Ultimate Concert Boots
The BEST of Grunge!!
Steeped in Seattle rain and opiates, grunge bands were primarily inspired by punk rock. Seattle enjoyed its own brief punk scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s after the Ramones played at the Olympic Hotel ballroom; following this, a new league of bands, which included the Melvins (originally from the rural logging town of Aberdeen, like Nirvana to come), took punk rock and incorporated metal to create a new sound. This melodic merging of punk and metal, along with distortion and fuzz, dark themes, quirky lyrics, guitar solos, muted or screamed vocals, and an overall nitty-gritty quality became the formula for “grunge,” while ripped jeans, thrift store finds, Doc Martens, and emblematic flannel shirts became requisite attire. Grunge was about mismatched patterns and moods, a throwback to the counterculture of the ’60s—long hair and anti-fashion trends complemented the music as one aesthetic element of the Generation X plight (poor economics, divorced families) and Northwestern weather. Grunge bands formed a rather tight knit group, but, despite being lumped together into one musical genre and one primary location (although several grunge bands were not actually from Seattle), every band produced its own distinct sound. Malfunkshun, for instance, was described as having melded “hardcore punk and the excesses of Seventies glam rock,” while Soundgarden borrowed from Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Notwithstanding differences in sound, these bands collectively spoke for and represented the jaded youth generation, and thus created a subculture through which kids could feel a sense of personal connection and identity.
The term “grunge” was coined by Mark Arm in 1981 to describe Green River and was popularized by Bruce Pavitt of Sub Pop years later. Rock critic Jim DeRogatis believes that the music of the ’90s can be considered “all a part of the gloriously noisy continuum that stretches from Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran…through the Beatles-Byrds-Rolling Stones Baby Boom canon through the Stooges and Wire and the Sex Pistols and Public Enemy right up to the White Stripes and the Roots and Wilco and the Flaming Lips,” yet he does admit that there was something particularly special about grunge and Generation X in the grand spectrum of rock music.
Perhaps this was, in part, due to its creative authenticity, raw and humble music making (unlike the mainstream rock of the ’80s), and connection to both the past and present. TOP TEN GRUNGE BANDS:
1. Nirvana – Kurt Cobain approached songwriting with an awareness of both The Beatles and Black Flag, seeking to create pop songs with a punk rock methodology. His vocals are the rawest of the raw, literally breaking and bleeding angst and emotion through poetic lyrics unique to his symbolic affinities for birth, flowers, and death. On Unplugged in New York, his acoustic cover of Leadbelly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” indicated Cobain’s versatility, as well as his musical roots and old soul. The members of Generation X shared the pain of his own tragic death in 1994, as the empathetic front man/artist had exemplified and vocalized their feelings and attitudes through painfully expelling his inner demons in musical form.
2. Green River/ Mudhoney – The first “grunge” band, responsible for getting the movement in motion and aiding the formation of Sub Pop, is obviously going to be toward the top of this list. Mark Arm is a progeny of Iggy Pop; in both bands, he channeled Iggy’s unrelenting punk rock energy, shrieking and screaming in such Mudhoney songs as “Touch Me I’m Sick” and “Here Comes the Sickness.” Green River’s “This Town” was anthemic for the grunge-culture to-be, while Mudhoney carved out the way for every other punkish, indie, garage-rock band to emerge in the ’90s.
3. Malfunkshun/ Mother Love Bone – Lead singer Andrew Wood (or L’Andrew the Love Child) died of a heroin overdose before he could claim the fame he deserved. Inspired by glam and theatrical-rock like Queen, the flamboyant Wood dressed in costume and drag, embracing aspects of heavy metal while also involving romantic lyrics and a tender piano. Though Malfunkshun lasted only until 1988, Wood then teamed up with Ament and Gossard (from Green River) to create Mother Love Bone. The band’s sound remained truly separate from the grit of most “grunge” bands, and provided epic rock ballads, such as “Chloe Dancer
– Crown of Thorns” and “Gentle Groove,” for the new generation. 4. Soundgarden – In 1989, the music video for "Loud Love," first single from their second LP, revealed a bare-chested Chris Cornell in silver cut-offs and big black boots, looking like a cross between a crazed Carlos Santana and a stripped-down ’80s metal rocker, releasing wails from his throat as riotous as those of the guitar. Here, like most Soundgarden songs, a severe metal riff accompanies deep, tormented noise. Album after album, Soundgarden channeled Black Sabbath by way of fast-paced melodic metal riffs, sonorous baselines, hammering drums, and Cornell’s absolutely vicious vocals.
