''Live at the Paramount'' is a live video and album by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

, released in September 2011. It was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

and

Blu-ray Disc The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and c ...

as part of the 20th anniversary of the band's second album and mainstream breakthrough, ''

Nevermind ''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, ''Neve ...

''. It features the band's live performance at the Paramount Theatre in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

on October 31, 1991. Recorded five weeks after the release of ''Nevermind'', the footage is taken from the only Nirvana show to be shot on

16 mm film 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, educ ...

. The Blu-ray features uncompressed 48 kHz/24-bit sound. As well as the standalone DVD and Blu-ray releases, a DVD along with a CD audio version of the show are available packaged together as part of the limited edition Super Deluxe box set reissue of the ''Nevermind'' album. The concert was released for the first time on vinyl in April 2019.

Background

Nirvana's Paramount performance was the third of three shows in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

with fellow Seattle band

Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. Orig ...

, and the final show of the North American leg of their ''Nevermind'' tour before the band departed for Europe. The three concerts, which also featured shows in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

and

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, had been booked two months earlier and were originally to feature Mudhoney as the headliners. However, the surprising success of the band's second album, ''

'', which had been released the previous month, led to Nirvana being moved to the headlining spot. The Seattle show, which also featured American rock band

Bikini Kill Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pioneered the ...

on the bill, also had to be moved from the smaller

Moore Theatre Moore Theatre is an 1,800-seat performing arts venue in Seattle, Washington, United States, located two blocks away from Pike Place Market at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Virginia Street. It opened in 1907 and is Seattle's oldest active theater ...

to the Paramount due to the demand for tickets. The Paramount show was attended by approximately 2,800 people, making it the largest audience the band played to during the first part of the ''Nevermind'' tour. Tickets to the show were $10.

The performance

Nirvana's Paramount performance featured a typical set list of the time, with material from ''Nevermind'' and the band's 1989 debut album ''

Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...

'', as well as set list regulars "

Aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus (s ...

", "

Been a Son "Been a Son" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It was originally released on the ''Blew'' EP in November 1989, which charted at number 15 on the UK Indie Singles chart. A second studio ...

" and the 1990 single, "

Sliver Sliver may refer to: Entertainment *Sliver (novel), ''Sliver'' (novel), a 1991 novel by Ira Levin **Sliver (film), ''Sliver'' (film), a 1993 film adaptation of the novel **Sliver (soundtrack), ''Sliver'' (soundtrack), the soundtrack to the 1993 fi ...

". The show also featured a cover of " Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" by Scottish rock band

the Vaselines The Vaselines are a Scottish alternative rock band. Formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986, the band was originally a duo between its songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on ba ...

, and an early version of "

Rape Me "Rape Me" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the fourth song on the band's third and final studio album, ''In Utero'', released in September 1993. "Rape Me" was released as the albu ...

", which Cobain wrote while ''Nevermind'' was being mixed. The show was filmed by a video crew the band's co-manager, John Silva, had hired for $250,000. Cobain had invited Ian Dickson and

Nikki McClure Nikki McClure is a papercut artist based in Olympia, Washington. She is the author and illustrator of a number of children's books and produces an annual calendar. Biography McClure grew up in Kirkland, Washington. She moved to Olympia in 198 ...

, two friends of his from

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. European ...

, to dance onstage, and they wore shirts that read "Girl" and "Boy", respectively.True, Everett (2007). ''Nirvana: The Biography''. Da Capo Press. . p. 314. English music journalist

Everett True Everett True (born Jeremy Andrew Thackray on 21 April 1961) is an English music journalist and musician. He became interested in rock music after hearing The Residents, and formed a band with school friends. He has written and recorded as The ...

, a friend of Cobain's, described the Paramount show as "the end of an era" that showed that "incontrovertibly, Nirvana was now big news". Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, acclaimed for his role in documenting the rise of the city's

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...

scene, recalled that "the record label, unbeknownst to Nirvana, had set up a big film shoot. There were six guys all clad in black running around with compact

35mm 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film, a type of motion picture film stock * 35MM 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format ...

movie cameras and I was like, 'This is the beginning of the end.' It was so unfair to their home audience because it stilted the performance. It reeked of money."

