“Crowd with body surfers during Mudhoney’s set at the KNDD Endfest, Kitsap County, Washington, 1991″ ::: Photo by Charles Peterson, courtesy of EMP

Slowly moving from photo to photo in the Experience Music Project’s new Taking Aim photography exhibition curated by Graham Nash, I’m struck by the weight of achievement and history represented in the room. Musician and band names that I’ve known and loved for decades, and photographer names who I’ve come to idolize only recently as I myself have become an active live music photographer. For me the 98 photographs Nash has chosen aren’t simply great photographs, but famous photographs; photographs included in rock photography books I’ve been poring over for years now. Photo’s that capture revealing moments for artists like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Neil Young, musicians who are all well represented in this exhibition. Images that were defining for movements like Hip Hop, Grunge, and Punk. Images you’ve seen used in books, on album covers, on magazine Covers, on college posters, and t-shirts. Seeing them large and up close instead of on a tiny computer screen or magazine page, one can almost taste the air of the moment and feel the intensity of the interaction.

Above the door to Sound on the Sound HQ sits a poster of the famous psychedelic Beatles portraits by famous fashion photographer Richard Avedon, a set of four head shots, one of each of the Beatles, where each had been color modified to more closely match his aura. Seeing the individual portraits larger than life-size and with the color exactly as Avedon intended put’s the portraits in a whole new light. Each portrait is so large you can see the detail of the Beatles faces, and the colors pop. I can find no other word for the light blue of Paul McCartney’s portrait than ‘delicate.’ The red and yellow in John Lennon are far hotter than I remembered from any poster or print I’ve seen. Each of the Beatles pictures included in the exhibition have their own special energy, and Annie Liebovitz’ equally famous portrait of a naked Lennon and spooning Yoko Ono, taken just hours before Lennon was gunned down, stands with the Avedon portraits as two of the most notable and moving choices for the show.

Sub Pop photographer Charles Peterson was in many ways the house photographer for the Seattle-homed “grunge” movement, and is one of my inspirations. His photos were a large part of attracting me into the endeavor of waiting it out in the front row night after night and to always being ready for a crowd surfer or two (see one of his pictures above). He relayed a new spirit of rock n’ roll as it was being portrayed by a bunch of guys who were permanently displaying a middle finger to the world. Among the photo’s featured is one of the black and white frames from the set Peterson took of Nirvana destroying the stage at Raji’s in Hollywood. This photo and many of his others are the closest thing I have to a template. I’m looking to capture a moment and photo like this to define each band I love in the same manner. When the band’s we’re talking about look not just good but like compelling performers, the Seattle music scene as a whole looks good and as compelling as we know it to be.

Ironically the photo that stuck with me the most wasn’t a fiery and colorful live Lynn Goldsmith shot, or a classic Bob Dylan portrait via Jim Marshall. It was a black & white self-portrait taken by Graham Nash of himself in a mirror, or actually two mirrors. A shaving mirror is the focus, though Nash clearly hasn’t shaved or had a haircut for sometime. In the published book accompanying the exhibition, Nash admitted to leaving this photo one out of his original choices, and having to be convinced to include it. I’m glad he did include it, because for me, even in the context of all these other great photos, it’s the portrait choice in the show that feels like not simply a great rock photo, but feels like a significant American photo from the 20th Century. One could ponder for ages what’s behind those eyes…

For any lover of popular music, and particularly music from the last half of the 20th century, this exhibition offer’s the one degree of separation almost every fan is searching for. This is the opportunity to look into the sometimes larger than life eyes of many of rock n’ roll’s legends. It’s a chance to stand with the Beatles in center of Shea Stadium and see the excitement on their faces as they march to the stage. Most of all it offers an intimate look into the lives of artists like Neil Young, Johnny Cash, and Graham Nash himself, providing a window into their creativity and life that can’t be replicated otherwise.

Taking Aim is open now through May 23rd at the EMP|SFM at Seattle Center. “Admission to EMP|SFM is $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, youth and students and military personnel with ID. Children under 5 are free. EMP|SFM is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., seven days a week.”

It’s been a big week for music as I’ve stumbled across a new, as you might say, source of music that’s reinvigorated my waning lust-love.

Spooktober sounds like a few things:

1.  A Christmas bass album.  Only for a few moments, but right there in the beginning I hear “Jingle Bells” as filtered through a rinky-dink synthesizer Spooktober’s mother bought them for their collective ninth birthday.  Only for a moment though.

2.  Nirvana.  Yup, when those guitars come roaring in on top of Mannheim Steamroller’s Bass Christmas, all of sudden I’m fourteen years old crying in my room to Nirvana’s Bleach. Angst angst and more angst.

3.  Then the song starts rolling, and this is dirty, gutter-water rock ‘n’ roll, and I wipe my tears, hang up the wreath, throw on my scrubby jeans and go out and play in the rain.

I’ve got so much more to share.  I’m just curdling with excitement.

Spooktober - Ghosts Don’t Exit

Local rock vets Krist Novoselic (Nirvana, Flipper) and Duff McKagan (Loaded, Guns n’ Roses), both of whom have been active Seattle Weekly columnists over the past few years, will be guest hosting this afternoon on KIRO 97.3 FM for a couple of hours. These two fellows certainly aren’t afraid to say what’s on their mind, so it’s sure to be interesting two hours.

