Everybody Loves Our Town

by Mark Yarm

  “Yeah, neat.”

  Two weeks later, three weeks later, I was laying in bed with a broken jaw and arm. Bicycle accident. Lost a bunch of teeth, had some pretty serious surgeries. Heavily medicated. Val, my girlfriend at the time, called me from work and said, “Turn on the radio! Turn on the radio! They found Kurt dead.”

  “Kurt Cobain?”

  “Turn on the radio!”

  And that’s that.

  An oral history is nothing without its voices. So first and foremost, a heartfelt thanks to all the people who were generous enough to share their grunge era memories with me. Obviously, it would have been impossible to put together a book of this nature without you. I’d like to give special thanks to a few interviewees who provided invaluable assistance over the course of the three years I spent working on this project: Mark Arm, Robert Scott Crane, Jeff Gilbert, Buzz Osborne, Susan Silver, and Kim Thayil.

  I am deeply indebted to my agent, PJ Mark, who pitched me the idea of doing this book after reading my oral history of Sub Pop Records that ran in Blender magazine back in summer 2008. He’s been a tireless advocate for this project and patiently talked me down after many a book-related crisis. Also, huge thanks to my editor, Sean Desmond—who brought tremendous enthusiasm and a seemingly unflappable nature to this project and edited my manuscript with a light, deft touch—and everyone at Crown who rallied behind this book.

  Much gratitude to my photo editor, Christine Reilly, for assembling the many rare and wonderful images in these pages. Thanks to all the photographers who provided images for the book, in particular Valerie Broatch, Paul Hernandez, and Alice Wheeler. High praise to my crack team of audio transcribers—Cynthia Colonna, Larry Fitzmaurice, Marissa Graziadio, Diana Salier, Megan Stride, Kate Thuma, and Jessica Vaysman—without whom I could not have done this.

  All my love (and many apologies) to my incredible wife, Bonnie, who tolerated my taking Grunge as a mistress and supported me throughout the entire process. Thanks to my family—my father Jay and stepmother Marilyn, my brother Fred and his wife Andrea—for their love and support.

  Many thanks to my former Blender editors in chief Craig Marks (for hiring me) and Joe Levy (for his guidance and support), plus my former colleagues David Carthas, Victoria De Silverio, Josh Eells, Chris “Goldteeth” Ehrmann, Lizzy Goodman, Tyler Gray, Rob Tannenbaum, and Rory Walsh for providing me with contacts and/or book-writing tips.

  Thanks to fellow authors John Cook, David Peisner, Marc Spitz, Katherine Turman, Eric J. Weiner, and Jon Wiederhorn for their advice and generosity, and much gratitude to my friends who offered manuscript critiques and moral support: Elizabeth Champ, Miles Hutton, Jeff Jackson, and Gregg Lauer. I’d also like to give shout-outs to the proprietors and fellow denizens of Room 58, my writing sanctuary, and Sonja and Andy Hoven, who provided me with a Seattle sanctuary. And many thanks to Jeffrey Kleinberg, for keeping me sane.

  Thanks to the following people for all their efforts in connecting me with interviewees: Andrea Ball, Nils Bernstein, Jenny Dalton, Marie Walsh Dixon, Kent Eby, Bobby Gale, Rick Gershon, Jessica Gronvold, Kate Jackson, Bennett Kaufman, Carol Kaye, Jeannie Kedas, Miranda Lange, Steve Manning, Steve Martin, Brian McDonald, Michael Moses, Pam Nashel Leto, Elaine Schock, Gina Schulman, Monica Seide, Steve Sherr, Staci Slater, Gillian Smith, Andrew Steinthal, Aimee Tyo, Nicole Vandenberg, Amanda Van Goethen, Terry Wang, Beth Winer, Emily White, and Bob Whittaker.

  I’d like to acknowledge Jacob McMurray of the Experience Music Project for all his help with, and enthusiasm for, this project. Also, thanks to the following for their assistance with research and source materials: Charles Batho (Archived Music Press), John Bigley, Carrie Borzillo, Stevie Chick, Jennifer Clay, Charles R. Cross, Chris Gill, Regan Hagar, Kristin Jones, Paul Jones (FooArchive.com), Martin Kuiper (FaceCulture.com), Jennifer Kutsher, Al Larsen, Clemens Marschall (Rokko’s Adventures), Maire Masco, Andy Savage, Herman Stadshaug, Dave Wulzen, and the New York and Seattle public library systems.

