Nevermind Record Release Party at Re-Bar, Seattle, WA, September 13, 1991
Not to be daunted by Friday the 13th—a fear of which is called triskaidekaphobia—Washington Rock band Nirvana hosted their second album’s release party on that day in September 1991, attended by family, friends, fans, and music industry professionals who presented this invitation at the door to Re-Bar, located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Though Nevermind, which was released on September 24, 1991, would go on to sell 400,000 copies a week by the end of that year and reach number one of Billboard’s Top 200 Albums in 1992, the band had yet to be catapulted to Grunge fame at the time of this release party.
Susie Tennant, Northwest promotions rep for DGC, the label releasing Nevermind, hosted the party, while Bruce Pavitt, co-founder of the Sub Pop record label which released Nirvana’s first album, served as DJ. Nevermind, whose “Smells Like Teen Spirit” had been released earlier in the week on September 10th, was spun until Re-Bar's owner Steve Wells kicked out the members of Nirvana— Kurt Cobain (1967 – 1994), Krist Novoselić (b. 1965), and, newly, David Grohl (b. 1969)—from their own party after they snuck in hard liquor, got drunk, and started a food fight, cementing the Nevermind release party in Grunge and Seattle music history.
Wells had opened Re-Bar in 1990 with Patrick “Pit” Kwiecinski at 1114 Howell Street, which had a long history of supporting LGBTQ patrons and performers. The building opened as Night Hawk in the 1930s, followed by Thirsty’s in the 1970s, Axel Rock in the 1980s, and Sparks Tavern, before Re-Bar moved in. Until 2020, when Re-Bar, like many venues, closed indefinitely, they hosted disco nights, art exhibits, theatre, drag, burlesque, and live bands. At Re-Bar, KEXP’s Riz Rollins got his start as a DJ, becoming a big part of Seattle’s Black music scene, David Schmader put on his first three plays, and drag performer and comedian Dina Martina was born. The venue also hosted one of the longest running poetry nights in the West, Seattle Poetry Slam, and a weekly Sunday dance night called Flammable. Though Re-Bar was known for being a safe space for the LGBTQ community, it drew all kinds of people who were interested in theatre, punk, dance, goth, or the myriad other “misfit” interests which came together here.
