In the summer of 1993, Stone Temple Pilots co-headlined a US tour together. Stone Temple Pilots were supporting their debut album, Core, which was a massive commercial success. The Butthole Surfers were supporting their sixth studio album, Independent Worm Saloon, produced by former Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. On July 3, 1993, the tour stopped in Seattle, the home city of the grunge movement. Since they were performing nearby, Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain decided to attend the concert.

This seems completely normal and expected, but it’s what he had previously said that made things awkward. Cobain was notably a fan of the Butthole Surfers, so there’s nothing off there. He consistently included the band on lists of influences, and also included them on a list of his top 50 favorite albums later found in his personal journal. But when it came to Stone Temple Pilots, Cobain didn’t care for bands who suddenly emerged during the rise of grunge. Notably, he was standoffish towards Pearl Jam, and members of Stone Temple Pilots assumed his “bandwagon” comments were also about them.

Cobain Appears Backstage

In 2019, Alternative Nation published an account from former Mudhoney manager Bob Whittaker. Reportedly, Whittaker took Cobain backstage, where he hung out with the guys in the Butthole Surfers and met Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. Whittaker said, “I remember in Seattle, Butthole Surfers opened for them. We were backstage to say hi to the band after the show. I was goofing around with Kurt. He jumped on my back, and I took him into the Stone Temple Pilots dressing room. Security was going to toss us out, but Scott saw Kurt and rescued us.”

Things got awkward real fast, but the tension was hilariously broken. “I set Kurt down, and then Scott and Kurt talked at the deli tray table. A bit awkward at first. Kurt said, ‘People tell me you sound like Nirvana’. You must owe me some publishing money then.’ Scott didn’t miss a beat and pulled out a crumpled, sweaty $1 bill from his pocket and gave it to Kurt. Kurt took it. We all laughed and left.”

This was the only encounter between these two grunge giants. Less than a year later, Kurt Cobain would take his own life, marking the beginning of the end of the grunge era. Following this, the post-grunge era commenced in the latter half of the 90s with bands such as Stone Temple Pilots transforming their sound with each release.

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There’s no denying, Kurt Cobain was a cultural icon of the 1990s. Not only did Nirvana take alternative rock into the mainstream in September 1991, but they also introduced fans to underground music of the 70s and 80s. This gave some of Cobain’s major influences a platform in the 90s to join the mainstream. Notably, bands such as Pixies, Sonic Youth, and Melvins directly influenced the band and get the most recognition for doing so. Here are 3 bands that Kurt Cobain also loved that deserve another listen and more credit.

The Vaselines

The Vaselines are a Scottish alternative rock band, formed in 1986. The duo, based in Glasgow, featured songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee. Kurt Cobain once claimed The Vaselines are “his favorite songwriters in the whole world.” Nirvana covered a handful of songs from the group, including “Son Of A Gun” and “Molly’s Lips”, included on their 1992 compilation Incestide. They later covered “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam” live on MTV Unplugged in November 1993.

Beat Happening

It’s general knowledge that Cobain emerged from the underground scene in the Pacific Northwest. He notably lived in Olympia, specifically during Nirvana’s formative years. One of his favorite local groups was Beat Happening, an indie pop band from Olympia. The band formed in 1982, with band leader Calvin Johnson co-founding K Records that same year. It’s an independent record label out of Olympia that later released early releases by artists such as Modest Mouse, Built To Spill, Beck, and more.

Cobain loved K Records so much that he got their shield logo tattooed on his forearm. He did so to remind himself where he came from as a youth, hanging around the local DIY scene in Olympia.

Cheap Trick

As much as Cheap Trick gets their due recognition in the world of classic rock, they don’t get nearly enough credit for their influence on alternative rock. Countless alternative bands of the 90s, including Nirvana, openly admitted their love for Cheap Trick. This may be lesser-known, though, as the band had a variety of different sounds in their heyday. It’s often overlooked, but Cheap Trick’s influence contributed heavily to the creation of grunge and even predicted it in songs such as “Auf Wiedersehen”.

In the liner notes of the 1992 compilation Incesticide, Cobain stated: “I’ll be the first to admit, we’re the 90s version of Cheap Trick.” He used this mentality to explain to producer Steve Albini which direction he wanted Nirvana to go for their third album, In Utero. Albini was notably a massive Cheap Trick fan, and it was known by anyone who worked with him.

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