wouldn't say that we were friends, but at the same time I interacted enough with him to not get any senses and I'm normally a fairly decent judge of character. While so many were torn up about it, it was very difficult for me to have a ton of remorse because I really struggle to find scenarios where such an act is anything but quitting. It's just such a poor choice that it's hard for me to have sympathy.

Fast forward a few years and I'm walking on campus at UW and sitting near a library is this guy playing some wooden spoons on some plastic white containers. As I got closer to the surrounding crowd I realized that it was Spoonman. Today, put me in that spot and I probably drop what I'm doing and spend at least 10-15 minutes listening. Then, I just shrugged my shoulders and kept moving on. My love of music was growing during this time period but was definitely more influenced by songs that had far less dark or violent tones to them (think the gangsta rap scene that started in the mid 1990s and really extended through the end of the late 1990s). At that point, to me Grunge was just something that was painful and dark. It had its place. It was a bright star that shone and provided a voice and outlet for so many. Then it got all too real and went away as quickly as it appeared.

A few years ago in what started mostly as a joke with a buddy of mine in Dallas to get him to come up to Seattle to visit, my buddy bought two tickets to Paul McCartney's show at Safeco Field. For the encore set, all the living members of Nirvana joined him on stage for I believe 6 songs. To say that it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen musically would be an understatement. That really started to open the door on letting Grunge back in my life. Even though all throughout this time period I've been a huge fan of the Foo Fighters' music, I never really associated Dave Grohl or Pat Smear with Nirvana ... and with respect to Grohl, that's kind of amusing not to. Add to that the recent collaborations that not only Grohl, but also Chris Cornell has had with the Zac Brown Band, and there's a part of that wall that has probably forever been knocked down.

Which kind of circles back to why I chose that picture of Nirvana attached. If you knew nothing about the band and I told you that the smiling, clearly stoned, dude in the middle of the picture would OD or commit suicide, you'd probably say that that made sense. If I told you that the guy on the left, Krist Novoselic would turn into an intellectual and political activist, you probably would say that you could see that. I've never seen him in a performance from that time period or forward where he didn't look grounded or insanely fucked up. But if asked you what you thought the fate of Dave Grohl would be looking at the picture of the guy on the right, you'd probably tell me that his fate could follow that of Cobain's. If I told you that he would wind up fronting one of the biggest rock bands in musical history, move from the drums to guitar, and the band would be a sure fire future Rock N Roll HOF member that has gone completely mainstream and is essentially the lead voice of Rock N Roll, you'd tell me that I was crazy. Which I guess in a nutshell says why Nirvana was so influential because not only did they have such a strong story to tell, but they had a story to tell with insanely talented musicians. I never really understood everything about Nirvana until recently with not only some of the documentaries that have come out with the 20th anniversary of Cobain's death, but also the Sonic Highways documentary from the Foo Fighters, notably the episode filmed in Seattle that chronicled Grohl's "loss" at Cobain's death.

As I wrap this up and think about how to conclude or tie all of this together, I think that there's a reason that Grunge took place in Seattle. It was not only a product of the times that we were growing up in but there's a certain uniqueness about Seattle that really drove that point home. In the end, what the music was was an expression of pain, anger, frustration, and a longing for acceptance and respect. For many, it was an anthem that was tied to a cry for help. Even today as I listen to Nirvana music writing this, it's hard not to go into a relatively dark place and feel that pain.

GrundleStiltzkin

RaceBannon

Aberdeen

Tequilla

I realize it's long ... feedback I had received elsewhere was that they thought it was very resonating. I figured if there was a crowd to test against that theory, it'd be this crowd.

Swaye

I ran out of gas midway through....I am glad you didn't include Starbucks as a Seattle company that fundamentally changed anything. Fuck Starbucks.

Tequilla

Hopefully Swaye you can pick it back up and finish it ... would be interested at your feedback.

sarktastic

reminds me: ran into a techie hipster douche who took his parents to their first ever football game(futbol fans from UK).

"thrilling" they said it was.

"The home team appears to be quite good'... they raved

"crowd was impressive'

I asked how they enjoyed riding the ferry.

Blackie

If it took until Nevermind came out to draw you to grunge, you probably bought your plaid flannel at The Gap you fucking bandwagonning frontrunner poser.

