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Lucky Seattle residents back in the day & the stories they can tell
I was just going through very old emails looking for something, and I found a bunch from a really cool woman, let's call her M (like in James Bond movies). I haven't read these emails in 20 yrs but I found this one and had to share cuz it has snippets of great details about early shows & 2 record release parties for a few bands some of you may have heard of at some point...
M if you're here, I hope you recognize these details, and any actually personal names are changed to protect the lucky! This picks up after we'd been talking for awhile so a lot came before this, but this email was too special and given some recent anniversaries, too cool not to share:
"I think I've told you all I remember about the Mookie Blaylock shows and Pearl Jam/Temple show - that was about it. At the Pearl Jam/Temple show they looked to be having a great time, goofing around, with Eddie jumping on Chris' back at one point. You could tell they are all musicians who genuinely like performing together.
Chris Cornell has a sense of humor though. When they were getting ready to go on tour for the Badmotorfinger album, they played a string of dates at RKNDY and the Offramp to amp up I guess. This was when he still had his long beautiful hair and the ladies were handed drool bibs at the door - haha! But seriously, the first show at The Offramp was sardine packed. All hot and sweaty - too many humans not enough ventilation. The show starts and he comes out in a sweater. I'm thinking, that's not going to last for long in this heat. Sure enough a few songs in and off goes the sweater - only to find a t-shirt underneath! Then that t-shirt goes and yet another t-shirt underneath! He must have had on like 4 shirts that he used to toy with the women in the audience. When the final shirt went and skin was visible, he had two huge flower stickers over his nipples. It was the greatest thing how he could make fun of it like that!! The show itself was rocking. So loud and Kim Thayil walking back and forth creating those wonderful sounds on his guitar. If I remember right they must have played about 4 shows in a few week period. I was loving it.
M if you're here, I hope you recognize these details, and any actually personal names are changed to protect the lucky! This picks up after we'd been talking for awhile so a lot came before this, but this email was too special and given some recent anniversaries, too cool not to share:
"I think I've told you all I remember about the Mookie Blaylock shows and Pearl Jam/Temple show - that was about it. At the Pearl Jam/Temple show they looked to be having a great time, goofing around, with Eddie jumping on Chris' back at one point. You could tell they are all musicians who genuinely like performing together.
Chris Cornell has a sense of humor though. When they were getting ready to go on tour for the Badmotorfinger album, they played a string of dates at RKNDY and the Offramp to amp up I guess. This was when he still had his long beautiful hair and the ladies were handed drool bibs at the door - haha! But seriously, the first show at The Offramp was sardine packed. All hot and sweaty - too many humans not enough ventilation. The show starts and he comes out in a sweater. I'm thinking, that's not going to last for long in this heat. Sure enough a few songs in and off goes the sweater - only to find a t-shirt underneath! Then that t-shirt goes and yet another t-shirt underneath! He must have had on like 4 shirts that he used to toy with the women in the audience. When the final shirt went and skin was visible, he had two huge flower stickers over his nipples. It was the greatest thing how he could make fun of it like that!! The show itself was rocking. So loud and Kim Thayil walking back and forth creating those wonderful sounds on his guitar. If I remember right they must have played about 4 shows in a few week period. I was loving it.
I've seen Nirvana only twice. Once in a huge mega arena and the time before that at a place in Seattle called the OK Hotel. That show was the most fun because it was one of those 'secret' shows that wasn't advertised, a word of mouth thing. My friend Q was a big fan and had no idea about the show. I wouldn't tell her who we were going to see, just that we had to go and she would like it. Did she ever! The place was packed and I thought my ears were going to bleed. It must have been just a bit before Nevermind came out.
Another fun thing Q and I did was go to their Nevermind record release party at the Rendevous (?) anyway it was a nice little joint down the road from RKNDY. Jonathan Poneman was spinning the records , Nevermind included. Geez, you could just tell - this thing is loud, catchy as hell, and I will not be able to hear it enough. They eventually got kicked out of their own party for running around like wee lads throwing food at each other. Duck - here comes the cake!
Another fun release party we went to was for 10. First they played at the Seattle Center outside then afterwards the party was across the street at some place I can't remember the name of. it was very low key. The album was being played and they had fun games like the mini-basketball hoop. Now I can't say for sure but I think this is where I first saw the video done by Sony about the band. Interviewing the guys and Eddie explaining where the name came from. Have you seen that? I might, maybe, still have that one tucked away in a box if you haven't seen it. Let me know."
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I mean, obviously anyone living in Seattle in those magic years and loving local music may have been at some or all of those, but my head & heart just explode thinking of knowing what we know now and being able to go back in time to those exact events.
And how much do I love Nirvana getting thrown out of their own release party for a food fight!!!!!!!! She also saw Mookie Blaylock a couple of times!
Next time someone asks that question about time machines and where you'd go, I'd go back and hang with this very smart cool woman for a year or 2. I was reminded in one of my replies to her to look for my Melvins t-shirt from those days, it said "Fuck Melvins" on front, and "Louder than Soundgarden" on the back.
So much about those days that was just too good...
Another fun thing Q and I did was go to their Nevermind record release party at the Rendevous (?) anyway it was a nice little joint down the road from RKNDY. Jonathan Poneman was spinning the records , Nevermind included. Geez, you could just tell - this thing is loud, catchy as hell, and I will not be able to hear it enough. They eventually got kicked out of their own party for running around like wee lads throwing food at each other. Duck - here comes the cake!
Another fun release party we went to was for 10. First they played at the Seattle Center outside then afterwards the party was across the street at some place I can't remember the name of. it was very low key. The album was being played and they had fun games like the mini-basketball hoop. Now I can't say for sure but I think this is where I first saw the video done by Sony about the band. Interviewing the guys and Eddie explaining where the name came from. Have you seen that? I might, maybe, still have that one tucked away in a box if you haven't seen it. Let me know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I mean, obviously anyone living in Seattle in those magic years and loving local music may have been at some or all of those, but my head & heart just explode thinking of knowing what we know now and being able to go back in time to those exact events.
And how much do I love Nirvana getting thrown out of their own release party for a food fight!!!!!!!! She also saw Mookie Blaylock a couple of times!
Next time someone asks that question about time machines and where you'd go, I'd go back and hang with this very smart cool woman for a year or 2. I was reminded in one of my replies to her to look for my Melvins t-shirt from those days, it said "Fuck Melvins" on front, and "Louder than Soundgarden" on the back.
So much about those days that was just too good...
Post edited by JH6056 on
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If M is around here it would be great if she can share more stories from back then.
@Loujoe one part of her story reminded me of a similar thing that happened to me but not about PJ. Will put it in the other thread we had going on those stories. It involves me getting to yell at a show "Is there a doctor in the house?"
I really really want to post her description of how she discovered PJ, after being a Mother Love Bone fan. It is so beautifully written (and brief, something I'm incapable of being), and so from the heart of a true sincere music fan. But it is SO in her voice, I feel like it's really gotta be her who shares it, so hoping I can track her down. Her email addy from these convos is inactive, so hopefully she'll turn up here and speak for herself. She's a gifted writer and she's got STORIES! She has a non-PJ-related Neil Young story that was so "WTF!!!" in the best way... M hope you're here!