That Time Nirvana Played Santa Fe

I

t was the summer of 1989 and a little-know rock outfit from Washington,

Nirvana

, had just released their their debut studio album, Bleach .

It was cut for around $600 at Jack Endino's studio and featured the raw energy of Kurt Cobain and crew dolling out their signature underground rock style, which would later be dubbed grunge .

" Bleach is more than a historical curiosity since it does have its share of great songs, but it isn't a lost classic—it's a debut from a band that shows potential but haven't yet achieved it."

.

For the album's promotion, Nirvana embarked on a West Coast tour and, on June 27, 1989, sandwiched between gigs in Tempe and San Antonio, the band descended in Santa Fe to perform an all-ages show.

The setting was the

Rockin' T.P.

a now gone divey club located behind La Quinta Inn on Cerrillos Road.

Based on

of a member of  opening band

27 Devils Joking

, only about 17 people checked out the show:

It went a little something like this:



Portrait by Thomas Mikael / flyer via GigPosters.com / video via YouTube/‪‪Curmodgeon NIRVANA‬‬

Letters to the Editor

Mail letters to PO Box 4910 Santa Fe, NM 87502 or email them to editor[at]sfreporter.com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.

We also welcome you to follow SFR on social media (on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and comment there. You can also email specific staff members from our contact page.