My name is Jennifer and I deliver soft hitting journalism, right in your face, but it’s soft, so it doesn’t hurt. It’s like a pillow fight against knowledge… Everybody wins. Today’s topic: NIRVANA—The effects of Nirvana on a then-16 year old boy.

I’m sitting here with Bobby “I’m all about safety” Pin getting an insight on his opinions on one of my favorite grunge bands: Nirvana.

So, Bobby when was the first time you heard the band?

It was 1991 and I was 16.

Were there many kids listening to them at your school?

No, most of them were into Guns N' Roses and Metallica. Whoever wasn’t into that was into dance music.

What was the first song you listened to?

It could quassibly* have been Teen Spirit.
(*Actually said during interview. A combination of quite & possibly)

All Right, so where was the first time you saw the men behind the music and how did you feel about it?

I saw them on Saturday Night Live, they destroyed their instruments on stage. Looking back it seems a little *yawn* but back then I was like Oh this is nice.

Did enjoying this band's music have any effect on your wardrobe?

No not at all, I was already me.

Bobby… Did you stick pins in your clothing?

Hahaha.. Yeah but it had nothing to do with Nirvana.. I had this denim jacket my uncle gave me and because it was falling apart… I used safety pins to keep it together.

Why was it falling apart?

Stop, drop, and roll.

Did you have anything bad gluteus maximus on it besides your pins?

The little man from Einsturzende Neubauten, that was kinda bad gluteus maximus.

What?

It's a German industrial band.

Okay... Dude, why didn't you just sew the jacket?

...Because I didn't go to the library to get sewing books.

Good answer. How did this new music affect the kids in your school?

Well it was just me, one skateboarder kid and one other kid on the fringes that were listening to punk/hardcore music. A few months later it was an outbreak of hair dye and punk rock tees. I was like oh this is interesting. Interesting in a good way—not in an eye rolling sarcastic way.

Were there any extreme cases of kids changing their appearance or behavior?

There was this one girl, kinda mainstream, kinda pretty, one day she came into school with half of her head shaved.

ALRIGHT—well that's extreme. 
Did that make you mad, that kids were suddenly changing because of what they were seeing and hearing?

Not really, I enjoyed the fact that other people finally tuned in. It changed the cultural landscape of the school in a good way. 

Wicked, your attitude on that subject is pretty cool.
Where were you when Kurt Cobain died?

I was in a car in New Jersey and I heard it on the radio with my girlfriend.

What did you think?

...Oh well, we'll never see if he had more than a couple of good albums in him.

Haha, oh man that's cold.
Did it affect kids, did they like freak out and burn candles?

I was in my college years around this time, and it didn't really phase anyone around me.

That's pretty sad.

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on.

All time favorite songs?

"About a Girl," "In Bloom," "Territorial Pissings."

You "like all [their] pretty songs," don’t you, Bobby?

Sure.

Nice. Did Nirvana influence you?

No, I was influenced by Black Flag, Minor Threat, and the Misfits at a younger age.

Oh...  

Well thanks for that Bobby..

You’re welcome. Wait... actually Nirvana did influence me. I indirectly started listening to the Raincoats because of Nirvana. I believe Kurt Cobain was a big fan which lead to a renewed interest in the Raincoats which lead to them rereleasing their recordings. I had borrowed the Raincoats self titled 1979 release from my friend and fell in love with it. I remember reading Kurt Cobain's comments in the liner notes and he spoke of the Raincoats with a reverence. I still have that CD, I never gave it back to my friend. I feel a little remorseful about that.

So Nirvana did not effect this 16 year old boy much, but they obviously changed the world he lives in—And the world he lives in—is my world today.

Sliver

MTV Unplugged in New York

In Utero

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