๐ŸŽธ Grunge Culture๏ƒ

Seattle-based bands have topped the world charts in that era. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden have sold millions of recordsโ€ฆ. musical movements centered around Seattle in a sound and style that became known as grunge.

A month before that album came out, they were, the basis of the generation ofโ€ฆ X societies.

How does the grunge become a movement, as I understand it, is the fact that these kids have the ability to say anything they want to say, express anything they want to express, any anger, any pain, any anguish, any torment, and they feel a kinship, a oneness, that this young man has been through, tragedy?

singing-men

What you actually see happening in Seattle is this kind of explosion of sub culture. I think itโ€™s a very important thing and a very healthy thing to have happen anywhere, particularly in a place like Seattle, itโ€™s so conservative and so reserved to have something like this happen hereโ€™s been nothing short of, like, major electrical shock.

Everything was suddenly just buzzing with activity. I mean, singles were being put out, but there was no point earlier in history that you could have a magazine devote an entire record review section just to local record reviews.

People from underground fan scenes across the country were already starting to snipe about Seattle and how much hype it was receiving. When things started to become spotlighted, more venues opened up and more opportunities opened up for people to play but there was never a lack of great musical talent and it was always really diverse and there was always an unspoken sense of community about it.

Well, Seattle was really lame, specifically, in the early โ€™80s, I mean, Seattle was like a million second cities. It had a fake Talking Heads, it had a fake Killing Joke, it had all the fake Ramones you could shake a stick at, you know, and people from Bellevue singing with English accents.

There was this big poodle metal scene. Bands with, big fancy guitars and just tons and tons of hairspray, eyeliner used to hang out on First Avenue. There was a donut shop right there which was right next to The Showbox which is right there. Itโ€™s a comedy club now. And that was like the big punk rock venue.

โ€œNobody was too worried about success because we knew we were living in Seattle, you know, it wasnโ€™t LAโ€.

Seattle the largest city located in the Pacific northwestern of USA and one of the Americaโ€™s fastest-growing cities historically the world war two brought growth to the city but Seattle never had much of a cultural environment no one could predict the city would be the place of the creation of one of the biggest subcultures in history: grunge

Another big contribute from the World War Two to grunge was the creation of the youth culture. For teenagers even, the word itself played an important role in grunge teens had now more leisure time and disposal income in early 80s the adolescence of those who would be part of the Seattle music scene was a mix of dropping out from school hanging out with each other attending gigs in local clubs and playing music together by going to the same place as kids of punk rock and kids of metal converged the scenes were mixing although there was a little disdain for the punk rockers and what they represented at that time.

Bands played for fun it was an escape and yet a fantasy everyone relevant in grunge went to the same places and same house parties everyone knew each other and they would form and break up bands not only because of music skills, primarily it was because of personal compatibility.

Music is a mix between social and cultural experiences and the personalities of the musicians it is one of the reasons most of grunge bands were always replacing their members it was a do-it-yourself philosophy bands would practice in their houses call to their friends whenever they needed a manager a producer or a roadie they would figure out the studios to record their demos by themselves.

You man, Green River, Soundgarden malfunction and the melvins were the most known bands in Seattle in the early 80s Soundgarden than the melvins were a big influence of Nirvana.

The sound of these bands was loud and fast a complaining set to a drop D tuning the concerts were crazy energetic and weird but they were authentic and sincere, they possessed the primary aesthetic value sincerity the crazy performances and the gestures of the band members were part of the musical experience. it created affection and desire in the audience females were a constant presence at the concerts the good luck of some band members would attract them to the venues.

many argue Nirvana success was only based on kurtโ€™s Cobain look, a subculture was emerging it was already possible to identify.

they surrounded themselves with the weirdness and introspection of some band members the way they dress themselves the crowd at the concerts the slang and the identification between the bands and their fans.

the Seattle music scene was more than music by now it was a lifestyle.

About the Author๏ƒ

Mujahid Al-Majali, a 29-year-old former air force soldier and an economic development and business specialist, also does translation and copywriting. Loves long drives, chill music and old school movies. A nicotine addict and a huge fan of Jack Danielโ€™s whiskey. Owned multiple businesses in Amman and southern of Jordan PRE-COVID and now focusing on translation and copywriting part of my experience through Upwork.