AZDuck

Mimi aliulizwa na baadhi ya marafiki chini Afrika kuzungumza kidogo kuhusu kupanda juu katika zama za Grunge mapinduzi. Kama mimi mawazo kuhusu nini cha kuandika kuhusu juu ya mada hii, mengi ya mawazo mbalimbali safari kwa kupitia kichwa changu (zaidi ya Nilidhani ingekuwa) kupanda juu katika kipindi cha muda na kwa muda wa miaka 20 + ya kutafakari. Mimi kusikiliza mengi ya Nirvana muziki kama niliandika kipande hii. Mimi nina kwenda kuomba msamaha mapema kwamba hii inakwenda kwenye upande wa muda mrefu na inaweza kugusa kidogo juu ya baadhi ya vipengele kiasi giza.

Kabla ya kuingia katika mada ya Grunge, kweli mimi nadhani unaweza kuwa na hisia kali ya namna / ambako Grunge alikuja kutoka. Mimi nina muumini kwamba muziki haina kutokea katika utupu. Ni sanaa na kuna sababu nzito kwa nini nini sisi kusikia ni nini sisi kusikia. Na kuelewa Grunge, unahitaji kuwa na uelewa wa msingi kuhusu Seattle na kipindi cha muda kwamba sisi walikuwa wakiishi katika.

Kama wengi najua, Mimi alizaliwa na kukulia katika Seattle eneo kubwa zaidi. Mimi nina unabashed kwa maoni yangu kwamba mimi kuishi katika mahali mkubwa iwezekanavyo. Mimi mwenyewe kufikiria bahati kukua ambapo mimi, wakati mimi, na kuwa na uwezo na uzoefu mambo yote sikuwa kupanda juu hapa. Mimi pia kufikiria mwenyewe bahati sana kuwa na uwezo wa kuwa na uzoefu wa kuishi katika nafasi hiyo tofauti kabisa kwa Seattle katika Dallas kama vile kuwa na uwezo wa kusafiri sehemu nyingi tofauti za nchi. Ni kunipa mtazamo wa kweli kufahamu ambapo mimi ikakua na hatimaye kuwa na bahati ya kusonga nyuma ya Seattle. Kuna mahali popote ambapo mimi ni afadhali kuishi.

Kupanda juu katika Seattle, nadhani ni vigumu si kuwa na kidogo ya Chip juu ya bega yako. Ni mji kuwa pengine anastahili kushinda Rodney Dangerfield Memorial tuzo kwa hisia kama haina kupata heshima yoyote. Wakati uti wa mgongo wake, Seattle ni ngumu sana kufanya kazi, blue collar aina ya mji. Ni kwa nini kwa maoni yangu wakati wewe kuangalia michezo ya soka kutoka Seattle unakuta kwamba mashabiki kufahamu upande wa utetezi kubwa zaidi kuliko kosa kubwa. Ulinzi ni kazi ngumu. Ni nini sisi kutambua na.

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Mimi nina muumini kwamba muziki linatokana na moja ya maeneo mawili: ni kusukumwa na wasanii hao wamekuja mbele yenu na / au ni kusukumwa na kile ni moja kwa moja kinachoendelea karibu na wewe. Mimi naweza kwenda kwa njia ya kufulia orodha ya bendi, wanamuziki, na kama kutoka Seattle. Ushawishi ni kubwa. Lakini kwa heshima na Grunge, sidhani kama ni kweli alikuja kutoka chochote kabla ya wengine kwa pengine konda zaidi kuelekea mwamba upande wa mambo. Lakini nadhani chanzo cha Grunge kweli alikuja kutoka nyakati njia ile ile kwamba Amani / Upendo hippie harakati ya 60 alikuja kutoka kizazi maasi dhidi ya wazazi wao mraba na kihafidhina.

Kama mtoto wa karne ya 80, walikuwa mara ya kuvutia. Ilikuwa ni zama za Yuppies. Ufisadi ulikuwa mzuri. Kupata mtu kwamba hakuwa binafsi kufyonzwa ilikuwa zaidi ya ubaguzi. Materiality. Kumiliki karibuni mchezaji CD ilikuwa sawa na idiots leo kwamba una kupata latest iPhone kama anakuja inapatikana. Kubwa, rangi, Pastel nguo. Magari simu. Kwa mtu yeyote kweli wanaohitaji mawaidha mema ya karne ya 80, kuangalia nyuma katika mengi ya mambo mliyoyaona katika televisheni na sinema wakati ni mawaidha mema. Mbili ya favorites yangu kuangalia ni Wall Street (bila shaka) na Cocktail. Ilikuwa ni wote kuhusu mali na hadhi.

