No one could have expected a surprise Nirvana reunion with a rotating cast of female singers standing in for the late Kurt Cobain, but that’s what fans received Thursday night with Dave Grohl behind the drums, Pat Smear on guitar and Krist Novoselic on bass.
There also was a family reunion with Grohl’s 18-year-old daughter, Violet, who has frequently sung with her father onstage, joining the gathering of alt-rock royalty for Nirvana’s almost-ballad, “All Apologies.”
The surprise one-night-only performance was one of more than a dozen sets at Inglewood’s Kia Forum during the dual FireAid benefit concerts, which raised money for recovery efforts following historic wildfires that devastated areas in and around LA County and killed at least two dozen people.
The band slammed through a quartet of Nirvana songs with sometimes questionable audio, especially with St. Vincent’s frantic “Breed.” But the volume and energy never relented as Kim Gordon stormed through “School” and Joan Jett growled during “Territorial Pissings.”
Nirvana’s last performance with Cobain – who died April 5, 1994, at 27 – was a month prior in Germany. The band’s last performance, which featured Gordon, Jett and Lorde, was when was Seattle grunge group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
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The set was part of a star-studded lineup – which also included Joni Mitchell, The Black Crowes, Stevie Nicks and the Red Hot Chili Peppers – at the Forum. Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Rod Stewart and Katy Perry were among the acts that took the stage at the nearby Intuit Dome.
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The Nirvana reunion was not initially included in FireAid’s lineup.
This was the first time that Grohl, the Foo Fighters frontman, and daughter Violet have performed together since he announced the birth of a daughter outside of his 21-year marriage last fall. Grohl has been married to Jordyn Blum since August 2003, and the two largely keep their relationship private. They have three daughters together.
Per organizers, funds raised “will be distributed under the advisement of the Annenberg Foundation” and “will be distributed for short-term relief efforts and long-term initiatives to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California.”
The dual benefit concerts took place just three days before the 67th annual Grammy Awards, which will take over Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA on Sunday.
Numerous events associated with Sunday’s ceremonies were canceled following Southern California’s wildfires. The celebrations that have vowed to go forward, including a MusiCares concert honoring The Grateful Dead and the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala, will have a philanthropic focus aimed at first responders.
Contributing: Anna Kaufman