5. Melvins – Murky, greasy, dirty, droning and oozing old-school metal, the prolific Melvins released their first record in 1987, around the time that Kurt Cobain momentarily drummed for the band. Buzz Osbourne (or “King Buzzo”) served as an inspiration to Cobain, as well as to other grunge bands beginning to form, with his slow-tempo sludge-doom and experimental approach to merging metal with hardcore punk. The 9-minute “Youth of America” from Electroretard exemplifies the Melvins’ deafening, dystrophic chaos.
6. Alice in Chains – Nihilistic is probably the best adjective for describing the emotionally brutal metal meets morbid post-punk meets bleak Seattle music that came from Alice in Chains. Songs like “We Die Young” and “Rain When I Die” eerily foreboded the death of lead singer Layne Staley
in 2002 (eight years to the day after Cobain), as his internal torment spiraled outward alongside Jerry Cantrell’s smooth supporting vocals and harsh guitar licks. Again, an Unplugged performance further revealed the unique vocal capabilities and pain of Staley, as the heavy band flawlessly transformed their sound to create poignant acoustic songs. 7. Butthole Surfers – More like experimental rock than “grunge,” the Butthole Surfers began their career in Texas during the early ’80s and served as a forerunner for the Northwest movement, having been adored by musicians like Cobain. Gibby Haynes sang twisted lyrics in his often distorted, flat and gruff voice, incorporating a bizarre sense of black humor and drugged-up dread that worked its way into their album artwork and campy live shows. Perhaps most known for the oddly catchy single “Pepper,” their Zappa influenced sound, combined with elements of prog, punk, psychedelia, and spazzed out noise, gained them a cult following.
8. Pearl Jam – Having formed after the death of Andrew Wood and the demise of Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam went mainstream in 1991 with Ten, from which came many well-known singles and anthems like “Alive.” Eddie Vedder, in trademark flannel and jean shorts, emitted his textured and oscillating voice to sing abstract or storytelling lyrics about abuse, suicide, abortion, and childhood trauma, as well as overcoming such ordeals. Pearl Jam was as slick as any classic rock band, more melodic than punk, and borrowed from Zeppelin, Hendrix, and the rest. The weight of Vedder’s voice, coupled with richly blazing guitar solos and a harmonious cacophony of instruments (particularly on “Deep”) surfaced on every album to emerge post-Ten.
9. Dinosaur Jr. – Quiet and private, J Mascis is far from the traditional “rockstar,” embodying instead the modest, barebones songwriter of the grunge movement. His gravely, aching voice is layered within sprawling yet simplistic guitar noise that veers from serene to vociferous, involving a Neil Young meets Sonic Youth sense of melody, with guitar solos by Mascis that pull at the emotional cortex. “Out There” is especially wrenching, and rife with feedback.
10. Stone Temple Pilots – While they can’t boast the same amount of critical acclaim as other grunge bands of the era (seeing as how they’ve been reproached for being a “rip-off”), STP brought a heavy amount of angst and torture to their well-produced songs. And while Core is as authentically hard rock as Soundgarden, Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop is lighter and more fun, with creative melodies and arrangements à la Jane’s Addiction. The band’s versatility is apparent, as well as their accessibility, since they achieved steady radio play. More enjoyable than they are cathartic, STP demands merit for the riff-heavy intensity they brought to the genre. And Scott Weiland certainly had that heroin thing down.
Bonus:
Temple of the Dog – The band formed for just one album of the same name to pay tribute to Andrew Wood. With (Wood’s roommate) Chris Cornell and (pre-Pearl Jam) Eddie Vedder on vocals, Jeff Ament on bass, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready on guitar, and Matt Cameron on drums, the project achieved notoriety through songs like “Hunger Strike” and “Say Hello to Heaven,” which Cornell wrote just after Wood’s death. Both heavy and mellow, the album foretold Cornell’s later solo album (Euphoria Morning) and revealed his classic-rock songwriting ability, sans that booming Soundgarden edge. The songs, clean yet vintage, flow seamlessly and suggest a Mother Love Bone aesthetic, and all that came before. Though written in mourning and involving lyrics about heroin (“Times of Trouble”), the songs lift one higher and higher, as despondency is transformed into pure warmth like musical heaven. Honorable Mentions:
Screaming Trees, L7, The Afghan Wigs, Hole, Pond, Love Battery, Babes in Toyland, 7 Year Bitch
No Love for Courtney
In some ways, you gotta respect Courtney Love for her outright bitchiness and defiance of convention (or common sense). I mean, she set out to become a famous “rockstar” and actually made it happen, despite the fact that she stepped on or bit off of plenty of more talented people along the way (Rozz Rezabak, Julian Cope, Jennifer Finch, Billy Corgan, obviously Kurt Cobain, the list goes on).
