Clint Brownlee

Yesterday I pointed out how Soundgarden reunion rumors had been swirling again in late 2009. In December, the speculation was "confirmed" by some. Shot down by others.

Then the ball dropped.

Check out the site Chris Cornell, former/future Soundgarden frontman, included in his tweet: http://www.soundgardenworld.com /

Hell yes. Not a bad start to 2010.

If you grew up when grunge blew up—in the Northwest or unfortunately far away, like me—you probably felt a few tugs at your heartstrings via your eardrums (and eyeballs) this year. Maybe what you heard gave you a little thrill. Maybe it pissed you off. Either way, it was a fine year for remembering and reliving Seattle’s flannel-rock heyday. Here's the most compelling (second half of the) evidence. (Check out items 10-6 in Part 1 here.)

5. Mudhoney plays the West Seattle streets

Grunge's elder statesmen could have passed on playing under a tent on SW Alaska Street. They've toured all over the planet—since 1988—after all. But Mudhoney embraced its neighborhood roots (frontman Mark Arm and former bassist Matt Lukin are residents), and West Seattle Summer Fest attendees were given a (free) sonic treat not soon forgotten.

Introduced by then-King County Exec candidate Dow Constantine (who apparently knows Arm, among other musicians, from the scene's early days), the always-full-throttle band played a 75-minute set to a delighted sea of friends and families. Thirty- and forty-something fans danced with kids on their shoulders. Younger people crowdsurfed—courteously, if that's possible. In the street. While Mudhoney brought it. It was an experience, I believe, nearing what the church folks call "fellowship."

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4. Pearl Jam returns home to KeyArena

It's become a tradition of sorts: Pearl Jam executes a tour without playing Seattle. (The Gorge doesn't count.) Then, when the city's feeling most neglected, the greatest band around gives us two incredible nights at KeyArena. This time, four years had passed and new factors played into the band's shows and Eddie Vedder's banter. New president. No basketball team. New album. The fresh enthusiasm and optimism found on that record, Backspacer, fired up both September shows, making each (rarity, fan favorite, and big hit-boasting) two-hour night yet another standout event. Hope the wait is shorter this time.

3. Nirvana’s records, Reading show get special treatment

Nirvana would have marked its 20th year in 2009 had things gone well for Kurt Cobain and the trio stayed together. (The odds weren't good.) Because of that, the band was remembered this year more than in many years past. Sub Pop reissued Nirvana's debut, Bleach, on 180g white vinyl and CD on November 3. (Both versions featured a previously unearthed 1990 Portland show.) On the same day, Geffen released the band's legendary 1992 Reading Festival performance on vinyl, CD, and DVD. A month later, Nevermind, In Utero, and the MTV Unplugged record were given the limited-run 180g treatment. That much-hyped Reading set, finally available for all to see, lived up to its praise; Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl were truly amazing—and obviously feeling it—that night. You have to believe there could have been many more like it.

2. Chris Cornell joins Pearl Jam for Temple of the Dog reunion

It was just for one song, "Hunger Strike," but when Chris Cornell joined Pearl Jam on LA's Gibson Amphitheater stage in October, Temple of the Dog was back. Formed in 1990 as a reaction to Mother Love Bone frontman Andy Wood's death, the band included Cornell and all of Pearl Jam's current members. (Drummer Matt Cameron was with Soundgarden at the time.) Temple of the Dog existed only briefly, putting out just one self-titled record in 1991. This four-minute alignment was the first since all the guys joined for two songs in 2003. When will it happen again?

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1. "Tadgarden" plays surprise set at the Croc

Soundgarden reunion rumors swirl pretty regularly, and are always empty hot air. But they gained momentum in 2009 despite the band's players gathering behind Tad Doyle, not Chris Cornell, for a one-off set at the revived Crocodile in March. Tad, not blessed with Cornell's pipes, didn't exactly fill the former frontman's shoes as stomp in them. But who cared? There wasn't a bigger, more thrilling surprise in Seattle—hell, in rock music—this year. (Didn't hurt that Mark Arm and Wayne Kramer were also on hand for Tom Morello's magical Justice Tour.) "Tadgarden" sounded fantastic. And gave Cornell more than empty rumors to contemplate. It. Could. Happen.

