Here they are, now entertain us. Nirvana had a reunion of sorts this week, as drummer Dave Grohl, bassist Krist Novoselic and touring guitarist Pat Smear took the stage at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California for FireAid, an event benefiting the devastating fires that have torn through the Los Angeles area.
The 15-minute set saw Nirvana and company plugging into two of their biggest albums: Nevermind’s “Breed” and two from In Utero: “Territorial Pissings” and “All Apologies,” with a variety of women taking vocals in place of the late Kurt Cobain. The first song had St. Vincent on vocals, while “School” had Sonic Youth’s Kim Kordon, “Territorial Pissings” had Joan Jett, and “All Apologies” had Violet Grohl, daughter of Dave. Most of the ladies that took the mic had already played with Nirvana before at their 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where Jett led “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, Gordon took vocals on “Aneurysm”, St. Vincent worked “Lithium”, and Lorde wrapped up the set with “All Apologies.”
Nirvana remains one of the most pivotal bands of the grunge movement, picking up where the Melvins, the Pixies, Mudhoney, and more were leaving off. Forming in the late ‘80s, Nirvana broke out with their sophomore album Nevermind, which is widely considered one of the most influential not just of the ‘90s but modern music. That closing track “Something in the Way” was featured in 2022’s The Batman only got the band more fans. In total, they would only release three studio albums, with their iconic Unplugged in New York coming seven months after Cobain’s 1994 suicide.
The reunion was also notable for being Dave Grohl’s first show since news broke that he fathered a child out of wedlock, an undeniable mark on the man who has essentially become the patron saint of modern rock. Foo Fighters had concluded their Everything or Nothing at All Tour in September, their first world tour since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in 2022.
What did you think of Nirvana’s mini reunion? What stands as your favorite song that band ever recorded?
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