Na katika baadhi ya njia, mimi nadhani mimi nina utafiti kesi kamili ya kipindi cha muda. Wazazi wangu talaka nilipokuwa kijana. Zawadi kubwa kwa wazazi wangu pengine milele alinipa ilikuwa hamu ya kuwa kama wao. Mama yangu alitoa zana chache kwamba alifanya mimi hoja chini ya uongozi wa akisisitiza umuhimu wa elimu lakini alikuwa kutosha wa matatizo yake mwenyewe na maslahi binafsi kwamba yeye kuweka vizuri kabla ya mgodi. Yeye remarried mimi nina uhakika kwa nini. Ni daima waliona zaidi kama mpangilio wa biashara kwa kujaribu kuweka muda kamili baba takwimu katika maisha yangu kuliko kuwa yake "katika upendo." Baba yangu remarried na kama wakaanza familia zao wenyewe, walifanya kazi ya kutisha ya kuunganisha familia mara nyingi kuondoka kwangu hisia kama mimi alikuwa wa pili darasani mtoto. Kama sehemu ya suala la talaka, Mimi nilikuwa na kutumia kila mwishoni mwa wiki nyingine na baba yangu. Mwishoni mwa wiki zaidi ilihusisha kufanya ama kile alichotaka kufanya, nini zinahitajika kufanyika kwa ndugu zangu nusu kama wao waliozaliwa, au mimi kufanya jambo yangu mwenyewe. Muda mwingine wa talaka ni kwamba napenda kutumia mwezi wakati wa majira na baba yangu. Badala ya kuchukua muda kwa ajili ya baba ubora / mwana bonding, majira ujumla ilihusisha kuwa imeshuka mbali katika Bibi yangu angalau siku 5 kwa wiki wakati baba alifanya kazi. Bila kusema, mimi kuwa na uhusiano mkubwa na Bibi yangu. Baba yangu, si sana.

Sijisikii kwamba utoto wangu ni kwamba jambo la kawaida katika kipindi hicho wakati katika Seattle. Ilikuwa inaonekana kawaida zaidi kuliko si. Kwa ajili ya watoto kupanda juu katika eneo hilo, kulikuwa na kuchanganyikiwa na hasira. Na wakati mimi kamwe kuelekezwa hasira yangu kwa namna uharibifu mwenyewe au watu wengine, hakuna swali kwamba kulikuwa na baadhi hasira kwamba nimepata kupatanisha baada ya muda. Na wakati mimi kusikiliza kwa Grunge muziki, nini nasikia ni uchungu, hasira, kuchanganyikiwa, na kutolewa kwa kizazi kile waliona kwa kiasi fulani kupuuzwa na hamu ya heshima ya wengine. Kwa namna nyingine, labda yalikuwa ni kidogo ya kilio kwa msaada kwa wengi.

Ilibidi kuwa marehemu 1991 au mapema 1992 mara ya kwanza nilisikia ya Nirvana. Hadi hatua hiyo, mimi kusikiliza redio na hakuna kitu kweli kwamba kuvutia. Mimi tayari alikuwa na haki mbalimbali za muziki palate katika hatua hiyo ya kusikiliza kwa mambo kutoka 50s na 60s kupanda juu, kusikiliza mapigo ya karne ya 80, mwanzo wa upande wa R & B ya mambo ambayo alikuwa kuchukua umiliki katika 90s mapema (kufikiri makundi kama Boyz II Men). Lakini kuna kweli haikuwa chochote ambacho kweli resonated kwa uhakika ambapo kwa kweli waliona muziki. Ndipo harufu Like Teen Spirit, na kuna Changer mchezo. Hadi leo hii, wakati wowote nasikia beats ukoo kufungua "Da Da Da Da ........ .. Da Da Da ...... Da Da Da" ni kuleta mabadiliko. Kuna kitu kuhusu muziki ulioikumba gumzo na hivyo wengi wetu kwamba walikuwa ama katika vijana wetu au tu kuhusu kuingia ndani mwake. Ni kweli mara ya kwanza ningependa kusikia muziki ambapo maneno mattered chini ya muziki yenyewe. Kulikuwa na maumivu fulani na kuchanganyikiwa kwamba alikuwa kamatika katika muziki ... na ni mwangwi. Mvulana alifanya hivyo kusambaza taarifa hizo. Yote hayo yalikuwa kwamba watu walikuwa wanazungumza juu katika shule. Unaweza si kusikiliza redio kwa zaidi ya dakika 15-30 bila kusikia. Mimi naweza kuhisi hivyo ... lakini kuangalia kote, mimi naweza kuona wengine kuwa juu 100x zaidi wawekezaji kuliko mimi. Ilikuwa ni halisi jicho kopo. Kutoka kwa upande kinachovutia, kuna sehemu nyingi za wimbo huo ambalo linaweza pete kweli kwa wengi. Kwangu mimi, sehemu ambayo daima alisimama nje ni kama ifuatavyo:

Hapa sisi ni sasa
Kuwakaribisha kwetu
Najisikia kijinga
na kuenea

Kama Nadhani kwa nini wale lyrics daima kusimama nje na mimi, nadhani ni mzunguko wote nyuma kwa wazazi wangu na familia ya nguvu kwamba nilikua katika. Nilipokuwa msingi na alikuwa kusonga katika mwelekeo sahihi, jambo moja kwamba mimi kufikiri kila kijana kwa shahada moja au nyingine katika mahitaji maisha yao ni reassurance. Kuna mambo mengi ambayo sisi ni kujaribu kufikiri na kupatanisha. Kila kitu inaonekana jambo wakati huo lakini kama sisi kupata zaidi tunatambua kidogo sana ya ni gani. Sisi wasiwasi sana kuhusu nini wengine kufikiri wakati ukweli ni kwamba ni wale tu karibu na wewe kwamba kweli jambo. Lakini nini tunatamani kwa katika umri huo ni msaada, kujiamini, hisia ya umuhimu, na kukubalika kwamba sisi ni kwa kweli kuhamia katika mwelekeo sahihi.

Hivyo mengine mengi bendi Seattle popped up katika eneo pia. Na kwa uaminifu, wakati kusikiliza muziki, kuna ufanano fulani katika muziki wote kama wao wote wana hii gutturally nguvu, kina, chungu, wasiwasi, na kuuma kwa kutambua ubora wa muziki. Ambao wanaweza kusahau video kwa Pearl Jam ya Jeremy ambapo una mtoto wanajitahidi kwa ajili ya kukubalika darasani na kukimbia kwa njia ya misitu kupotea? Alice katika Jogoo minyororo 'ni wimbo kwamba maelezo ya majaribu na mateso kati ya mwana na wasiwasi Vietnam mkongwe baba yake. Na je, kuna nyeusi wimbo cheo kuliko Soundgarden ya Black Hole Sun?

Hata hivi leo, wakati watu kuuliza mimi kuhusu nani Seattle eneo langu favorite bendi ni, nitajibu Pearl Jam. Kama mimi kupata zaidi, hakuna swali kwamba muziki Nirvana ilikuwa na ushawishi mkubwa zaidi. Lakini kupanda juu, kama Nirvana iliyotolewa zaidi na zaidi, muziki got nyeusi na nyeusi. Ilikuwa ni vigumu si kwa kuona kwamba Kurt Cobain alikuwa kabisa fucked up na kupelekea njia ya uharibifu wa kujitegemea. Na kama mtoto, kulikuwa na kitu uncool sana kwangu juu ya hilo.

Kupata nyumbani kutoka shule juu ya mapema spring siku mwaka 1994, mimi akageuka kwenye TV kuona kwamba Kurt Cobain alichukua shotgun na yeye mwenyewe na alijiua. Siwezi kusema kwamba mimi ni hasa kushangaa. Lakini ilikuwa yote yaliyokuwa kuongelea juu ya habari kwa muda. Nakumbuka kwenda shule na inaonekana juu ya nyuso za watu na kuangalia ya hasara. Hiyo ni kweli siku Grunge alikufa ... au angalau kuanza kufa. Mahali fulani karibu kwamba kipindi wakati, kulikuwa na mbuzi katika shule yetu kwamba napenda kucheza michezo na katika kipindi cha mapumziko, nk kwamba kimsingi kujiondoa Cobain juu ya nafsi yake na shotgun. Hiyo zaidi kuvunja shule yetu. Kulikuwa na watu wengi wakilia na vilio ng'olewa. Nilishtuka kwa sababu mimi kamwe kuona jambo kama kuja ... kamwe kuona jambo kwamba alifanya mimi nadhani kwamba mtu huyu alikuwa na wasiwasi. Napenda kusema kwamba tulikuwa marafiki, lakini wakati huo huo mimi alipozungumza kutosha pamoja naye na si kupata hisia yoyote na mimi nina kawaida jaji haki ya heshima ya tabia. Wakati wengi walikuwa ng'olewa juu ya jambo hilo, ilikuwa vigumu sana kwa mimi kuwa na tani ya majuto kwa sababu mimi kwa kweli matatizo ya kupata matukio ambapo sheria hiyo ni kitu chochote lakini kuacha. Ni tu kama uchaguzi maskini kwamba ni vigumu kwa mimi kuwa na huruma ni.