  For reasons of structure, the following people I interviewed are not quoted in the book, though I sincerely appreciate the time they took to speak with me: Michael Alex, Danny Baird, Valerie Broatch, David Dorrell, Jan T. Gregor, John Hawkley, Jane Higgins, Jeff Kleinsmith, Dave Lipe, Chris Monlux, Nigel Pulsford, Reyza Sageb, Dave Sirulnick, Greg Stumph, Whiting Tennis, and Elizabeth Wurtzel.

  Also, my humble apologies to anyone I may have failed to recognize here for his or her contributions to this project.

  Finally, my sympathy goes out to the friends and family of the two interviewees who passed away as I was nearing completion of this book: Ricky Kulwicki and Mike Starr.

  DAVE ABBRUZZESE Pearl Jam drummer

  VALERIE AGNEW 7 Year Bitch drummer

  MICHELLE AHERN concertgoer; Robert Scott Crane’s ex-wife

  STEVE ALBINI recording engineer; singer/guitarist for Big Black (Chicago)

  SAM ALBRIGHT Velvetone studio/label owner

  GRANT ALDEN The Rocket newspaper managing editor

  JEFF AMENT Pearl Jam/Temple of the Dog/Mother Love Bone/Green River/Deranged Diction bassist

  JOHN MICHAEL AMERIKA (né Mike Hutchins; deceased) Cat Butt guitarist

  JULIANNE ANDERSEN Supersuckers/Gas Huffer booking agent

  DAWN ANDERSON journalist; Backlash zine publisher; Jack Endino’s ex-wife

  MICHELE ANTHONY Sony Music president

  MARK ARM (né Mark McLaughlin) Mudhoney singer/guitarist; Green River singer; Mr. Epp and the Calculations guitarist/singer; the Thrown Ups drummer

  KRISHA AUGEROT Kelly Curtis’s assistant; Green Apple Quick Step comanager

  JOHNNY BACOLAS Alice N’ Chains/Second Coming bassist

  PETER BAGGE Hate cartoonist

  LORI BARBERO drummer for Babes in Toyland (Minneapolis)

  LOU BARLOW singer/guitarist for Sebadoh (Westfield, Mass.); bassist for Dinosaur Jr. (Amherst, Mass.)

  SAMUEL BAYER “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video director

  JOHN LEIGHTON BEEZER the Thrown Ups bassist; the Blunt Objects guitarist

  NILS BERNSTEIN Sub Pop Records publicist

  JOHN BIGLEY U-Men/the Crows singer

  JANET BILLIG Hole manager via Gold Mountain Entertainment

  KAT BJELLAND singer/guitarist for Babes in Toyland (Minneapolis)

  CHARLES ALDEN BLACK (d. 2005) father of Lori Black; husband of Shirley Temple Black; businessman

  LORI BLACK (a.k.a. Lorax) Melvins bassist; daughter of Charles Alden Black and Shirley Temple Black

  DON BLACKSTONE Gas Huffer bassist

  DANNY BLAND Cat Butt guitarist; Best Kissers in the World/Dwarves bassist; Sub Pop Records booking agent

