They’re a symbol of my university years. By the time I hit Calgary in 1991, I was aware of and immediately embraced the grunge scene: Nirvana, Mudhoney, Hole, Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Mother Love Bone, the Screaming Trees, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden… it was a flash from the past seeing the names of many of the bands from this time on the walls and in the displays.
It was odd seeing things that were familiar to me: the sweater and shirt that Kurt Corbain used to wear on stage, the photo that was used for the cover of their Nevermind album, references to The Edge and Sub Pop, and that musical instruments that followed Nirvana everywhere.
1992 was the first time I visited Seattle; and, then I stayed Capitol Hill in the same building where those who spawned the grunge movement lived. I heard stories from their friends, sat on the same outdoor couch overlooking the skyline, hung out in the same bars, and bought clothes from the same second hand stores. It was the glory days of the Seattle grunge scene.
I felt rather odd (and old) as I wandered amongst drawings and suitcases and handwritten lyrics and musical instruments. It was really too much in the end — a reminder that grunge disappeared quickly, and that by 1994 Kurt Corbain was dead.
