January
2-3 - Reciprocal Recording Studios, Seattle, WA, with Jack Endino. The band record a session
that only produces a version of 'Sappy', that was really disastrous and they gave up in the end. 'Sub
Pop' still have this song hidden away.
? - Olympia, WA, Roadhouse (located on highway 8).
6 - Seattle, WA, Hub East Ballroom, University of Washington. Charles Petersen takes photos.
12 - Portland, OR, Satyricon.
19 - Olympia, WA, Rignall Hall (Steamboat Island Road).
20 - Tacoma, WA, Legends.
February
? - 'Nirvana' begins another short US tour.
9 - Portland, OR, Pine Street Theatre. The show is recorded by the Dogfish Mobile Unit for 'Sub Pop Records'. 'Molly's Lips' is used as a live track for the 'Sub Pop' singles club. It is eventually released in January 1991 as a split single with the 'Fluid' and limited to 7,500 copies.
11 - San Jose, CA, Cactus Club.
12 - Sacramento, CA, Cattle Club.
14 - San Francisco, CA, Rough Trade Records.
14 - San Francisco, CA, Kennel Club.
15 - Hollywood, CA, Raji's. Photos taken by Charles Peterson of Kurt jumping into the drum kit are used on the back cover of the 'Sliver' single and a different one from the series features on the inside of the 'Bleach' CD.
16 - Long Beach, CA, Bogart's.
18 - Tijuana, Mexico, Iguana's.
19 - Phoenix, AZ, Mason Jar.
? - San Francisco, CA, Gavin Report Seminar (maybe the same as 14 February).
?/March - 'Nirvana' were rumoured to have played some shows supporting the 'Melvins' on the west coast.
March
12 - Vancouver, BC, Canada, Town Pump (last gig of the tour).
? - UK tour scheduled, but cancelled.
20 - The band record some promotional videos at Evergreen State College in Olympia. They record 'School' / 'Lithium' / 'Big Cheese' / 'Floyd The Barber'.
April
1 - Chicago, IL, Cabaret Metro (first gig of 15-date tour). The band debut the song 'In Bloom'.
2 - Start recording demos at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, with Butch Vig. They record eight tracks over 5 days. The main riff on 'Pay To Play' is taken from one of the demos on the 'Fecal Matter' demo tape. The demos from this session were originally intended to be the follow up album to 'Bleach', which had a scheduled September release date and was to be called 'Sheep'.
6 - Madison, WI, Club Underground (first gig after recording the 'Nevermind' demos with Butch Vig at Smart Studios). It is the first time that Butch Vig has seen the band live. Jonathon Poneman also turns up at the gig. He wanted to hear what the band had recorded. 'Tad' and 'Victim's Family' also play.
7 - The band leave Madison, WI to start on their tour.
9 - Minneapolis, MN, 7th Street Entry.
10 - Ann Arbor, MI, Blind Pig. The band frequently stated that they particularly enjoyed playing in Ann Arbor.
11 - Butch Vig starts to mix the demos by the band. He continues on the 12th and the 13th.
14 - Cincinnati, OH, Shorty's Underground. Begin a video shoot with some film students of Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA. Videos are done for 'School', 'Lithium' (two versions), 'Big Cheese' and 'Floyd The Barber'. The full edited version of 'Lithium' later appeared on the video compilation "1200 Seconds". Part of the 'Big Cheese' video was aired by MTV in their 'Tribute To Nirvana'. According to Gaar's 1997 Goldmine article, the videos were done with a crew of three students, being paid $40 and some pizza.
15 - Continue and finish music videos at Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA.
16 - Toronto, Lee's Palace.
17 - Montreal, Canada, Foufounes Électriques.
18 - Cambridge, MA, Man Ray's. The Bags open. Kurt St. Thomas, who would later interview the band for the 'Nevermind, It's An Interview' CD is in the audience. This was the first time he saw the band. He meets Kurt and Krist. Krist gives him a NIRVANA T-shirt.
20 - Cambridge, MA, MIT (dorm party).
21 - Boston, MA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
24 - Swarthmore, PA, Olde Club, Swartmore College.
25 - New York, NY. The band started recording a video for their April 1990 version of 'In Bloom' made with Butch Vig. Done on the streets of New York. Available on Sub Pop's 'Video Network 1'.
