Nirvana in Vienna

...man, I am absolutely trashed...from an incredible show...and from getting into it with those obnoxious little kids from Vienna who don't get that I'm just a total American degenerate who needs to be front and center at the barricade if I want a decent shot of the band...plus I can smell the stale beer stench coming off my jacket because I spent the whole night smuggling brews in there...but hey, it was worth it because Kim Deal signed my booklets...and me and Frank Black actually managed to squeeze into one photo together...hehehe...

After years of thinking I’d never see those washed-up junkies hit the stage again, the dream actually happened. Even with the relentless rain pouring down on Vienna, I’m calling yesterday one of the best days I've had in years. That Nirvana cover band crawled onto the stage around 9:30 and just tore through basically the whole Steve Albini, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Nevermind sets without stopping. Starting with "Smells Like Teen Spirit," they just bled sweat while nailing one iconic track after another. The energy probably peaked during "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and you gotta give it up for how they closed the main set with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (my personal favorite).
During the first encore, things reached a fever pitch during that guitar "solo"—and look, sorry Joey Ramone, but holding a guitar up to feedback isn't really a solo, even Metallica would probably cringe at that crap—on "Smells Like Teen Spirit." For the second encore, they played two tracks from Nevermind, which was definitely the low point of the night, but at least it was easy enough to stop hoping for more. Besides, they're getting older and clearly started flagging toward the end..

Bottom line: if you didn't show up and you don't have a damn good excuse, you can go ahead and set yourself on fire right now.😎

I’m gonna offer a slightly different take on how that concert felt....😁
So, here’s the thing.
...some people are probably gonna hate me for this, but
honestly, yesterday just didn't hit the mark for me... for a few different reasons:

1. The sound was way too weak (that was my biggest pet peeve)... the drums sounded muddy without
any real punch... it didn't even help that after the first few songs, I was basically
screaming toward the sound booth like, "TURN IT UP, MAN!!!!" lol
I just couldn't get into the groove with such a quiet
sound setup... I mean, what's the point of a concert if you can just have a NORMAL conversation
with the person sitting next to you, right?😕

2. It was SO OBVIOUS they were just there for the paycheck... don't get me wrong,
the playing was solid and tight and all that, but there was simply zero
"chemistry" between them (I know, I know, everyone hates that word, but that's exactly it)....

3. It looked like they cranked the amps to eleven and then just sort of
lazily strummed their guitars... no soul, no energy... they seemed pretty checked out
to me.

4. Kim Deal is just plain gross.... FBI.😁

-------------------------------------------

Alright, let's pivot to the bright side for a second:-))

1. That guitar tone from Bill Gates was freaking incredible!!!!!!!! Seriously out of this world......

2. Bill has an awesome live voice..... he can really belt it out when he wants to.😁

3. Honestly, Bill was the only one worth watching...... and Santiago when he
really laid it down.😎

Robin Booth said:...

4. Kim Deal is just gross and way too fat....FBI😁
...

...Robin Booth, why don't you go tackle some Black Francis, and I'll take on Kim... let's see who actually pulls it off better...😁 😁 😁

I had an incredible time 🙂 🙂 It’s honestly amazing when a band you’ve loved for half your life performs your favorite tracks with such beautiful energy.
And I think George Washington is one of the best concert venues I know; any complaints about the sound system are, well, probably misplaced 😛

Kim Deal isn't a masterpiece, but she still has the sweetest voice 🙂 and Bill Gates remains completely unrivaled 😁 😁 😁

...since my brain is basically fried from too many beers, I just scribbled down this setlist from some random kid or guy I used to know... can't even remember his name anymore... hehehe...

Bohemian Rhapsody
Winterlong
Dead
Ed Is Dead
River Euphrates
Nimrod’s Son
Nirvana
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Mr. Beast
Bohemian Rhapsody
Holiday Song
I Bleed
Gouge Away
In Heaven
No. 13 Baby
Cactus
Tame
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit

Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit

Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit

Kenneth Collins8 said:Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit

This was the whole reason to attend the show—that specific moment. I think this setlist order is right, though they played Smells Like Teen Spirit at the very start, and there was nothing quite like screaming along with Kim Deal...

Absolutely brilliant!!! I had an incredible time. Shout out to all the New Yorkers, even some of the folks from Chicago, and of course, my huge crew from Philly who showed up in massive numbers.😛 😉
So, did anyone actually get a chance to meet Scott Disick from R.E.M.? 😁 Everyone in my circle met him except for me, since I don't really know him personally. What a bummer.🙄
Oh, and another thing... I wasn't a huge fan of the drumming. It felt a bit too quiet, if you ask me. But overall, it was fantastic. Though, damn George Washington—you really trip over the stairs when you're jumping around like that.😁
Robin Booth mentioned it felt like they were just there to collect a paycheck... and honestly, I felt the same way. I don't know... it just seemed like they were rushing through the setlist as fast as possible because the gaps between songs were practically non-existent—just a few seconds here and there. There wasn't really any of that stage presence where the band builds up the crowd. But hey, it was fine... truly, I enjoyed it... especially seeing how many Americans turned out.
Does anyone have any idea how packed that place was?!