Love started Hole with the intentions of creating gusty grrrl rock. After a turbulent and troublesome childhood and a few transitory teenage/early-20s years involving herself in music scenes (by proxy) and also attempting to make it as an actress (she played a small role in Sid and Nancy), she moved to the West Coast and set her sights on situating herself in the underground music scene. Though Hole’s debut album, Pretty On The Inside, was well received in 1991, it was only after her romance with and eventual marriage to Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain that Love and Hole received significant media attention.
With Cobain's help/influence, Hole's second LP, Live Through This, released in the pivotal year of 1994 (just four days after Cobain’s body was discovered in Seattle), proved to be an album with serious teeth. Feminine symbolism (flowers, babies, milk) juxtaposes gritty grunge-punk riffs and combative vocals (especially on “Gutless!”), which exude a masculine sense of power, sexuality, and confidence along with a feminist fuck-you attitude. Truly a triumph for Love and an inspiration to all real grrrls; the record to date has achieved worldwide double platinum status (having sold 2 millions copies).
In the public eye, Miss World plays the role of the psycho-punk-bleached-blond-bitch who just doesn't give a fuck. Perhaps she intentionally plays up her brash personality in order to grab attention, yet her words, erratic behavior, and occasionally obscene demeanor often work against her; in fact, honesty about shooting heroin in her first trimester 
(before realizing she was pregnant, so she says) even caused social services to take baby Frances Bean from her and Kurt for several months. Additional problems with drugs coupled with assaulting a woman with a liquor bottle caused similar intervention in more recent years. Only after hospitalizations and being sentenced to rehab, as well as pleading guilty to “disorderly conduct,” did Love regain full custody of then eleven-year-old Frances Bean, in 2004.
Love has always had a complicated relationship with the media and the music world. She laps up attention by attempting to turn the spotlight on herself (such as the scene she caused during Madonna’s interview at the Video Music Awards), but she's also refused to answer specific questions about Cobain's death or her own drug use since donning “Celebrity Skin” and abandoning the dead world of grunge for the sleek glamour of Hollywood (apparently, Love once bought a fancy car for her and Cobain to use, but he refused to drive anything but his old Volvo and made her return it; the two had quite opposite views of how to handle money and fame). Of course, there are also the rumors/conspiracy theories that connect her to her former husband's death. As seen in the documentary Kurt & Courtney, Love becomes agitated during a media interview about her role in The People vs. Larry Flint; she abruptly stops the interview when they question her about feeling similar to the drug-riddled, HIV positive character she plays.
When it comes to her former husband, Love had obviously made some dubious decisions. For years, she battled Dave Grohl and Krist Noveslic by preventing rare Nirvana tracks from being released…ironic that she possesses such power considering that she wasn’t in the band! Even more ironic is that Love found it acceptable to publish Cobain's personal journals (but not his music), despite the fact that one of the notebooks says, “If you read this, you will judge,” and that he was a rather private person. Although Love publicly and privately mourned Cobain’s death in '94, she has, ever since, seemed to capitalize on his music, art, fame, and suicide by retaining control over the release of his materials, and by overstating his personal views on his bandmates and others. She also has power over books written or films directed about his life. She repeatedly tried to shut down filming of Kurt & Courtney and has prevented other projects.
Anyone who read the popular and extensive Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross knows that Love was looking over his shoulder throughout the entire process of his writing this biography, which caused the book to come under the scrutiny of Cobain fans. The last chapter is a fictitious account of Cobain’s last moments, as is Gus Van Zant’s film Last Days. It’s fairly obvious that Van Zant made this film without the official stamp of Courtney Love approval because skinny blond Michael Pitt plays “Blake” and he lives with a myriad of characters loosely based on real people, whereas Love herself appears once as a nagging voice on the telephone (and only those familiar with the saga can separate fact from fiction and place all of Van Zant’s references, fake names, cameos, and props). Of course, “Blake” kills himself in the end, but his ominous, drug-infused solitude during the course of the film seems to inspire feelings about Love’s negligence to his addictions or emotions, no matter the picture she has painted of trying to help.