Kufunga mbele miaka michache na mimi nina kutembea juu ya chuo katika UW na kukaa karibu maktaba ni hii guy kucheza baadhi miiko ya mbao juu ya baadhi vyombo vya plastiki nyeupe. Kama mimi got karibu na umati wa watu jirani nikagundua kuwa ilikuwa ni Spoonman. Leo, kuweka kwangu katika doa kwamba na mimi pengine kushuka nini mimi kufanya na kutumia angalau dakika 10-15 kusikiliza. Kisha, mimi tu alidharau mabega yangu na naendelea kusonga juu. Upendo wangu wa muziki mara kupanda katika kipindi hiki wakati lakini ni dhahiri alikuwa zaidi kusukumwa na nyimbo ambazo alikuwa tani mbali kidogo giza au vurugu kwao (kufikiri gangsta rap eneo la tukio ambayo ilianza katika miaka ya 1990 na kwa kweli kupanuliwa kwa njia ya mwisho wa miaka ya 1990) . Katika hatua hiyo, mimi Grunge alikuwa tu kitu ambacho ilikuwa chungu na giza. Ilikuwa na nafasi yake. Ilikuwa ni nyota mkali kwamba aa na zinazotolewa sauti na plagi kwa watu wengi. Kisha ikaanza wote pia halisi, wakaenda zao kwa haraka kama ilivyoonekana.

Miaka michache iliyopita katika kile ilianza zaidi kama utani na buddy yangu katika Dallas kupata naye kuja kwa Seattle kutembelea, rafiki yangu kununua tiketi mbili kwa show Paul McCartney wa saa Safeco Field. Kwa ajili ya kuweka encore, wanachama wanaoishi wote wa Nirvana walijiunga naye juu ya hatua kwa Naamini 6 nyimbo. Kwa kusema kuwa ilikuwa ni moja ya mambo coolest nimekuwa milele kuonekana kimuziki itakuwa understatement. Hiyo kwa kweli ilianza kufungua mlango juu ya kuruhusu Grunge nyuma katika maisha yangu. Japokuwa wote katika kipindi hiki cha muda nimekuwa shabiki mkubwa wa muziki Foo Fighters ', mimi kwa kweli kamwe kuhusishwa Dave Grohl au Pat Smear kwa Nirvana ... na kwa heshima na Grohl, hiyo ni aina ya amusing si kwa. Kuongeza kwamba kwa kushirikiana hivi karibuni kwamba si tu Grohl, lakini pia Chris Cornell imekuwa na kwa Zac Brown Band, na kuna sehemu ya kwamba ukuta kwamba pengine milele wamekuwa knocked chini.