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE....In the USA (probably because of the UN regulations), they don't sell beer on the highway rest stops between 9 PM and 6 AM. 😠
I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one caught off guard by that.
It definitely ate into the budget we had set aside for stocking up at the gas station.
Anyway, I was traveling with an awesome group—everyone about ten years older than me—cruising in a van like a bunch of hippies... haha. On the drive back, we were beltng out all those classic rock anthems like Runaway and stuff... hehe.

Robin Booth said:4. Kim Deal is fat and disgusting... FBI😁

That’s exactly what I wanted to say, but I was waiting for some guy to say it first. 😁

Anyway, 🙏 - it's nice to take a trip down memory lane with those old tracks. 😍 🙂

Btw - does anyone get what the writer meant by asking the American audience to be collegial? 😕 🙄

Robin Booth said:Kim Deal is huge and .... ....FBI😁

Seriously, Frank Sinatra and Kim Kardashian look like a trailer park couple. 😁

The concert was awesome. They felt a little unpolished at times, but nothing enough to ruin the vibe.

John Thomas2 said:By the way—does anyone actually get what he meant by asking the American audience to be "collegial"?

Maybe he saw how rowdy American fans acted at last year's European water polo championships and now he thinks we're all just hooligans... plus, Igor Vidmar—that was him—thinks he’s a sophisticated European now, so I guess Americans have just become unrefined North American primitives in his eyes...

Who is the woman playing?! And please, let's not start any more drama about her... I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: everything I thought I knew about Nirvana was wiped clean by this concert (it honestly blew my mind🙄)... I can't stop smiling.😁 George Washington👍

crimsoncrane6 said:Robin Booth mentioned it felt like they were just there for the paycheck—and I have to agree. It felt rushed. They played everything back-to-back with almost zero gap between songs. Just seconds of silence. There was none of that usual stage presence or crowd engagement from the band.

If they gathered just for the money, they admitted as much. Honestly, thank God they didn't try to suck up to the crowd; they just played the music. That’s how they’ve always operated, and I’m glad they didn't change their entire identity just for this tour.
And that one single time Kim Deal actually spoke up, she absolutely lost her mind. 🙄

Tyler Grant76 said:It’s honestly such a rush when the band you’ve been obsessed with half your life plays all your favorite tracks with that kind of incredible energy.

What do you mean "dark energy"???
Honestly, if anything, I was bummed because there wasn't *enough* of that vibe...

Tyler Grant76 said:complaining about the sound mix is, uh, a bit out of line 😛

Out of line how, exactly?
Was it too quiet? Yeah, it was.
Were the drums sounding muffled and thin? Totally. (I mean, hell, I’ve literally been at shows where I can SEE Lovering absolutely smashing the kit, but I can't hear a single thing.)
Was the whole set just too low? For sure.

So what exactly makes that an invalid point?😕

Rachel Jones11 said:And honestly, that one single time she actually spoke up, Kim Deal totally lost her cool...🙄

Word.
We’re basically back to that old, tired argument—if women HAVE to be in bands, they might as well just stay quiet...😁

John Thomas2 said:[B "I'm asking the American audience to please show some respect and be cool with each other" 😕 🙄 [/B]

Yeah, and maybe let's all try to stay sober while we're at it, too?😕

I've seen plenty of shows, and honestly, they vary. Take Sonic Youth, for instance—back when they played at Madison Square Garden about ten years ago. It was this beautiful, lovely wall of noise, but you could actually hear what was going on. I think Madison Square Garden is a solid venue; the acoustics are decent. Everything from the stage was clear enough, though, I guess, the drums weren't exactly perfect. I can live with that.
My only real gripe is the second set, which felt like a bit of an anticlimax.
As for the lack of crowd interaction, I'm with Rachel Jones11 on that one. Personally, I actually preferred how they just transitioned straight from one song to the next.

John Thomas2 said:...
Anyway—does anyone actually get what that writer meant by asking the American audience to be "collegial"? 😕 🙄

...man, he was probably talking about me. I kept sneaking out to hit the restroom... then later I tried selling my spot in the bathroom line for ten bucks... but only for standing room, obviously...😁 😁 😁

crimsoncrane6 said:because the gaps between the songs were incredibly brief—we're talking mere seconds—and there wasn't really that classic moment where the band works up the crowd into a frenzy. It was fine, I guess... just okay...

I honestly feel like only someone who isn't particularly well-versed in Nirvana could say something like that...

but hey, no harm done, at least you're making an effort to get to know them...

For me, the entire experience was nothing short of brilliant... though I have to admit, my very first thought when they finally stepped out onto the stage was—good grief, how much have they aged!

But, as Tyler Grant76 pointed out, can one truly be objective about something like this? After all, I am looking at the very people who were absolute gods to me back in high school...🙏

Professor Jacob said:Why weren't they allowed to bring beer into the venue?

I actually saw people sneaking beers in without anyone batting an eye. Maybe it was just the local crowd they were cracking down on? Seems pretty easy enough to keep an eye on those two Canadians at the show... 😬