In early 2008, Love announced the actor she wants to play Cobain in a “legit” version of the story. This is, of course, the cinematic adaptation of Heavier Than Heaven, kid tested, Courtney approved. The movie has a 60 million dollar budget and Love is acting as the executive producer and basically calling all the shots. She handpicked Half-Nelson’s Ryan Gosling to play Kurt and Scarlett Johansson to play herself (delusional, much?). I’m sorry to bust Courtney’s little bubble, but I think it’s utterly ridiculous that she is still marketing her dead husband and their “notorious” relationship (a la Sid and Nancy) over ten years after his death. She didn’t get the role of Nancy Spungen, so maybe by casting a beautiful, mainstream-successful actress to play herself in a film that probably portrays her character in a far more acceptable light (and her husband’s in whatever light she chooses), Love is finally regaining control over her public image. It’s too bad that control comes at such a steep price.
love and turpentine, alternative amy.
NYC's Passion for the Garbage Cans
My pal, Skater Bob, and I met on St Marks Place when St Marks was rad. Well, in all honesty, I missed out on the true radness of the artsy punk rock East Village era, but this meeting took place four years ago, and St Marks was a hell of a lot radder then than it is now.
Bob was older than I initially assumed...just old enough to have been able to partake in the truly nitty-gritty party scene of NYC's not-too-distant past. He used to hang out at the Limelight, when Michael Alig ran the show, the BatCave, in all of its gothic glory, and The Building (whatever that was!). As a skateboarder, he used to skate down at the World Trade Center. As a music fan, he used to frequent CBGB's, Coney Island High, The Pyramid Club, and other defunct clubs (The Pyramid isn't dead, but Iggy Pop certainly doesn't play there anymore). He even saw Nirvana for free. I missed out on all of the rusty, grimy, dangers of former NYC, but I tried to make the most of my wanderings with Bob, others, or by myself..meeting and subsequently losing interest in a cast of eccentrics, from hari krishnas to squatters to old punks to goths to foreigners to the manager of Mindless Self Indulgence. But, you know, always with caution ;)
With all of this said, back to my initial meeting with Bob. He's really into writing personal journals, as well as stories and letters to skating and music magazines. He gave me a hand-written story (one among several) that he wanted me to type for him, and here I am, four years later, including it in my column, because, somehow, it relates to the ridiculously depraved and rambunctious NYC that, when observed, is both a comfort and a horror....even though it's about suburban New Jersey. Well, whatever!
And now I present to you, Passion for the Garbage Cans, by Skater Bob (typed up and mildly edited by yours truly)
People hanging out next to the garbage can. I see this way too often and it makes me wonder what the fuck are these assholes thinking hanging out next to the garbage can? Maybe they have it set in their small minds that this garbage can is their office? I cannot understand why anyone would want to stand next to something that smells like piss, shit and vomit. I guess they don't realize coffee cups and cigarettes wrappers are not the only items that go into the garbage can. Meanwhile, someone is pissing on the garbage can or someone else has their head sticking inside puking their guts away. Meanwhile, the following day, you will see someone having their breakfast buffet on top of it. I will never forget that day my ex-girlfriend was waiting for me by the garbage can with my fucking coffee resting on top of it. Seeing that shit really gave me second thoughts about her. Seeing her do that to me made me realize that life was never going to be easy for me. I kept asking myself over and over again: what are people’s obsession with this garbage can? When I saw her doing that to me I almost had a nervous breakdown. My therapy for myself when I see people next to the garbage can is to make fun of them.
