Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Smells like Mom Spirit.


My little Sister and I are going to venture to Hollywood to see Soundgarden on the 26th. If you weren't aware of the second-coming of Soundgarden, they arrived yesterday with an amazing new album (after 15 years), King Animal. While I purchased my CD today from Canterbury Records on Colorado Boulevard (after being shown a picture of the employee with Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron), I started to think- how did I end up being a Soundgarden fan? If you would have asked 5 years ago about any 'grunge' band beyond Nirvana, I would have been clueless. To me, they were ubiquitous but anonymous to this child of the 90's. I was 7 when Nevermind, Bad Motorfinger & TEN hit music stores. To me, grunge bands were purveyors of terrifying music videos.




See? Everything is scary. Mostly Eddie Vedder.


Since my favorite band in the whole wide world is classified as "post-grunge" and includes a member of an incredibly influential grunge band, you would think my knowledge of the genre would have been wider. Nope. When Cameron and I visited Seattle 5 years ago, I giggled at the "sounds of my childhood". Eddie Vedder's deep warble, Dave Grohl's drums, Kim Thayil's distorted guitar. To me it was this moment in time, like disco, a bit of a joke. Flannel, ripped jeans, Docs, baby doll dresses, etc. I was the 10 year old in the "trickle down grunge fashion".  While we dined at Easy Street Records, I ordered a Soundgarden Burger. *snort. giggle. giggle*

So what changed? What made me notice? 

I had a seizure.

No kidding. 

Last year, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I seized right out of my own bed and landed on my tile floor. Cameron called 911, I went to the hospital, it was due to medication I was taking.
But I woke up from that seizure with a low-tolerance for TV noise (or excess, layered noise of any kind) and a high-need for music that came out of Seattle. 
I have a tumblr account. It's not something I typically advertise. It's a place for me to save pictures of things I fangirl over. Doctor Who, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, MST3K, Sons of Anarchy, etc. Because I followed many Foo Fighters fans, naturally that bled over into Pearl Jam & Soundgarden fans (Alice in Chains too, but I've yet to have the connection). I was familiar with all the players, some of the songs, etc. But there wasn't a huge desire to listen. Then my brain went on the fritz and fell two feet onto a tile floor. Somehow this jolted something in there- I had to get this music in my life. I started with Pearl Jam. Did I mention that Cameron can't stand Pearl Jam? I only share this because our musical taste is nearly identical. For the first time in our relationship, I branched out to a genre he's not really a fan of. He does a killer Vedder-impression and does it to proclaim his dislike of the band formerly known as Mookie Blaylock. 
I really wish I had some PJ on my "break-up" rotation of music. Good lord, how perfect of a break-up song is Black??? The saddest and most perfect break up song ever.
Cameron hates so much about the things he chooses to be.

I then had my "Aha!" moment with Soundgarden. It was the same way when I finally "got Zeppelin". It was the right song at the right time and the scales fell from my eyes- ears. I was listening to Rusty Cage while driving. CLICK. 
I was sold.
Continuing my education, I listened to Temple of the Dog, I back tracked to Mother Love Bone. Heck, I wandered all the way back to Green River. 
There was much head banging and rejoicing while the credits of the Avengers rolled over the tune of Live to Rise.
I googled Soundgarden Live to Rise and this showed up.
How could I not make it a part of this blog?
Also, Matt Cameron played Captain America.
Seriously. Take a look.

Here I am, purchaser of used copies of Vitalogy, Badmotorfinger and Ten. I wear lots of flannel, boots and ripped tights. Today I am counting down the days to see Soundgarden. 
I've poked around online to see if seizures have an influence on your taste or tolerance for certain music or noises. The only thing I really found was that seizures can make you quite the sexual deviant, which um, that hasn't happened. So, hey, that's good.

Here I am, child of the 90's, discovering the music that I heard everywhere as a kid, all for the first time really. I get it now. It was loud, it was large and for awhile it was a bit over the top. I do remember the day Kurt Cobain died. I remember not understanding the mourning, the dramatics. I still don't understand Courtney Love, God bless her. 
Pictured: before Dave started stealing all of Frances Bean's money.

Now, as I pour through this emotionally charged music, I get it. A little at least.
This mom in her mini-van "gets it" as she is caught air drumming along with Matt Cameron at a red light. It's letting everything be about that moment in the music. 
That's one of the best things in the world.
So, out of my seizure came something very good-
a Soundgarden concert. 
I'll let you know how it goes. 
P.S. Listen to King Animal.


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