Listen online starting at 5pm PST at MyNorthwest.

Do remember where you were when you learned the news in 1994?

In this short recording, Willie Nelson cover’s Nirvana megahit “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in his signature finger-picking style. I kinda dig it. I’d love to hear the whole thing, if such a thing exists.

It seems the answer may be yes. No. (see update below)

If that was indeed Jon Ponemon of Sub Pop that left that comment on Lineout, then this is indeed a very interesting development. And most certainly “a coup” as he put it.

This seems to defy a supposed longstanding acrimonious relationship between C-Love and the remaining band members. As Abbey put it, “This is like Hell freezing over. The Eagles said them getting back together was, but no. This is Hell freezing over.”

Indeed, that was my initial reaction as well. Complete disbelief.

Is this a good thing? Then again, why not?

Update: Thanks JJ for clearing up that this was completely sarcastic. I guess my bullshit detector needs a tuneup.

Captain’s Dead had a baby, and put up one of the last known Nirvana recordings from a show in Italy on February 22, 1994. Titled ROMA (see the poster above), this recording is pretty high quality and might be from the soundboard, but I can’t tell (there are a few recordings floating around out there). One week later, Nirvana would cancel the tour due to Kurt coming down with bronchitis. Five weeks after that Kurt took his own life. I’ve been sort of obsessed with Nirvana as of late, after seeing About a Son. I’m slowly making my way through Heavier than Heaven, and re-listening to Nirvana, so this recording comes to my attention at an interesting time for me. I highly recommend checking it out. (Plus at the end of “Polly,” Kurt calls bootleggers “a bunch of pedophiles, they support murder in the third world, they torture children.” It’s pretty hilarious.)

Poster courtesy of Nirvana Live Guide

Seattle Sound Magazine’s latest cover story is about “The 50 Greatest Songs from Seattle,” a question that’s proved great fodder for  thought and conversation. Josh and I were both very flattered to be asked our opinions for the piece and to see ourselves credited as “Seattle music know-it-alls,” though I don’t think any of the songs we named made it in the top 20. Here were my nominations and reasonings, I’ll try and get Josh to post his as well.

Teeth Like Gods Shoeshine - Modest Mouse 
When I lived away from Seattle, this song made me terribly homesick. Every run-down mall in the PNW (which was all of them) had a Orange Julia’s Julius in the 80’s and until recently at least, the Seattle Center still had one. I drove past the buildings on the cover of the album, Lonesome Crowded West, almost every day of my childhood. The song, the band’s sound in this era - that’s the Seattle I grew up in.
 
Lithium - Nirvana
Iconic. What’s more Seattle than a song named after the number one treatment for manic depression? 
 
Cream - Thee Emergency
Thee Emergency is the band that made me fall back in love with Seattle music. I think Cream would be a stand-out song on any album, no matter the artist, it’s got the heavy soul of old blues.

Rearviewmirror - Pearl Jam
Vs. was validation that pearl jam wasn’t a fluke band, with a few great songs in them. A point they’ve continued to hammer home to this day.     

Jesus Lips - Hopscotch Boys
Acid Pony - Ice Age Cobra 
While they have distinctly different sounds and feels as bands, Hopscotch and IAC are what grunge could/would have become if it had a chance to grow up and evolve. The Hopscotch Boys also happen to put on the craziest live show in the city, they’re somewhere between crime and art.  
 
Praying Hands Make Fists - The Hands
A perfect mix of old and new sounds, recorded in their basement, a true accomplishment of the Seattle DIY scene.

Baby’s Got Back - Sir Mix A Lot 
The birth of the Seattle hip hop sound, in my consciousness. To this day I know every word to this song… and I’m pretty sure most of you do too. 

In his first post for the Seattle Weekly’s blog, Novoselic, the former Nirvana bassist and opinionated activist on a number of topics, opines on the origins of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the song and the video, as well as what it really means to be an “anarchist.” You should read it as he’s definitely got some interesting insights. From now on he’ll have a column each Tuesday on the Daily Weekly.

WWKD (What would Kurt do)? Nirvana’s album Nevermind will be featured in its entirety in the latest Wii guitar game, Rock Band. A year ago game placement was a taboo that might bring calls of “sell-out,” but it seems to now be a common practice among band’s who actually want to get paid for being a band. Guitar Hero 3 just revealed their tracklist, and I gotta say the fact that I could take a go at “My Name is Jonas” is intriguing. Also included in the list are songs from The Strokes, Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. The rules are changing, but I think this move might irk more than a few Nirvana fans.

The Seattle City Council will consider new nightlife regulations August 13. The council’s Economic Development and Neighborhoods Committee passed a new set of rules to present before the entire council that doesn’t include controvertial items in the Mayor’s plan. Welcome developments include a measure to require the city to actually hire people to enforce the already existing rules and the formation of a nine person advisory board with regard to nightlife regulations. Left out of the package was the Mayors proposal for a new very restrictive club licensing scheme that would allow the city to shut down clubs should any violation occur. A new licensing measure is being drafted for consideration on August 16.

New Dates of interest in (and around) Seattle:

• Stevie Wonder at Chateau St. Michelle on August 31
• Spoon at the Showbox on September 7
• Dinosaur Jr., Band of Horses at Neumos on September 11
• Klaxons at the Showbox on September 30