Well anyway, not too long ago, I ran into my teen idol Uncle Floyd. I have seen many famous people in my life but not once have I ever been star struck until I saw the Uncle. Most of you probably don't even know who Uncle Floyd is. Uncle Floyd used to have a show on channel 50 New Jersey network. It was on in the early 80s. He would wear a plaid hat and a plaid shirt and sing funny songs about New Jersey and fat chicks. Uncle Floyd was the Mr. Rogers for old people who understood where he was coming from. He had his own puppet that was a clown named Oggie. I used to watch his show every day right before Dark Shadows would come on. He was a memory until I ran into him at the street fest. He performed for the town of Ridgewood, New Jersey. When he played his piano I made sure that my girlfriend and I were right behind him sitting on the curb, showing him our support. Most of the people that watched him were old bags. He did his performance and ran out of there because he had a gig in Nyack, NY. I saw him almost running up the street and I screamed out his name and when he looked at me, I told him that he was my hero and I needed his autograph. He tells me to make it quick because he had to go. So I tell him to sign it to the best skateboarder, Bob. I give him my paper and pen and his eyes are beaming out of his head looking around. I thought the mafia was looking to whack him by the way he was acting. He goes to the corner, maybe three feet away, and looks at the garbage can, leans on it and starts to write on the paper. I was really disappointed to see that. If the guy had some kind of class he would of used my back to sign the paper. I look behind him and there is a line of old bags waiting to get his autograph, asking him questions all at one time. I walk away in shame for the guy. I turn around one more time to get a glimpse of him; he has one elbow resting on top of the garbage can, talking to his pitiful fan like he is some kind of famous rockstar. Rockstars don't have garbage cans as their offices. Seeing that made me realize that my teenage idol is no better than a bum at the 7-11. What a big disappointment.
love (buzz), alternative amy.
Concert Etiquette
Going absolutely bat-shit-crazy for a band/music is all well and good (actually, this is what you're supposed to be doing), but some people nowadays are ignorant in terms of their own behavior. The point of seeing a band is to have yourself a little moment, whether it's personal and emotional, or raucous and high-energy, and it's also to enjoy the communal experience of sharing this music with others who love it. In the past few years, I've been all-too-often surrounded by jerks who fail to obey simple rules of etiquette that I assumed were common concert-goer knowledge. Maybe people just don't attend many shows, and they're only interested in listening to the latest iTunes downloads on their pods. Maybe the loss of smaller venues and the popularity of big-budget stadium shows have caused fans to treat concerts like football games. Maybe people use concerts now as excuses to get drunk and lay-back, or get drunk and let out what I like to call male aggression. Maybe they feel more distanced from the music, or from the scene� in which it exists, and since they don't seek out smaller shows, or feel connected to other fans, concerts become few and far between. Whatever the reason, everyone knows the notorious" Don't be that guy!" rule, as in, "don't wear the band's T-shirt," but there are plenty of more important, unwritten rules that ought to be followed:
1. Don't stand directly in front of the shorties. Honestly, there ought to be a section specifically reserved for us 5-foot crowd, but, since there isn't, consider who's behind you. There's nothing worse than your face being pressed against a big huge sweaty guy, who doesn't give a shit but could easily see from another "row" back.
2. Respect the ladies, respect the ladies, respect the ladies. Especially if the crowd gets rough.
3. No elbows, unless they really deserve it, though, I've been known to pull an elbow move or two.
4. No kicking, biting, scratching, hair pulling, or anything they don't allow in boxing.
5. Girls, put up your hair. We don't need a face-full of it every time you bounce around, and I'm sure you don't want it ripped out either.
6. Guys, keep the shirts on. This isn't a sports game, so try not to behave like drunken idiots.
7. Shower. You'll only get sweatier and stinkier. And please deodorize. Again, rock shows are not jock shows.
8. Do not make out with your significant other (unless you're both super hot) for the entirety of the show. It's nauseating to us all.
9. Either you're in the mosh pit, or you're out. None of this in-between crap. And don't force a mosh pit to happen by slamming yourself into someone out of nowhere.
10. Do not, under any circumstances, raise your cell phones in the air to take pictures, or to let your friends hear the show, or to god forbid use them as lighters. It makes you look lame, very lame, and stands as a general reminder of the lameness of our times, as well as everything that is wrong within the world of commercialized rock n' roll. Don't talk on the phone either.
11. Help the crowd-surfers/stage-divers, don't hurt them. And do not crowd-surf if you are vastly overweight or abnormally tall. Ouch.
12. Spiky anything is also a serious no-no. It may look cool, but don't mosh with 8-inch spikes, man.
13. Refrain from obnoxiously belting the sad songs.
14. Throwing water/beer is fine, but be careful with actual bottles.
15. Do not consistently yell out your favorite song, or some phrase you think is funny, or a barrage of curses between every single song.
16. Do not become a barricade hog, and by this I mean that there's usually more room than you think there is, so no need to squeeze others out.
17. And, finally, stop knocking my glasses off! (I know, I know, I should wear my contacts).
Okay kids, go nuts, get dirty, keep it real, and always wear protection! (a)amy.
