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Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Love / RIP Where Were You 17 Years Ago Today?
Posted by Kelly O on Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 2:32 PM
April 5, 1994? I saw the news with my mom on our crappy Sears TV. I think she said something like, "Oh no, and you love that band of janitors, don't you?"
- Kelly O
- Under the bridge, Aberdeen, 2009
Also, a new sculpture was unveiled today in Aberdeen. Gone but never forgotten.
2
On a high school field trip to some theater festival near Portland, Oregon. Walking over to the school from the hotel, a newspaper box caught my eye: NIRVANA SINGER FOUND DEAD
3
Kelly O you are one pretentious idiot. it's IMPOSSIBLE you saw Kurt's death talked about on TV on April 5, 1994 as his body wasn't even discovered for another 3 DAYS you twat...stop making shit up to fit your narrative and posting misleading blogs (like you do with most of your postings) .
4
Not pretenious, just fucked up the dates.
Also, wow. TWAT.
You could have just said bitch, whore, slut, cunt, skank, pussy, vagina, loser, douche, jerk, asshole, retard, dumbass, or tramp... but you chose "twat". Now THAT'S pretentious
Also, wow. TWAT.
You could have just said bitch, whore, slut, cunt, skank, pussy, vagina, loser, douche, jerk, asshole, retard, dumbass, or tramp... but you chose "twat". Now THAT'S pretentious
5
Probably under the Viaduct rocking out at an all ages show ...
@4 for the My Grammar Is My Best Friend win.
@4 for the My Grammar Is My Best Friend win.
6
Kelly, good pic up there. Just wondering if you have a series of shots of Aberdeen. Itd be cool to see them.
11
I was a 15 year old runaway, living with my friend Shiva and my runaway boyfriend. We sat together watching MTV, silent, not emotional and not knowing how to react.
I had seen Nirvana play that year in the new Albuquerque civic center, an ugly cement box of a building that, I felt ironically, President Bill Clinton had spoken in the night before.
I had seen Nirvana play that year in the new Albuquerque civic center, an ugly cement box of a building that, I felt ironically, President Bill Clinton had spoken in the night before.
12
I had come home from middle school and my parents told me. Kind of saw that one coming, so it wasn't too much of a surprise. Despite having listened to Nirvana's first three albums hundreds of times apiece, by 1994 I really didn't care about them anymore.
13
Kurt Cobain was a massively overrated product of the same music industry hype machine he cynically pretended to rail against, all while buying into it whole-heartedly. I mean, wearing a "corporate magazines suck" t-shirt on the cover of Rolling Fucking Stone? Jann Wenner probably jizzed himself when he saw that picture.
If his suicide actually had anything to do with his place in the world of fame, it was surely about how he knew that he was no different than the cock rock hair metal he somehow convinced the rubes he was oh-so-superior to.
If his suicide actually had anything to do with his place in the world of fame, it was surely about how he knew that he was no different than the cock rock hair metal he somehow convinced the rubes he was oh-so-superior to.
14
jonesy, get a hold of yourself. Don't be an a$$hole. I imagine you think you have more talent and deserve the kind of fame Cobain had? Do tell us about your successes in life.
15
I bet you have a really killer record collection, jonesey. All of it very important. However, I'd imagine a lot of it sounds like shit, since you wrote two paragraphs and didn't spend one syllable on actual music. Why not join the grown-ups and try using your ears instead of your knee-jerk sense of what's corporate/sellout when deciding what to listen to? It's a lot more fun, if admittedly less smugly masturbatory.
16
I arrived in Seattle from a long hitch-hiking trip on April 10, 17 years ago, the day they found Kurt's body. I was shopping for shoes in the Salivation Army on 4th South and it was announced on the radio. The young hipster Salvation Army employee next to me immediately quipped "I never liked his music anyways."
17
@14: Really, all you got is the "what have you ever done" argument? You've never had valid criticism of someone with more worldly success than you? Thought so.
@15: I didn't mention his music because I really don't care about it. Nirvana was more of a cultural force than musical. Their musical influence didn't go far, and certainly was far less important than the bands that they themselves derived their own sound from.
As such, my point stands. Cobain spent his entire post-fame life hypocritically railing against the very machine that he bought into wholeheartedly (judging by his actions, not what was coming out of his mouth). Of course then he blew his brains out, so he never had to back up his posturing over the long term.
@15: I didn't mention his music because I really don't care about it. Nirvana was more of a cultural force than musical. Their musical influence didn't go far, and certainly was far less important than the bands that they themselves derived their own sound from.
As such, my point stands. Cobain spent his entire post-fame life hypocritically railing against the very machine that he bought into wholeheartedly (judging by his actions, not what was coming out of his mouth). Of course then he blew his brains out, so he never had to back up his posturing over the long term.