  CHAD BLAKE (a.k.a. Slam Hate) concertgoer; posterer

  KURT BLOCH Fastbacks/Young Fresh Fellows guitarist

  DAN BLOSSOM Feast guitarist

  JENNIE BODDY Sub Pop Records publicist

  TIM BRANOM Gypsy Rose singer

  DANNY BRAMSON Singles music supervisor

  BRYN BRIDENTHAL Geffen Records publicity head

  SOOZY BRIDGES intern for Kelly Curtis/Ken Deans; club booker

  ANTON BROOKES U.K. music publicist

  ROBIN BUCHAN U-Men bassist

  PETER BUCK guitarist for R.E.M. (Athens, Ga.); Stephanie Dorgan’s ex-husband

  JAMES BURDYSHAW Cat Butt guitarist; 64 Spiders guitarist/singer

  MATT CAMERON Pearl Jam/Soundgarden/Hater/Temple of the Dog/Skin Yard drummer

  KELLY CANARY Dickless singer

  JERRY CANTRELL Alice in Chains guitarist/singer; solo artist

  DYLAN CARLSON Earth singer/guitarist; Kurt Cobain’s close friend

  ROSEMARY CARROLL Nirvana/Hole attorney; Danny Goldberg’s wife

  TINA CASALE C/Z Records label/Reciprocal Recording studio cofounder

  MATT CHAMBERLAIN Pearl Jam drummer

  CHAD CHANNING Nirvana drummer

  ART CHANTRY The Rocket newspaper art director; Sub Pop Records freelancer; album/poster designer

  FRANCES BEAN
COBAIN daughter of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love

  KURT COBAIN (d. 1994) Nirvana singer/guitarist; Courtney Love’s husband; Frances Bean Cobain’s father

  ALEX COLETTI MTV Unplugged producer

  MARCO COLLINS KNDD DJ

  COLLEEN COMBS Kelly Curtis’s assistant

  GARY LEE CONNER Screaming Trees guitarist

  VAN CONNER Screaming Trees bassist

  JOHN CONTE the Living/the Blunt Objects singer

  BLAINE COOK the Fartz/10 Minute Warning/the Accüsed singer

  BILLY CORGAN singer/guitarist for the Smashing Pumpkins (Chicago)

  CHRIS CORNELL Soundgarden singer/guitarist; Temple of the Dog singer; solo artist; Susan Silver’s ex-husband

  GERARD COSLOY Homestead Records label head

  WAYNE COYNE singer for the Flaming Lips (Oklahoma City)

  ROBERT SCOTT CRANE Soundhouse Recording Studio owner; Michelle Ahern’s ex-husband

  CHARLES R. CROSS The Rocket newspaper owner/editor in chief; Kurt Cobain biographer

  DALE CROVER Melvins/Nirvana drummer

  CAMERON CROWE Singles director; Nancy Wilson’s ex-husband

  KELLY CURTIS Pearl Jam/Mother Love Bone manager; Heart tour manager; Ken Deans’s business partner

  BLAG DAHLIA singer for Dwarves (San Francisco)

  KURT DANIELSON TAD/Bundle of Hiss bassist

  PETER DAVIS tour booker; Your Flesh zine editor in chief/publisher

  ELIZABETH DAVIS-SIMPSON 7 Year Bitch bassist

  KEN DEANS production manager; Kelly Curtis’s business partner

  DAVE DEDERER the Presidents of the United States of America “guitbassist”/ singer

  FREDDY DEMANN Maverick Records cofounder

  MATT DENTINO the Shemps guitarist

  LINDA DERSCHANG Linda’s Tavern/Basic clothing store owner

  MARK DEUTROM Melvins bassist/soundman; Alchemy Records cofounder; producer

  MICHAEL DEWITT (a.k.a. Cali DeWitt) Frances Bean Cobain’s nanny

  MIKE DILLARD Melvins drummer

  MATT DILLON Singles lead actor

  STEPHANIE DORGAN the Crocodile club owner; Peter Buck’s ex-wife

  GORDON DOUCETTE Metropolis club cofounder; Red Masque singer/guitarist

  TAD DOYLE TAD singer/guitarist; Bundle of Hiss guitarist/drummer; H-Hour drummer

  DONNA DRESCH Screaming Trees bassist; Team Dresch guitarist/bassist; Chainsaw Records founder

  MATT DRESDNER the Gits bassist

  DAVID DUET Cat Butt/Girl Trouble singer; U-Men roadie

  GREG DULLI singer/guitarist for the Afghan Whigs (Cincinnati)

  ROISIN DUNNE (now Roisin Ross) 7 Year Bitch guitarist

  BRETT ELIASON Pearl Jam soundman; producer/mixer

  JACK ENDINO producer; Skin Yard guitarist; Dawn Anderson’s ex-husband

  ERIC ERLANDSON guitarist for Hole (Los Angeles)