If you grew up when grunge blew up—in the Northwest or unfortunately far away, like me—you probably felt a few tugs at your heartstrings via your eardrums (and eyeballs) this year. Maybe what you heard gave you a little thrill. Maybe it pissed you off. Either way, it was a fine year for remembering and reliving Seattle’s flannel-rock heyday. Here's the most compelling (first half of the) evidence.

10. News flash: Satchel is back!

Mid-year, founding members Shawn Smith and Regan Hagar both said Satchel was long-gone history. A reunion for the melodic rock band, defunct since 1997, was admittedly an old-school fan's sentimental wish. Or was it? By fall, Smith was tweeting hints that he and former Satchel cohorts (drummer Hagar and guitarist John Hoag) were playing together again. Then Smith's site boasted an official reunion, fresh tunes, and a new studio record (Heartache and Honey, appropriately). And finally, this belated Christmas Twitter-gift from Smith on the 28th: "Satchel confirmed, Feb. 18th 2010 at The Crocodile in Seattle." Awesome. I so want to believe I helped make this happen.

9. Pearl Jam’s Ten turns 18, gets deluxe reissue

The first step in a promised 2011 celebration of 20 years of music, the reissue of Pearl Jam's big-time debut was a doozy. Multiple packages boasting multiple music formats (viva la vinyl!) and replicated grunge-era memorabilia sated hardcore fans while a complete crisp, Vedder-vocal-boosting new mix from producer Brendan O'Brien pleased everyone. By clearing up the hitherto unnoticed echo effects and cloudy fuzz, O'Brien made a classic rock album sound even classic-er. Look for similar reissues of Pearl Jam's successive records in the coming years.

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8. Grunge books recount the era's look and feel

Rock journalist Greg Prato put together the most comprehensive and fascinating account of Seattle's global musical domination with spring's Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music. The book's so good because the tales are told by the people who lived them, before and after the term "grunge" became synonymous with local rock: producers (Jack Endino), concert-goers, girlfriends (Tracy Marander), label owners (Pavitt and Poneman), roadies, managers (Susan Silver), and band members (Mark Arm, Jerry Cantrell, Kathleen Hanna, Mark Pickerel, Kim Thayill, Eddie Vedder...). You'll learn about the iconic (and forgotten) bands of the era, their members' personal struggles, and the clubs that hosted their genre-founding awesomeness.

Grunge isn't as must-have a book, but it's an honest, telling document of that time. Half street-punk album and half band portrait, Michael Lavine's photo book captures the souls of the people who made the music and of those who ate it up—or fashionably rejected it, preferring those bands' pure punk and metal predecessors. (Lavine was a Sub Pop-sanctioned photographer at the time. Cha-ching!) Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore adds some introductory color (and amusing ain't-I-cool lyricism). It's a super look back; the release party, featuring Tad Doyle's Brotherhood of the Sonic Cloth and Mudhoney, was even better.

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7. Chris Cornell "sells out" with Scream

How far the mighty do fall. And those who thought former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell plummeted with Scream were wrong. Yes, it was produced by self-inflated beat deity Timbaland. Yes, it's a hip hop- and R&B-flavored album. Yep, it includes a silly, stereotypical rap-album intro. And yeah, Cornell sings about "the club," the hoochies, and uses harsh language. But Scream's a tasty piece of catchy candy. It's an instant singalong-dancealong. Lamentable lack of all-out Cornell vocals aside, it's seriously pretty fantastic. And proves the musician will do what he wants without worrying about what you, Badmotorfinger-lover, will think. Good for him.

