Nirvana’s album Nevermind changed my life. That one album single-handedly got me listening to tons of amazing lesser known bands. One of those bands was Green Day. Back in 1992 I picked up Kerplunk and was blown away. How could an album this good not get any radio play. That’s when I gave up on the radio. Since that Green Day album was so great I started listening to other bands on Lookout! Records. Screeching Weasel, The Queers, Squirtgun, and Mr. T Experience all suddenly became my favorite bands. Then I got into bands on Epitaph, and Fat Wreck Chords. Such great music, yet mostly unheard of.

I never got a chance to see Nirvana live, but I did see Green Day back in 2002. It was one of the best concerts I have ever seen, but it lacked anything from Kerplunk. Tonight Green Day is playing in Fargo. I can’t wait to see them, and will be hoping for some music off of Kerplunk, but I doubt they will play any of it. They have so many great songs, and most people probably don’t know much from Kerplunk.

I have checked their setlists and they do vary a little from concert to concert, but no Kerplunk songs. I am still hoping they play some “Christie Road” though. It’s one of my all time favorite Green Day songs.

I know they aren’t going to play anything older than Kerplunk, but how awesome would it be if they played “Paper Lanterns”?

Or maybe “80″?

Or even “Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?”.

I am sure the concert will be great, but I kind of wish I would have seen them back in ‘92 or ‘93 to see them play my favorite songs.

Today would have been Kurt Cobain’s 42nd birthday. It’s crazy that he has been dead for 15 years already.

During my junior year of high school this album with a naked baby on it came out. A lot of people didn’t understand it, but I totally got it. It was something different. I totally related to it and it changed my life. That tape was pretty much glued into my tape deck. Not a bad song on it. There isn’t even a mediocre song on it. All were and still are great in my eyes. That alum opened my eyes to so much great music that wasn’t very popular. Many of those unknown bands would eventually get big and played on the radio. In the mid 90s the radio stations were playing music that I actually liked. Not so much now days.

Maybe I am getting old, but music now days seems watered down. Even the lesser known stuff that I listen too isn’t nearly as good. With the Internet and MySpace anybody with a computer and a guitar can be a band. To find good music now days you have to wade though much more crap. It’s no wonder the radio doesn’t play anything worth listening too. I still find and listen to good stuff, just nothing nearly as good as some of those 90s albums. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins Sonic Youth, and many other bands all had killer albums in the 90s. There have been only a handful of great albums since.

Or, maybe I am just OLD.

I have been bad at listening to music lately. I have a stack of CDs that I haven’t listened to yet. I have MP3s that I have bought that I haven’t listened to yet. It’s been a while since I have fell in love with a new band. I must be getting old.

A few days ago I came across an awesome cover of the Nirvana song “Drain You” by Straylight Run. I have been a fan of them since the band was formed when John Nolan left Taking Back Sunday. You can go to their site to download it for free, or you can listen here.