26 - New York, NY, Pyramid Club. Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon from 'Sonic Youth' are in the audience. Gary Gersh (A&R man for 'Geffen') is with them. According to CAYA the band played badly and no one liked them, except Iggy Pop who had been brought to the gig by Michael Lavine and shouted words of encouragement throughout the show. This gig was so bad that Krist shaved his head in penance afterwards in the Jersey City motel. Finished the 'In Bloom' video started the previous day. This explains why Krist has hair in some scenes and not in others (CAYA, p.134). The video was directed by Steve Brown.
27 - Amherst, MA, Saga Dining Rooms, Hampshire College. Kurt phones Tracy (on her birthday) and says he doesn't want to live with her anymore, although he didn't want them to split up. WOZQ interview (HTH)
28 - Hoboken, NJ, Maxwell's.
29 - Washington, DC, 9:30 Club.
30 - Philadelphia, PA, JC Dobbs.
May
1 - Chapel Hill, NC, (Cats Cradle?).
2 - Charlotte, NC, The Milestone.
4 - Tampa, FL, Ritz Theatre.
5 - Jacksonville Beach, FL, Einstein-A-Go-Go.
6 - Atlanta, GA, Masquerade.
8 - Columbus, OH, Staches and Little Brothers.
11 - Tulsa, OK, Tulsa Theater (Mimis?).
12 - Houston, TX, Emos.
13 - Lincoln, NE, Duffy's Tavern.
17 - Boise, ID, Zoo (last date of the tour).
? - Mark Lanegan's 'The Winding Sheet' is released on 'Sub Pop'. First 1,000 copies on red vinyl.
June
? - Chad Channing is sacked as drummer due to "musical differences". UK tour is cancelled.
8 - Butch Vig mixes the bands version of the 'Velvet Underground' cover 'Here She Comes Now' that they recorded in April at Smart Studios.
July
8 - The three members of 'Nirvana', Kurt, Chris and new drummer Dan Peters ('Mudhoney's' drummer)
begin to write 'Sliver' together.
11 - Record 'Sliver' (for the 'Sliver' single) in approximately one hour, whilst Tad were in the recording studio (on a dinner break). They used Tad's equipment, although Kurt and Chris brought their own guitars and rattled the song off. Dan Peters was the drummer.
24 - Mix 'Sliver'.
August
? - Record a version of 'Drain You' on a boom box. Probably one of the autumn/winter 4-track
demos, which remain unsurfaced except for this song.
13 - Long Beach, CA, Bogart's (part of a 7-day West-coast tour with 'Sonic Youth'). Dale Crover, from the 'Melvins', is on drums for this tour.
15 - Hollywood, CA, Roxy.
16 - Las Vegas, NV, Calamity Jayne's Nashville Nevada.
17 - Hollywood, CA, The Palladium.
19 - San Diego, CA, The Casbah.
20 - Sacramento, CA, Crest Theatre.
21 - San Francisco, CA, Fox Warfield Theatre. The entrance fee is $16.50. 'STP' also play.
23 - Portland, OR, Melody Ballroom.
24 - Seattle, WA, Moore Theatre.
25 - Vancouver, BC, Canada, New York Theatre.
? - 'Do You Love Me' is released on C/Z's 'Kiss' tribute album, 'Hard To Believe'. Features the only studio appearance of Jason Everman on second guitar.
September
? - Kurt goes to see the Pixies (kurt call the Pixies manager Ken Goes, and arranges to meet
him at the band's hotel with the prospect of Ken managing Nirvana) (HTH).
22 - Seattle, WA, Motor Sports International and Garage (a former garage at Minor and Howell streets, now demolished). This is Dan Peters (drummer from 'Mudhoney') first and only gig with the band. Dave Grohl arrives in Seattle this afternoon and stays at Chris and Shelli's house. Dave is in the audience. The show was a particularly frantic one because it was packed way beyond its capacity (some 1,500 in attendance - their biggest big in Seattle so far) and there was no stage security at all. This explains the excessive stage diving and frequent interruptions to the set as microphones were knocked over. Photographs were taken by Charles Petersen and one of his photos from this show appears on the back of the inside cover of 'Incesticide'. Alice Wheeler and Ian T. Tilton were also there and took photos. Dylan Carlson was also in attendance.