18
#6 - I do... I only wish I knew where those pictures were. I've mis-filed them away somewhere. I had once, from years ago, a photo of a giant, badly written piece of grafitti, that spanned across a whole brick building, near the 12, where you drive out of town.... it said "KILL YOUR LOCAL DRUG DEALER"
I always wondered if that was random rant, or a Kurt reference.
Great photos of Aberdeen also live in the ABOUT A SON documentary. I loved that approach to making a documentary so much, I watched it twice in one sitting....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgj4-LZ4D…
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Conte…
I always wondered if that was random rant, or a Kurt reference.
Great photos of Aberdeen also live in the ABOUT A SON documentary. I loved that approach to making a documentary so much, I watched it twice in one sitting....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgj4-LZ4D…
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Conte…
20
I was born in a crappy part of Washington, I was extremely depressed, I was his age, and we both had irritable bowel syndrome. I wasn't addicted to heroin though, and I wasn't married, but my middle name is Courtney.
I felt like I might be doomed but I made it out ok.
I felt like I might be doomed but I made it out ok.
21
@17: Is music really all just about "influence" and who's considered "important" instead of about the sounds and songs? I still have yet to hear you mention actual music. Again, your whole post is about Cobain railing against "corporate rock" (which seems to be your gig too?) instead of about Nirvana's music. What's his admittedly juvenile preoccupation with "selling out" and all that got to do with the music he played? Do you listen to anything that's not mixed up in the hipster circles of what's cool and what's not? Any room in your brain for Bach or something like that, or is the lack of context on what he railed against and who he hated (and therefore whether you should listen or not) too confusing for you?
By the way, I'm only partially trying to be an ass here: I've sincerely never understood when people talk about music solely in the terms you're talking about, as if we're talking about TV actors. It makes me wonder if they can hear pitches and rhythms at all. What anyone said in an interview or their opinions about "the machine" or whatever just seems so meaningless next to whatever art they produced.
And admittedly, when I hear someone informing the world who's "important" and who isn't (as if it's a fact akin to the chemical structure of iron), I can't help but tune out.
By the way, I'm only partially trying to be an ass here: I've sincerely never understood when people talk about music solely in the terms you're talking about, as if we're talking about TV actors. It makes me wonder if they can hear pitches and rhythms at all. What anyone said in an interview or their opinions about "the machine" or whatever just seems so meaningless next to whatever art they produced.
And admittedly, when I hear someone informing the world who's "important" and who isn't (as if it's a fact akin to the chemical structure of iron), I can't help but tune out.
22
I was just getting by doing my own thing ( school and work). I thought his suicide was sad but I didn't dwell on it to much. I remember there being a backlash against Kurt amongst some of my friends and co workers. Much of their music still holds up well for me even if I never set out to put on any of their records or cd's.
23
I was a senior in highschool and I heard the news while at work in the Maine Mall at one of those cheesy junk jewlry stores where I pierced people's ears. My co worker and I heard the news and went to my car to smoke a joint in silence
25
I heard it over the radio as I was having lunch at a dingy sub shop in the u district. Couldn't believe it. Broke my heart.
@4: You tell 'em, girl.
@4: You tell 'em, girl.
26
I am very impressed the comments thread went the whole day with no one making a "Courtney killed him" type comment.
*good work sloggers*
*good work sloggers*
27
Near "the" 12, huh? Careful, Kelly, you're outing yourself as a Californian!
but my story: I heard that morning that a body was found at the Cobain's house first. I assumed one of Kurt's friends had OD at his place. Then later, my friend called and confirmed that it was indeed Kurt who was dead. So we went over to Lake Washington Blvd to the park by the home. Sad, sad day.
but my story: I heard that morning that a body was found at the Cobain's house first. I assumed one of Kurt's friends had OD at his place. Then later, my friend called and confirmed that it was indeed Kurt who was dead. So we went over to Lake Washington Blvd to the park by the home. Sad, sad day.
28
i was sitting in a school assembly in my high school gym. something to do with D.A.R.E. or announcing the prom court, i can't remember. my best friend told me kurt killed himself. i remember feeling lonely.
29
to jonesey - i believe the fame thing and the fact that he felt like a hypocrite might have had a hand in killing himself. so really, it was the ultimate "fuck you" to the record industry who wanted to make money off of him, right? sounds pretty punk rock to me?
30
Dropping my girlfriend off from SCCC art school class to her parents in Ravenna on a bright sunny morning; going back downtown on the #73 reading Henry Rollins; back to my low income apartment to continue my withdrawals.
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