Seattle Sound 2014

It's finally happening.  I am finally going to the birthplace of my favorite music...after 20 years of thinking about it.  Seattle is the Mecca and founding city of most of alternative rock... namely "Grunge".  Even though most of these artists hate the term, "grunge"  it is how it's been classified.  Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, etc.  They all began here, and these bands helped shape my life and were instrumental in the formation for my appreciation of modern rock.  It also happens to be the birthplace of my boyfriend, hence the trip.  I've come to grips with the fact that I'm sure the music scene has changed since 1992, but I would love to see some remnants of that vibe.  Even though I missed out on the early days of when Mother Love Bone still existed, Layne Stayley was just becoming known for his tortured vocals, and the movie Singles was all the rage... there must be a highway of nostalgia still in play... or the ability to witness new burgeoning bands who aim to make it big on the scene.  Any local or underground rock clubs I should visit?  Regardless, just being in the presence of where all of this went down will be excitement enough for me.

Stone Temple Pilots...Finally!!! (2012)

2012 marks the 20th year anniversary of when Stone Temple Pilots' debut album, Core, was released. This was no ordinary debut. It consisted of hit after deep and twisted hit. Anyone who is familiar with the band, knows they have had a roller coaster ride of fame, drug addiction, arrests, and depression. Usually the megalomaniacal frontman, Scott Weiland, has been at the epicenter of the drama. They have even gone their separate ways in the past, forming other bands...such as Scott forming Audioslave with Slash. Yet, they decided to put the original four (brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo, drummer Eric Kretz, and Mr. Weiland) back in the saddle for a Core revisited tour.

The show was on September 4th at the Vic Theater. The venue was awesome. It doesn't hold too many people so we were able to be quite close to the stage. The entire crowd started to get severe anxiety, however, when we had to wait an hour and a half after the opening band for STP to take the stage. Rumors of Scott being a diva were flowing and my concert companion was certain they wouldn't go on at all. Finally...they put the rumors to rest and COMMANDED the stage. The sound was incredible. Scott hasn't lost one iota of his vocal ability and was able to do complete justice to every single track they performed.

Scott rocked the stage with his beyond slender frame and Jagger/Bowie-esque presence and dance moves and kept the energy soaring throughout the entire set. This was so monumentous for me as STP, along with Pearl Jam (obvi) and Smashing Pumpkins, were one of my favorite bands of the 90's. They helped me form my love for hard alternative rock, and to now see them in concert, after 20 years of being a fan, was surreal. So surreal that I could barely control myself during some of my favorite tracks like: Plush, Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart, Vasoline, Creep, Interstate Love Song, and finally Sex Type Thing (encore). I was raging so hard I think I lost 10 lbs during the show. My friend hadn't seen this side of me before and I most certainly frightened him. But hey, it was a 20 year (god I'm old) build up that needed to be released.

The band shocked the audience when they pulled Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist of Cheap Trick, on stage. They proceeded to rock the shit out of a rendition of "Surrender". My friend and I almost lost our minds...it was such a bad ass moment and we couldn't believe what we were witnessing. In the end, waiting 20 years...and the additional hour and a half was worth it. Say what you will about Weiland's crazy antics or STP being a "poor man's Pearl Jam"- they can still put on one hell of a show after 2 decades. At the end of the night, it was definitely time to take me home because my dizzy head was conscience laden....