8-holed cherry red docs

When I was 7 or 8, my mother took me to visit family friends on Orcas Island, just across the border in Washington State. It would have been late 92 or early 93, right at the height, and what was also the tail end, of the grunge era. Nirvana's Nevermind had been released only one year earlier and they were probably the most popular band at the time.


My mum's friend had a daughter, Simona, who was about five or six years older than I and was, in my eyes, the coolest (she and her friend thought I was 12!!). I remember lounging on the sofa in their living room, with her, her boyfriend (who was 16 and drove a van) and her best friend (with whom she had snuck out with all night and confided in me), all clad in plaid flannel, baggy, torn jeans, doc martens and long, greasy hair (I was even jealous of Simona's acne, (which she blamed on Dove soap), not realising that there was, in fact, nothing desirable about a whitehead). We watched "Look Who's Talking" and the next day, with her three brothers (two older and one younger), had, what remains to this day, the most memorable water fight I ever partook in.


I didn't have older siblings to look up to, but from that weekend on, my elementary school years were plagued with Nirvana, Hole, Greenday, Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine. I even had Guns 'n' Roses' "Use Your Illusion II" on cassette (much to the distaste of my parents).


I remember when Georgia's older sister was planning on going to the Guns 'n' Roses concert in Vancouver at, what must have been, about the age of 14 and I remember my mum saying "I would never let my 14 year old daughter go to a rock concert! Concerts are not the same as they used to be!" (she had not yet, of course, had a 14 year old daughter).


I didn't, by any means, morph into a grunge rocker. I didn't have the influence or motivation to do so entirely. I didn't start wearing plaid, although I did get a pair of doc martens in grade three, and I probably didn't wash my hair (just a guess). I remember when Kurt died in '94 and being at my friend Melissa's house when I found out. Her older brothers sat in their basement bedroom blasting Nirvana all night while she and I attempted to sleep.


With all that far behind me, I still enjoy listening to the odd throw back track and I was ecstatic when I got to see Tom Morello's new band in May.

In celebration of Pearl Jam being in 'Vangrity' tonight (I say 'Vangrity' purposely for the grungeness of it), and in lieu of tickets I do not possess, I decided to make a new play list (I even created a second songza account so as not to erase my previous electro list which I only added two days ago. How's that for dedication?).

As previously stated, I'm not going to the show tonight. I had actually completely forgotten that Pearl Jam were coming to town until Allie mentioned that she and her boyfriend (who is a couple years older than us and so is allowed to call himself a product of the 90's) were going to try and get tickets. It was then that I realised that I had subconsciously worn a plaid shirt and also not washed my hair and probably should be going but then I also realised that I have only eighty dollars to my name until Wednesday and should maybe just stay home with a bottle of Listerine instead (I'm kidding! Fuck!).


The long and the short of it is, I made this list.


It's not all 'grunge'.


But it's from the era.


Cummon! Tell me The Cranberries don't make you want to haul out and lace up your 8-holed cherry red docs?


Grunge is not dead...yet...


(keep in mind, this is probably the least amount of effort I've put into a playlist so it's not top notch...but part of Grunge is about not caring...isn't it?)


1). Pearl Jam- Jeremy
2). Nirvana - About a Girl
3). Live - Lightning Crashes
4). Soundgarden - Outshined
5). Stone Roses - Love Spreads
6). Guns N' Roses - Don't Cry
7). Nine Inch Nails - Gave Up
8). Alice in Chains - Man in the Box
9). The Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
10). Metallica - Master of Puppets
11). Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name
12). Tool - Undertow
13). Sonic Youth - Dirty Boots
14). Pixies - Wave Of Mutilation
15). Dinosaur Jr. - Keep The Glove
16). Screaming Trees - Where The Twain Shall Meet
17). Stone Temple Pilots - Crackerman
18). The Cranberries- Zombie
19). Gin Blossoms - 29
20). Mudhoney into the drink
21). Green River - Queen Bitch
22). The Melvins- Cow
23). Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
24). Temple Of The Dog - Pushin' Forward Back
25). Mother Love Bone - Captain Hi-Top