23 - Kurt and Dan go over to Chris and Shelli's house to have a barbecue. The band are interviewed there in the afternoon for the UK magazine 'Sounds', with photographs taken by Ian Tilton. Dave Grohl is also at the house.
24 - Dan Peters is out of the band. Dave Grohl takes his place.
25 - Olympia, WA, KAOS Olympia Community Radio (Boy Meets Girl Show). A solo appearance by Kurt, performing 4 songs (?). Kurt phones the DJ, Calvin Johnson, on the air and asks him if he can come on in to the studio and play. Kurt is interviewed by Calvin and he then plays three acoustic tracks: 'Opinion' (which remains unreleased) / 'Lithium' / 'Dumb' and possibly a version of 'D7'. Kurt breaks the news that they have a new drummer.
? - 'Sliver' b/w 'Dive' single is released in the US. The first 3,000 copies on blue vinyl. This release contains a phone-call conservation between Jonathon Poneman and a very hung-over Krist Noveselich. Krist accidentally recorded it on his answering machine.
October
11 - Olympia, WA, Northshore Surf Club. This is Dave Grohl's first gig on drums, with the show
starting in the afternoon. Photographs from the gig can be seen in the Evergreen promos that were filmed
earlier in the year.
20 - The band fly to the UK on a 'British Airways' flight. Chris films himself in the toilet and the band all film each other on the plane, parts of which are included on the official Nirvana video release, 'Nirvana: Live Tonight! Sold Out!'. The band arrive at Heathrow airport and meet tour manager Alex Macleod. Macleod was surprised to see Grohl as officially Dan Peters was still the drummer. Dave and Macleod had met before on a 'Scream' tour and hadn't hit it off (CAYA, p.158). Soundman for the tour was Craig Montgomery and monitor man was Ian Beveridge. UK publicist was Anton Brookes. They stay in the Dalmacia Hotel in a basement room (on Shepherds Bush Road, London).
21 - London, UK, Maida Vale Studios, studio 3 (Peel session). The band record 'D7' / 'Molly's Lips' / 'Son Of A Gun' / 'Turnaround'. The BBC producer was Dale Griffin and the sound engineers were M. Engels and F. Kay. Chris films the band setting up the equipment before the session begins and footage exists of Kurt on drums.
23 - Birmingham, UK, Goldwyn's Suite.
24 - London, UK, Astoria Theatre. In the morning they are photographed outside their hotel by Martyn Goodacre for 'NME' magazine. During the afternoon the band are photographed inside the hotel by Stephen Sweet for 'Melody Maker' and after this they go and see 'Polygram/Island' for a meeting with a view to signing to the label. At the gig in the evening Steve Gullick is present.
25 - Leeds, UK, Leeds Polytechnic (the gig was originally scheduled for Glasgow College).
26 - Edinburgh, UK, Carton Road Studios. 'Polygram/Island' supply free drinks for all of the bands playing on the bill. The 'Vaselines' reform especially for this gig. The band stay in the Ailsa Craig Hotel.
27 - Nottingham, UK, Trent Polytechnic.
? - 'Here She Comes Now' from the April 1990 Smart sessions with Butch Vig is released on the Velvet Underground tribute 'Heaven and Hell Vol. 1'.
November
3 - The John Peel session of the previous October is broadcast for the first time.
? - Kurt tries heroin again (supposedly the first time whilst in the band).
? - Record some 4 track demos ('Drain You' / 'Pennyroyal Tea' and others).
25 - Seattle, WA, The Off Ramp Café. A&R reps from 'Slash', 'Columbia', 'Charisma' and 'MCA' all attend the gig with the hope of signing the band.
? - 'Charisma' initially clinch the deal to sign the band, but that same week Nirvana sign a management deal with 'Gold Mountain' and the deal with 'Charisma' is off as 'Gold Mountain' begin negotiating with 'Geffen'.
December
11 - Kurt is diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome by a doctor in Tacoma and prescribed Lidox (HTH).
23 - Dave Grohl records some demos at Barrett Jones' Upland Studios in Virginia ('Pokey the Little Puppy' / 'Petrol CB' / 'Friend of a Friend' / 'Throwing Needles' / 'Just Another Story About Skeeter Thompson' / 'Colour Pictures of a Marigold'). The last track was eventually re-recorded by 'Nirvana' and used on the 'All Apologies' single in 1993.
31 - Portland, OR, Satyricon.