And yet, for those who are fascinated by the legacy of a complex, compromised man whose music poured from millions of speakers in the early Nineties (and still does in distant 2024), Aberdeen is as crucial a component of his story as any of the Seattle hotspots which framed Nirvana’s heyday. You just have to seek him out more diligently.
And, as of late, there has been a gentle thaw in relations. Much of it down to two people.
Lee Bacon and his wife Dani moved to Aberdeen a decade ago, and could not believe the lack of affinity between the town and its most famous son. “I was just really shocked that there wasn’t more to see,” Lee told local newspaper The Daily World last year. “As we got into the project, it only reinforced our beliefs that we knew there should be [more of a visible link to Cobain and Nirvana], and more of a destination for fans to come and visit.”
The “project” he was referring to is the couple’s ongoing mission to bring the band and their music to Aberdeen’s downtown. They conceived the idea in 2016, but only now is it starting to come to fruition. In February last year, they held a grand celebration on West Wishkah Street, to mark the re-unveiling of a mural, Nirvana And Aberdeen. A sprawling depiction of the band and the wider grunge scene which emerged in Washington in the late Eighties, painted by Aberdeen artist Erik Sandgren, the artwork had been tucked away in an obscure location. The Bacons had it transferred to the front of the more prominent Side One Building at around the time they convinced the Aberdeen civic authorities to make February 20 – the singer’s birthday – an official “Kurt Cobain Day”.
Owned by the Bacons, the Side One Building is the focal point of what is a three-pronged plan. A sizeable block of masonry, looming where West Wishkah meets South K Street, it is set to play host to two parts of the project – the Green Room (a music and performance space) and the Tribute Gallery (as its name suggests, a hive of memorabilia and imagery).
It will be joined by a second structure – 1210 East First Street, the former Cobain family home, where the young Kurt lived between 1968 and 1984. Having also purchased this property, the Bacons are in the process of restoring it to its appearance during the Eighties, in consultation with Cobain’s sister Kim. “The family moved out in 1995; nothing had changed,” Lee told The Daily World. “It had original furniture. It came as an amazing canvas to work with – plus, we had the family input to tell the story accurately.”
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