6. Alice in Chains releases first studio record in 14 years

The last time Alice in Chains had a new album, Bill Clinton had just met Monica Lewinsky and the sting of Kurt Cobain's suicide was still relatively fresh in Seattle. And when Alice in Chains was new, the band itself was unfortunately sliding toward defunctitude. Years later, when no new music had been made and Layne Staley died, it seemed AIC was history. But vocalist-guitarist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Inez never called it quits; instead, they recruited Comes with the Fall frontman William DuVall. After a few one-off shows, the rejuvenated band started recording new tunes. Black Gives Way to Blue, a heavy, contemplative love letter of sorts to Staley, was the end result. In short: it's classic, yet new-century AIC. Staley's haunting voice is gone, yes; but DuVall's own solid larynx complements the band's signature sound with apparent comfort and grace. Surprisingly or not, Black Gives Way is one of the best records of the year.

Can you guess the top five? Stay tuned.

"As a thank you to the brave men and women that serve and protect us everyday," KISW put together a storied local rock lineup for tonight's "KISW Salutes the Shield" show at Snoqualmie Casino. One $20 ticket will get you in for Duff McKagan's Loaded, an acoustic set from Queensryche, and a special appearance by Pearl Jam/Flight to Mars/Shadow guitar virtuoso Mike McCready. Here's the man killing (and singing!) Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child." (Pardon the crappy visuals; I'm no pro.)

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Get there early to bid on "autographed music and sports memorabilia." You won't be the only one benefiting from the riffs and swag, of course. All proceeds will benefit the Lakewood Police Independent Guild. That's the best part.

Had enough of those treacly "Christmas in the Northwest" lyrics? Here's a change of pace.

Yep, that's a real (twisted) take on "The Twelve Days of Christmas," released exclusively to L.A. radio way back in pre-grungesploitation 1990. (And the voices are those of some of the show's actual cast. Can't mistake Kimmy Robertson's squeaky pitch.) The North Bend- and Snoqualmie-shot Twin Peaks clips are a more recent addition, but they remind us what a head-scratchingly wonderful present David Lynch gave us—courtesy of quaint, sleepy, sometimes creepy Northwest locales—all those Christmases long, long ago.

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The Twin Peaks legend limps on in North Bend's Twede's Cafe, worth a visit if you're in the area during the holidays. They still offer a damn fine (well, mediocre, really) cup of coffee.

If there's anything better than drinking top-notch craft-brewed beer in a comfy neighborhood pub, it has to be making your special someone happy. While drinking delicious craft-brewed beer.

So the best place to be this evening—hell, this chilly gift-giving season—is Greenwood's new-ish Naked City Taphouse. Three reasons why:

1. 20+ taps of Washington's finest nectar for your imbibing, body-warming pleasure.

2. First-ever taps of the Naked City owners' own brews (Exhibit A: "White Russian Imperial Stout aged on Kahlua-soaked oak." Aptly named Big Lebrewski. Um, yum.)

3. Nifty artisan-crafted wares your lady or guy friend (or yourself) would love to unwrap on Christmas morn.

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They call it Naked City Brewtique. Apparently booths will be set up inside the pub, where you'll find fine jewelry (some courtesy of SunBreak Jack's talented wife), greeting cards, "beer-inspired" soaps, and etched pint glasses. Cool stuff.

Craft sales start at 5 p.m. Ditch work and drop in for a beer or three well before that. Tight wallets do not a strong economy (or happy special someone) make!

The Alice in Chains guys, going it acoustic on new rock-lullaby single "Your Decision" above, are making up for lost time. Fresh off a new studio album-supporting tour (its first since 1993) that saw the band rock the Moore Theatre, AIC is embarking on a long North American trip in early 2010. And thanks to Seattle's ever-fervent, popularly-demanding fans, the band is this time playing two nights in its native city. Tickets for the February 4 and 5 shows, both at the gracefully aging Paramount, are already on sale.

