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EMSheldon's Collection

Nirvana   10/30/1992

Estadio José Amalfitani, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Source SBD/VHS Matrix
Media CD-R   1 disc
Notes Nobody Knows That I'm New Wave
Aneurysm
Smells Like Teen Spirit TEASE
Breed
Smells Like Teen Spirit TEASE#2
Drain You
Beeswax
Spank Thru
School
Come As You Are
Lithium
Lounge Act
Sliver
About A Girl
Polly
In Bloom
Territorial Pissings
Been A Son
On A Plain
Negative Creep
Blew
All Apologies
Endless, Nameless

Incomplete, cropped and edited versions of this show have circulated as commercial bootlegs under the titles -"Higher State of Mind", "Bang Tango", and "Kurko".
These all begin with "Breed" and cut out during "On a Plain".

In August 2002 a complete version of this show surfaced, melding the high quality partial soundbord recording with an unknown Video source supplying all of the missing begining, end and between song material.
What was missing is INCREDIBLE! This to me is THE essence of a Nirvana concert!!!

Supposedly Kurt planned on a low scale concert, perhaps wishful thinking because it was being played at a football stadium. As part of their deal, they got to choose the opening act. Kurt picked Calamity Jane, an all woman band that Kurt liked a lot(one of their albums is one of Kurts favorites - read Journals) The crowd of drunken jocks didn't take kindly to the all female band and their music and became restless, resulting in them pelting the stage with sticks,stones,bottles, and garbage. Kurt, stood and watched, and later described the scene as the greatest display of sexism he had ever witnessed. Kirst knew that Kurt would try and sabotage the show. But Kurt's mind was made up, and the band eventually agreed to the plan, just moments before they went on stage.

Supplied from the Video Audience source the show starts with what some have speculated is a cover, others feel is a Kurt original composition practiced before, and others feel is an improvised song. Kurt can being heard screaming "I'm New Wave, I'm Old School".This song really sticks in my head. The band launches into a killer "Aneurysm." The crowd calls for "Smells Like Teen Spirit-the big hit - Kurt stopped playing this song in 1992 feeling it was oversaturated and then resumed it later. Kurt begins to exact his revenge on the crowd. Almost answering the aura of the crowd, the band bursts into the now famous intro to Teen Spirit, the crowd goes wild and then the band all STOP in unison in a perfect tease! They plunge right into "Breed". Again calls for "Teen Spirit" & again -the intro only tease - and then right into a powerful version of "Drain You" - always Kurt's intent magnified now. This was the usual setlist at the time - Breed, Aneursym, Drain You were played at nearly every show in 1992 early on. During this show before a number of songs Kurt plays the chords to the next song he's chosen to play like he is figuring them out or learning them for the first time. Suddenly Kurt starts playing the first few chords of a song. The last time something similar was heard was when the band was at the VPRO radio station in November of '91. Dave starts playing the beat. Although released that year on the "Incesticide" compilation the song "Beeswax" had not been played live since 1988. It is a great version and worth getting this disc for alone. Kurt continued to play the opening chords of songs, as if to indicate what he wanted to play next. Another extremely rare choice next "Spank Thru". Again agitated by the jocks Kurt again sabotages the show. They begin "Come As You Are" another radio hit to the delight of the crowd. Instead if singing the words Kurt substitutes "Hey" for each syllable in the first verse. Once the crowd is sufficiently agitated Kurt begins the songs first verse, screaming all the words wholeheartedly as if the say "You want it you got it" and shoves a particularly potent version right down their throats. This is the diocotmy of Kurt: one second self-destructive the next brilliant artist; all illustrated here within a few minutes of this song. The band starts playing normally again, with an occasional flub or lyric change.After "About a Girl" Dave asks Kirst if he wants to Tango. Things get real loose and out of control.The crowd is now screaming for "Teen Spirit". Kirst sick of the adolescent crowd starts to jam on the bassline to "Polly". The band starts "Polly" but Kurt keeps repeating the last line of the first verse only. The loose atmosphere on stage reshapes the arrangement of "Polly" with Dave adding cymbal flourishes throughout. This possibly irratates Kurt as he asks Dave for a drum solo immediately after, with Dave replying he wasn't much of a drummer. Kirst takes the opportunity for a solo and is joined for a few jams - not a usual occurance at a Nirvana show. Next Kurt asks Krist how to play "In Bloom" and in a funny moment they figure it out. Most of the between song material, the banter etc. is not present on the soundboard recording and is provided by this new audience source. I call these recordings "Frankenstein Recordings" as one recording is "sewn" into another, all the peices coming together to create one seamless recording. Whoever put this together did it well. After Bloom Dave starts a Techno beat jam, stating "No me gusto techno" and then the band falls into a pounding version of "Blew" the usual show closer. The crowd screams for a "Teen Spirit" encore. Uncharacteristcally the band comes out. Instead Kurt pulls out "All Apologies" an unreleased song the crowd would be unfamiliar with - and perhaps also to say sorry he couldn't give them what they wanted! And it is Kurt and band who get the final revenge. What follows is hands down the best version of a rare song. The secret hidden track on the Nevermind album "Endless Nameless" is LONG with Kurt violently screaming, tons of feedback, lots of drums and ends in the demolition of the stage and all instruments. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was never played. This is what it was all about.
Tech Notes All
J-Card Comment cod
Trades Allowed Yes
Reference / Generation 0003998828
Owned by EMSheldon · Last Updated May 23, 2023