  JASON EVERMAN Nirvana guitarist; Soundgarden bassist

  JONATHAN EVISON (a.k.a. Munkeyseeker) March of Crimes singer

  BRUCE FAIRWEATHER Mother Love Bone/Green River/Deranged Diction guitarist; Love Battery bassist

  CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY Time magazine staff writer

  PERRY FARRELL singer for Jane’s Addiction (Los Angeles); Lollapalooza festival cofounder

  RAY FARRELL SST Records promotion department head; Geffen Records/DGC A&R and marketing executive

  CATHY FAULKNER KISW assistant program director/music director

  JENNIFER FINCH bassist for L7 (Los Angeles)

  JASON FINN the Presidents of the United States of America/Love Battery/Skin Yard/Fastbacks/Feast drummer

  AMY FINNERTY MTV director of music programming and talent relations

  STEVE FISK producer; keyboardist for Pell Mell (Berkeley, Calif.); solo artist

  DON FLEMING producer; singer/guitarist for Gumball/Velvet Monkeys (New York)

  ED FOTHERINGHAM the Thrown Ups singer; illustrator

  CHRIS FRIEL Shadow/Goodness drummer

  RICK FRIEL Shadow singer/bassist

  GILLIAN G. GAAR journalist/author

  ERIC GARCIA assistant for Chris Cornell/Susan Silver

  SUZI GARDNER guitarist/singer for L7 (Los Angeles)

  CAM GARRETT photographer; SCUD cofounder; Ben McMillan’s first cousin

  DAVID GEFFEN Geffen Records/DGC head

  CLAUDIA GEHRKE the Vogue club booker

  MARC GEIGER Lollapalooza festival cofounder; talent agent

  GARY GERSH Geffen Records/DGC A&R executive

  RICK GERSHON A&M Records/Warner Bros. Records publicity executive

  JEFF GILBERT journalist; KZOK DJ; concert organizer

  GREG GILMORE Mother Love Bone/10 Minute Warning/the Living drummer

  DANNY GOLDBERG Gold Mountain Entertainment founder/president; Nirvana/Hole manager; Atlantic Records president; Warner Bros. Records chairman/CEO; Rosemary Carroll’s husband

  MICHAEL GOLDSTONE PolyGram Records/Epic Records A&R executive

  KIM GORDON bassist/singer for Sonic Youth (New York); Thurston Moore’s wife

  STONE GOSSARD Pearl Jam/Temple of the Dog/Mother Love Bone/Green River/Brad/Satchel/March of Crimes guitarist

  KELLY GRAY producer; Queensrÿche/Myth guitarist

  KERRY GREEN Dickless guitarist

  DAVE GROHL Nirvana drummer; Foo Fighters singer/guitarist; drummer for Scream (Washington, D.C., area)

  DEAN GUNDERSON Cat Butt bassist

  REGAN HAGAR Malfunkshun/Brad/Satchel drummer

  ROSS HALFIN photographer

  STUART HALLERMAN Soundgarden soundman; Avast! Recording studio owner/operator

  KATHLEEN HANNA Bikini Kill singer

  TOM HANSEN the Refuzors/the Fartz guitarist; heroin dealer

  CHRIS HANZSEK C/Z Records label/Reciprocal Recording studio cofounder; producer

  KERRI HARROP Sub Pop Records sales and retail employee

  TIM HAYES Fallout Records store owner

  GIBBY HAYNES singer for Butthole Surfers (Austin, Texas)

  TOM HAZELMYER Amphetamine Reptile Records founder; U-Men bassist

  RON HEATHMAN Supersuckers guitarist

  FAITH HENSCHEL-VENTRELLO KCMU music director

  MAUREEN HERMAN bassist for Babes in Toyland (Minneapolis)

  DAVE HILLIS producer/engineer/mixer; Mace guitarist

  DANIEL HOUSE Skin Yard/10 Minute Warning bassist; C/Z Records owner

  JOHN HOYT political and community advisor for Pearl Jam; Pyramid Communications partner