It seems strange to say it, but with a new voice (William DuVall) and a long-overdue new batch of songs (you must hear Black Gives Way to Blue, seriously), Alice in Chains is playing as if in its early-90s prime. The rock—"All Secrets Known," "Check My Brain," et al—is as hard as ever. The soft—play that video again!—is as lovely as ever. I still believe this band released two off the best (Jekyll and Hyde) albums ever made by a Seattle act. But who knows, maybe they'll top Dirt and Sap yet.

The second single off Pearl Jam's new Backspacer album is a 180 from the first. Where (Grammy-nominated) "The Fixer" kicked our ass with seemingly uplifting verses—it's actually a cynical take on how men swear they can "fix" anything—and roaring riffs, "Just Breathe" soothes with its reflective, melancholic words, acoustic guitar, and string fills. Exhibit A:

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That's PJ recently performing the song for Austin City Limits. Eddie's still got that intense, soul-bruising delivery, even when reserved. Stone, Jeff, Mike, and Matt still have that classic rock intensity, even when unplugged. Dare your lacrimal glands to stay dry. And your larynx to stay still.

"Bad name. Lame name, actually. But kinda funny in its lameness. That was the point, to some degree. It was the late 1980s and Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and swarms of other Seattle area bands released albums on Sub Pop Records, the label started by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. The kids were so uncool, they were beyond cool. They embraced and reclaimed their high school denigration: LOSER. Sub Pop Records even threw an event they called Lame Fest."

That's how Grunge, a new book of photographs by Michael Lavine, starts—with contemporary indie rock figure Thurston Moore's intro spotlighting the wink-wink, Can you believe this shit is happening? side of Seattle's inevitably overblown musical era.

He would know. Moore, of Sonic Youth, was making noisy guitar rock when Kurt Cobain was a hormonal, directionless teen. And he introduced honchos at Geffen Records imprint DGC to Cobain's band in 1990. (Nevermind hit on the label the following year.) And you could argue that thanks to grunge's massive success, Sonic Youth enjoyed its own in the alt-rock 90s.

Moore knows what he's talking about, too, when he writes, "The sensuality of this on-its-own and on-the-loose subculture is sweet and rough in the faces and stances of Michael Lavine’s early-eighties Seattle street series." That's the first half of the book, comprised of B&W shots of punk U-District and Capitol Hill kids making punk faces and naturally doing punk things. The photos are stark, honest, and amusing in a tough, wry way.

Kind of like Mudhoney's sense of humor. The band, pictured above circa 1990 (frontman Mark Arm wields the weapon), is just one of the many seminal acts that appear in the latter half of Lavine's book. And the photos aren't strictly of Seattle musicians; Tad and Soundgarden gaze out from these pages between shots of the Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, Pussy Galore, Babes in Toyland, and, of course, Sonic Youth and Nirvana, among others. It's a frank, nostalgic look at a generation of young, rough-edged artists simultaneously finding their way and defining global culture. Who knew? If they did, it was with a sarcastic smirk.

What better way to celebrate the release of Lavine's grungy book than to have Mudhoney, the grungiest of bands from that era—literally, the band that still represents the label, "lame" as it might be, to an amazing, inexhaustible T—play with some of their still-rocking contemporaries? Tonight, Mark Arm and Co. will be supported by Brothers of the Sonic Cloth (featuring Tad Doyle of Tad) and Unnatural Helpers at a Neumos-hosted Grunge bash. The New York-based Lavine will presumably be on hand, as he's appearing at Easy Street Record's West Seattle location at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Somehow, tickets (only freaking $12!) are still available. This is one lame night you don't want to miss.

Fresh from Pearl Jam's official YouTube channel, the band's guitarist (and friends, including drummer Josh Freese) lovingly and face-contortingly covers Rick Astley's classic, meme-spawning (and iPhone worming) hit.

 

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How can you not love that? Only thing missing is Gossard standing up and shaking those hips and fists. And I'm glad that's missing. (Hat tip to Sound on the Sound.)