"Experiencing Nirvana" is a photo journal, grunge rock micro-history, and an inside look into a crucial eight-day period in the touring life of Nirvana. In the last days of 1989, the young band goes from breaking up in Rome to winning over the influential British music press at Sub Pop s LameFest U.K. showcase in London, setting the stage for their imminent popularity. At the end of a grueling six-week European tour to promote their "Bleach" debut, the band was exhausted and Cobain frustrated and downcast. Despite a stolen passport and an attempt to leap from a 14-foot speaker tower, Cobain...

In 1979, Bruce Pavitt moved to Olympia, WA, and began programming a show called "Subterranean Pop" on local community radio station KAOS-FM. Inspired by Olympia s guide to independent music, "OP Magazine, " Pavitt launched a fanzine version of "Subterranean Pop, " focusing on music with a punk, new wave, and experimental bent. Calvin Johnson of K Records joined the fanzine s staff in 1980, beginning with the second issue.
Driven by the power of independent thinking, the Sub Pop zine s particular field of interest was artists from the Midwest and Northwest. Punk and new wave fans in major...