  DAVE HUNT (d. 2009) Malfunkshun drummer

  REED HUTCHINSON Feast guitarist

  DON IENNER Sony Music chairman

  MIKE INEZ Alice in Chains bassist; Ozzy Osbourne band bassist

  JACK IRONS Pearl Jam/Red Hot Chili Peppers/Eleven drummer

  STEVE ISAACS MTV VJ

  MARC JACOBS fashion designer

  AARON JACOVES A&M Records West Coast director of A&R

  MEGAN JASPER Sub Pop Records receptionist-turned–vice president; Dickless singer

  RICH JENSEN Sub Pop Records general manager; musician

  DAVE JERDEN producer

  CALVIN JOHNSON K Records cofounder; Beat Happening singer/guitarist

  ERIC JOHNSON Soundgarden/Pearl Jam tour manager

  JAIME ROBERT JOHNSON (a.k.a. Crunchbird) singer/guitarist

  BARRETT JONES Nirvana drum tech; Laundry Room Studio owner/operator

  AL JOURGENSEN front man for Ministry (Chicago)

  NEAL KARLEN journalist; Babes in Toyland biographer

  ADAM KASPER producer/engineer

  MARK KATES Geffen Records/DGC head of alternative promotion

  DAVID KATZNELSON Warner Bros. Records A&R vice president

  ANDY KESSLER (a.k.a. Joe Spleen) the Gits guitarist

  SEAN KINNEY Alice in Chains drummer

  PETER KLETT Candlebox guitarist

  FRANK KOZIK poster artist; video director

  RICK KRIM MTV director of musical talent

  DAVE KRUSEN Pearl Jam/Hovercraft/Candlebox drummer
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  RICKY KULWICKI (d. 2011) guitarist for the Fluid (Denver)

  XANA LA FUENTE Andrew Wood’s fiancée

  MARK LANEGAN Screaming Trees singer; solo artist

  AL LARSEN Some Velvet Sidewalk singer/guitarist

  MIKE LARSON Green River manager

  MICHELLE LEON bassist for Babes in Toyland (Minneapolis)

  PETER LITWIN Coffin Break guitarist/singer

  KURT LODER MTV News anchor

  BEN LONDON Alcohol Funnycar singer/guitarist

  COURTNEY LOVE singer/guitarist for Hole (Los Angeles); Kurt Cobain’s widow; Frances Bean Cobain’s mother; actress

  MATT LUKIN Melvins/Mudhoney bassist

  JOHN LYDON (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) singer for Public Image Ltd./Sex Pistols (U.K.)

  STEVE MACK singer for That Petrol Emotion (U.K.)

  ALEX MACLEOD Nirvana tour manager

  MADONNA pop singer; Maverick Records cofounder

  STEVE MANNING Sub Pop Records publicist

  TRACY MARANDER photographer; Kurt Cobain’s ex-girlfriend

  DAVE MARKEY 1991: The Year Punk Broke documentary director

  BARDI MARTIN Candlebox bassist

  BARRETT MARTIN Screaming Trees/Mad Season/Skin Yard drummer

  KEVIN MARTIN Candlebox singer

  MAIRE MASCO Pravda Productions partner; Desperate Times zine cofounder

  PONY MAURICE Feast singer

  SCOTT MCCAUGHEY Young Fresh Fellows singer/bassist/guitarist; Popllama Records/Egg Studios employee

  MIKE MCCREADY Pearl Jam/Temple of the Dog/Mad Season/Shadow guitarist

  SCOTT MCCULLUM (a.k.a. Norman Scott): Skin Yard/Gruntruck/64 Spiders drummer

  DUFF MCKAGAN bassist for Guns N’ Roses (Los Angeles); played various instruments in Fastbacks, the Fartz, the Living, 10 Minute Warning, the Vains, many more

  BEN MCMILLAN (d. 2008) Skin Yard singer; Gruntruck singer/guitarist; Cam Garrett’s first cousin

  SCOTT MERCADO Candlebox/Sky Cries Mary drummer

  LANCE MERCER photographer

  BRET MICHAELS singer for Poison (Los Angeles)

  LILLY MILIC Top Hat Records store owner; Garrett Shavlik’s wife