Previously released songs

The idea of releasing the Paramount show in its entirety dates back to the band's lifetime. In his 1993 Nirvana biography '' Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana'',

Michael Azerrad Michael Azerrad is an American author, music journalist, editor, and musician. A graduate of Columbia University, he has written for publications such as '' Spin'', ''Rolling Stone'', and ''The New York Times''. Azerrad's 1993 biography '' Come ...

wrote that the show "may one day be edited into a full-length film." By the time of Cobain's death in April 1994, several songs from the soundboard recording, mixed by Andy Wallace, had been officially released. "School" and "

Drain You "Drain You" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the eighth track on their second album, ''Nevermind'', released in September 1991. The song was released as a promotional single in late 1 ...

" appeared on the second single from ''Nevermind,'' for the song " Come As You Are", in March 1992. "

" appeared on the following single, for "

Lithium Lithium (from el, λίθος, lithos, lit=stone) is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid el ...

", in July 1992. Footage from the performance appeared in the music video for "Lithium" directed by

Kevin Kerslake Kevin Kerslake is an American filmmaker and photographer. He has directed documentaries on Joan Jett ('' Bad Reputation''), DJ AM (''As I AM: The Life and Times of DJ AM''), The Ramones (''We're Outta Here!''), Nirvana (''Live! Tonight! Sold Out! ...

. In November 1994, the Paramount versions of " About a Girl", "

Breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

", "

Polly Polly is a given name, most often feminine, which originated as a variant of Molly (name), Molly (a diminutive of Mary (name), Mary). Polly may also be a short form of names such as Polina (given name), Polina, Polona (given name), Polona, Paula (g ...

" and " Endless, Nameless" appeared in the home video ''

Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! ''Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!'' is a live video by the American rock band Nirvana, directed by Kevin Kerslake, and released on November 15, 1994 on VHS and laserdisc. It was re-released on DVD on November 7, 2006. Background Conceived by ...

'', which had been compiled by Cobain but unfinished at the time of his death. In October 1996, the Paramount version of "

Negative Creep "Negative Creep" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the seventh song on their debut album ''Bleach'', released in June 1989. Origin and recording Written by Cobain in 1988, "Negati ...

", from Wallace's mix, was released on the live compilation album ''

From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah ''From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah'' is a live album by American rock band Nirvana, released on October 1, 1996. It features live performances recorded between 1989 and 1994. The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling ne ...

'', compiled primarily by bassist

Krist Novoselic Krist Anthony Novoselic (; ; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician and activist. He was the bassist and co-founder of the rock band Nirvana. Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the band Nirvana in 1987 along with drummer Aaron Burckhard, wh ...

. The video of "

Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" is a song originally recorded by the Scottish alternative band the Vaselines. It was later covered by American rock band Nirvana in 1993 who renamed it "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam". History "Jesus Wants ...

" was released on the DVD of the band's rarities box set, ''

With the Lights Out ''With the Lights Out'' is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana released in November 2004. It contains three CDs and one DVD of previously rare or unreleased material, including B-sides, demos, and rehearsal and live recordings. The title ...

'', in November 2004, while the video of "Polly" was re-released as a bonus feature on the '' Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind'' DVD in March 2005. The full soundboard of the Wallace mix had been available in trading circles for years before the release of ''Live at the Paramount'', but remains unreleased.

Reception

Jayson Greene of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' wrote that "the joy of ''Live at the Paramount'' is hearing the charge of this moment: a great band newly famous, still reeling and flooded with nervy adrenaline." Mark Deming of ''

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

'' compared the release to the 1964 film '' A Hard Day's Night'' in that they "captured the artists at a moment where success was a pleasure, just before it became a burden." Reviewing the vinyl release in 2019, '' Kerrang!'s'' Nick Ruskell wrote that the concert "doesn't even sound like the best show Nirvana ever played. But that's what makes this special – a truly spectacular band captured without hype, in the moment, just doing what they do. And for a band so steeped in legend, that is a rare thing to have. The Blu-ray version has been widely criticized for having audio sync problems. Amazon has posted a statement from Universal that denies the problem exists, but the review at the website Blu-ray.com gives the audio a score of 0/5 because of the sync issues.

Legacy

On December 12, 2021, ''Live at the Paramount'' was screened at the Paramount Theatre by Seattle Theatre Group, the nonprofit group in charge of venue. The screening featured opening live music by Seattle rock bands Them and the Black Tones, with the latter band's set mixed by Nirvana's sound engineer, Craig Montgomery.

Track listing

All songs by

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...

unless noted. #"

" (

The Vaselines The Vaselines are a Scottish alternative rock band. Formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986, the band was originally a duo between its songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on ba ...