Ni aina gani ya duru nyuma kwa nini mimi waliamua kwamba picha ya Nirvana masharti. Kama alijua chochote kuhusu bendi na niliwaambia kwamba tabasamu, wazi mawe, dude katikati ya picha ingekuwa OD au kujiua, wewe d pengine kusema kwamba ambayo haikuwa na maana. Ikiwa nimewaambieni kwamba guy upande wa kushoto, Krist Novoselic gani kurejea katika mwanaharakati wa akili na wa kisiasa, pengine kusema kwamba unaweza kuona kwamba. Sijawahi kumwona katika utendaji na kwamba kipindi wakati au mbele ambapo yeye hakuwa na kuangalia msingi au insanely fucked up. Lakini kama wewe aliuliza nini walidhani hatima ya Dave Grohl itakuwa kuangalia picha ya guy juu ya haki, wewe d pengine kuniambia kwamba hatma yake inaweza kufuata ile ya Cobain ya. Ikiwa nimewaambieni kwamba atakuwa upepo hadi fronting moja ya bendi kubwa mwamba katika historia ya muziki, kuhama kutoka ngoma kwa gitaa, na bendi ya bila kuwa na uhakika moto siku zijazo Rock N Roll HOF mwanachama kwamba amekwenda tawala kabisa na kimsingi ni risasi sauti ya Rock N Roll, utaweza kuniambia kwamba nilikuwa kichaa. Ambayo mimi nadhani kwa kifupi anasema nini Nirvana ilikuwa hivyo ushawishi mkubwa kwa sababu si tu kwamba wana hadithi kali kama kuwaambia, lakini walikuwa na hadithi kuwaambia na wanamuziki insanely wenye vipaji. Mimi kamwe kweli kuelewa kila kitu kuhusu Nirvana hadi hivi karibuni na si tu baadhi ya makala kwamba wamejitokeza kwa kumbukumbu ya miaka 20 ya kifo Cobain, lakini pia Sonic Barabara maandishi kutoka Foo Fighters, hasa sehemu zingine katika Seattle kwamba umeonyeshwa Grohl ya "hasara "wakati wa kifo Cobain ya.

Kama mimi kufuta hii juu na kufikiri kuhusu jinsi ya kuhitimisha au kufunga yote haya kwa pamoja, nadhani kwamba kuna sababu kwamba Grunge ulifanyika katika Seattle. Haikuwa tu bidhaa za nyakati kwamba sisi walikuwa kupanda juu katika lakini kuna pekee fulani kuhusu Seattle kwamba kweli alimfukuza kwamba hatua nyumbani. Katika mwisho, ni nini muziki ilikuwa ni usemi wa maumivu, hasira, kuchanganyikiwa, na hamu ya kukubalika na heshima. Kwa wengi, ilikuwa wimbo wa kwamba alikuwa amefungwa kwa kilio kwa msaada. Hata leo kama mimi kusikiliza Nirvana muziki kuandika hii, ni vigumu si kwenda katika nafasi kiasi giza na kuhisi kuwa maumivu.

kutomba mbali

Fire_Marshall_Bill

I probably read 60% of it (Purple Heart).

There's a decent documentary on Grunge somewhere. I watched it on Youtube about a year and a half ago. It's worth checking out. It's pretty old.

I don't pretend to understand pop culture and its trends. I do know that trends only last a few years.

Grunge got popular in late '91 IIRC. A lot of the hair bands had inner turmoil and lost or fired band members around late '91 and early '92. That had something to do with it.

People suddenly thought dressing like a cross between a bum, a logger, and a fag was cool for a few years. I guess all the downer music resonated with people for whatever reason. At the time, it seemed retarded.

The 80s were definitely a greedy, materialistic time. The trickle down greed started at the top and was sold straight to the masses, who didn't wise up until about 2009. I guess Grunge was a quasi rebellion against that. Who knows.

Tequilla

For the record, I never owned plaid shirts

AtomicPiss

Fire_Marshall_Bill said:

I probably read 60% of it (Purple Heart).

There's a decent documentary on Grunge somewhere. I watched it on Youtube about a year and a half ago. It's worth checking out. It's pretty old.

I don't pretend to understand pop culture and its trends. I do know that trends only last a few years.

Grunge got popular in late '91 IIRC. A lot of the hair bands had inner turmoil and lost or fired band members around late '91 and early '92. That had something to do with it.

People suddenly thought dressing like a cross between a bum, a logger, and a fag was cool for a few years. I guess all the downer music resonated with people for whatever reason. At the time, it seemed retarded.

The 80s were definitely a greedy, materialistic time. The trickle down greed started at the top and was sold straight to the masses, who didn't wise up until about 2009. I guess Grunge was a quasi rebellion against that. Who knows.

loads of bullshit

PostGameOrangeSlices

CHRIST!

Doogles

Tequilas alternate reality strikes again!

I read it, good read. Grunge doesn't really do much for me because I was 3 when it took off, but I can appreciate Nirvana.

I would agree it was a fleeting release of frustration caused by the opulent gloss of the 80s that left so many feeling inferior and left behind.

The problem is it never inspired those it resonated with to do more with themselves. Instead it encouraged apathy, a sort of cool pity party that got too real once Cobain crossed the line.

The world moved on.