LIVE NIRVANA TOUR RETROSPECTIVE: INDIVIDUAL SHOW REVIEWS

10/30/92 - Estadio de Velez Sarsfield (José Amalfitani), Buenos Aires, AR

Kurt planned on a low scale concert, perhaps wishful thinking because it was a football stadium they were playing in. As part of their deal, they got to choose the opening act. Kurt picked Calamity Jane, an all woman band that Kurt liked a lot (one of their albums is one of Kurt's favourites - just read a page of the 'Journals' release). The crowd of drunken jocks didn't take kindly to the all female band and their music, and became restless, which resulted in them pelting the stage with sticks, stones, bottles and all kinds of rubbish. Kurt, who was watching, later described it as the biggest display of sexism he'd ever seen. Krist knew that Kurt was very pissed off and he also knew that Kurt would try and sabotage the show. But Kurt's mind was made up, and the band eventually agreed to the plan just moments before the show.

They started off the show with a somewhat improvised jam/song, which deteriorated into a long feedback session. They then launched into 'Aneurysm'. The crowd was obviously eagerly awaiting 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Almost answering the aura of the crowd, they then burst into 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. The crowd went wild ... but Kurt immediately stopped, and played 'Breed'. After that song petered out, they started 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' again. Once again, the crowd went ballistic. Once again, Kurt stopped. A powerful version of 'Drain You' followed. This was the usual setlist for the time ('Breed', 'Aneurysm' and 'Drain You' were played at nearly every 1992 show early on). Suddenly, Kurt started playing the first few chords of a song. The last time something similar had been heard was when the band was at the VPRO radio station in November of 91'. Dave had been doing the beat on his drums. The song was 'Beeswax' and it had not been played (to our knowledge) since 1988. Kurt continued playing the opening chords of songs, as if to indicate what he wanted to play next. The next notable thing was how they played 'Come As You Are'. Kurt substituted a 'hey' for every syllable in the first verse. The band started playing normally again, with the odd screw up or lyric change in songs. After 'About A Girl' Dave asked Krist whether he wanted to tango. The crowd then started screaming for 'Spirit'. Krist, who was obviously sick of the crowd by this point, jammed on the bass line of 'Polly'. The band started 'Polly', but Kurt repeated the last line of the first verse several times. During the chorus, Dave played cymbals. When the song finished Kurt asked from a drum solo from Dave. Krist offered a solo instead, but not before stating he wasn't much of a drummer. Krist then started an odd little bass solo. After a while, the crowd started clapping along, and Dave started chanting 'A - E - O' over and over. The band then started a short, odd little jam, and Kurt asked Krist how to play 'In Bloom' in a funny moment. After 'In Bloom', Dave started an odd little beat on the drums and said 'No me gusta techno!' (Spanish translation: I don't like techno). Dave then started making odd 'techno' noises and a drum beat. Dave then did it again. The show ended with 'Blew'. Or did it? After a few minutes it was time for an encore, and the band played an early version of 'All Apologies'. This is a stupid speculation, but maybe they were saying sorry to the crowd for playing such a disappointing show? After that, they started 'Endless, Nameless' the secret jam from 'Nevermind'. The song had been left untouched for much of 1992. Many people regard its highlight as being during the 1991 paramount theatre show, or the November Peel Sessions. This beat both of them. Kurt screamed, feedback screeched and it was LOUD. For anyone near the speaker stacks, it would have been deafening. Nirvana left the stage. The crowd did not know what to think.

Review written by Kit Klarenberg, Submitted December 2002.