It’s been over 30 years since Nirvana performed a stripped-down MTV Unplugged set at Hell’s Kitchen in New York City on November 18, 1993. The grunge icons performed an incredible medley of songs, from their own works to now-legendary covers of niche songs from bands like Meat Puppets and The Vaselines.
Videos by American Songwriter
Members of Meat Puppets even joined Nirvana on stage to play guitar on songs like “Lake Of Fire” and “Plateau”. Nirvana closed with an incredible, growling performance of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” by Lead Belly.
MTV Unplugged was already successful and a few years in by the time Nirvana hit the stage. However, their performance changed everything for the series. They’re still known as one of the best bands to release an Unplugged album. And every musician that hit that stage after them had big shoes to fill, and no one quite filled them.
Why Nirvana’s ‘MTV Unplugged’ is The Very Best of Them All
Kurt Cobain knew how to make a song sound like his own. If any other band had packed as many cover songs into their set as he did, there might be some disappointment. That wasn’t the case for Nirvana’s set. The whole of the band was talented. However, Cobain had a level of vocal talent that is still hard to match today.
Cobain’s vocal range was all over the place from beginning to end, and he crafted something that sounded both grungey and sacred all at once. And the fact that it was recorded in one take (as all MTV Unplugged sets were) is nothing short of extraordinary.
Cobain was the star of the show, but the set’s longevity and importance to the MTV Unplugged ethos comes down to the sum of its parts. Naturally, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic were incredible on drums and bass, respectively. Pat Smear of Germs, who was often Nirvana’s touring guitarist, lent an additional edge to the set. Cellist Lori Goldston, alternatively, softened that edge.
And of course, there’s the overall look of the performance. Cobain had dressed the set with lit candles, a glittering chandelier, and lilies. The image, as a producer on set mentioned, looked like it was designed for a live music performance at a wake or funeral. Cobain agreed, which in retrospect, is utterly tragic. The album version of Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged set was released several months after Cobain took his own life in 1994.
Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.