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

) (

Eugene Kelly Eugene Kelly (born 9 August 1965) Eugene Kelly allmusic biography. is a Scottish musician who is a member of the group The Vaselines, a founding member of the now disbanded Eugenius and has had a number of solo releases. Eugene Kelly formed The ...

Frances McKee Frances McKee (born 1966) is a Scottish singer and songwriter known best for her work in the Scottish indie band The Vaselines. Background McKee's involvement with music began as a teenager in the early 1980s when she met Duglas T. Stewa ...

)- 5:48 #"

" - 5:05 #"

" - 5:16 #"School" - 2:57 #"Floyd the Barber" - 2:21 #"

Smells Like Teen Spirit "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, ''Nevermind'' (1991), released on DGC Records. The unexpected success of the song propelled ''Neve ...

" (Cobain,

Dave Grohl David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, in which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of gru ...

)- 6:58 #" About a Girl" - 3:02 #"

" - 3:04 #"

" - 2:54 #"

" - 2:18 #"

Love Buzz "Love Buzz" is a song by Dutch rock band Shocking Blue. It was written by Robbie van Leeuwen and first released on the group's 1969 album '' At Home''. The song was covered by Nirvana, released as their debut single in 1988. Nirvana cover versio ...

" (

Shocking Blue Shocking Blue was a Dutch rock band formed in 1967 in The Hague. It was part of the music movement in the Netherlands that was generally known by the name Nederbeat. The band had a number of hits throughout the counterculture movement during ...

cover) (

Robbie van Leeuwen Robbie van Leeuwen (born 29 October 1944) is a Dutch musician who was a guitarist, sitarist, background vocalist and main songwriter for Dutch bands, including The Motions and Shocking Blue. In 1967 he played guitar on the only single ever rele ...

)- 4:01 #"

" - 6:02 #"

" - 2:41 #"

" - 3:00 #"

On a Plain "On a Plain" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the 11th track on their second album, ''Nevermind'', released in September 1991. The song was released as a promo single in 1992, peakin ...

" - 4:09 #"

Blew "''Blew''" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the first song on the band's debut album ''Bleach'', released in June 1989 by Sub Pop. The song was re-released by the Tupelo record la ...

" - 3:00

Encore

# "

" (Early version) - 3:04 # "Territorial Pissings" (intro from the song " Get Together", spoken by Krist Novoselic) - 2:55 (Cobain,

Chet Powers Chester William Powers, Jr. (October 7, 1937 – November 16, 1994) was an American singer-songwriter, and under the stage names Dino Valenti or Dino Valente, one of the lead singers of the rock group Quicksilver Messenger Service. As a songwri ...

) # "Endless, Nameless" - 7:39 (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic)

Bonus features

Easter Eggs

All video releases, the stand-alone DVD, Blu-ray, and the DVD that comes with the ''Nevermind'' "Super Deluxe" boxset, feature the following hidden tracks (easter eggs) from March 8, 1991, at the

Commodore Ballroom Commodore Ballroom is a music venue, dance floor and nightclub located on 800 block of Granville Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is regarded as Canada's most influential nightclub, and one of North America's best live music venues. Th ...

in Vancouver, British Columbia. #"Territorial Pissings" #"Breed"

Nevermind Super Deluxe DVD

The DVD that comes with the limited edition ''Nevermind'' "Super Deluxe" boxset features the

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

s for the four singles from the ''

'' album. However these are not included with the standalone DVD or Blu-ray release. #"

" #" Come as You Are" #"

" #"

In Bloom "In Bloom" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the second track on the band's second album, ''Nevermind'', released by DGC Records in September 1991. The album version is the seco ...

Charts

Certifications

2019 vinyl release

The concert was released as a double LP vinyl set on April 12, 2019, which came with a 12x24" poster and a replica of the VIP pass that was used on the night as a download card.

Track listing

Side A #Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam #Aneurysm #Drain You #School #Floyd the Barber Side B #Smells Like Teen Spirit #About a Girl #Polly #Breed #Sliver Side C #Love Buzz #Lithium #Been a Son #Negative Creep #On a Plain Side D #Blew #Rape Me #Territorial Pissings #Endless, Nameless

Charts

Personnel

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

–

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

References

{{Authority control 2011 video albums Live video albums Nirvana (band) video albums Geffen Records video albums Video albums published posthumously Nirvana (band) live albums 2011 live albums Geffen Records live albums Live albums published posthumously Bootleg recordings