Grungy Musings

Often called the "Lost Generation", Gen X'ers my age were damn straight-up lucky to be exposed to really formidable societal shifts (is there any other kind? lol) that took place during the mid 80's to the mid 90's. The music, fashion and other areas that underwent transformation during those years were some of, if not the, greatest. Lost is hardly the word to describe a generation that knew themselves well enough and sought to feel deeply, connect tangibly and find themselves during a time when the internet was still in diapers and technological aptitude didn't define one's worth. Not lost at all - living, scraping, howling to be heard and carving out a place for themselves.

Waxing on a bit much...better take it down a notch.

After many conversations with fellow GX's, I compiled a list that represent what a few of us believe about these wonderful, formative years of our generation:

1. Grunge and alternative music can never be considered "classic rock" in my opinion. Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Echo, Sugarcubes, PJ Harvey, Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam will always be mainstays in my music collection, and are so tight and tasty and moving that they can easily slip into any generation and feel modern.

These and other bands wrote their own lyrics and music, and mastered their own style, which really wasn't as much style as it was substance. Whenever I listen to music from these two genres, I hear the depth in the effort behind the music. There's a connectedness and solidity to the message, the arrangements, the style in which the musicians played. There was a tangible soul that you could grab and shake and chew on.

Take, for instance, this lovely, crunchy example from Sonic Youth:


I'm no retro queen. There's a lost of music that came after 1995 that I enjoy, like my faves the White Stripes (the epitome of soulful, in my opinion), but I have a difficult time getting behind an artist who was groomed to look and sound a certain way, and is singing songs written, arranged and produced by others. Where's the soul in that process? I struggle with this.

The concerts I saw back then are tough competition for bands I've seen of late. Jane's Addiction, Tori Amos, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo, Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam, The Melvins, They Might Be Giants, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dead Milkmen, R.E.M., The Specials, Fishbone, etc. Does it get any better?

No.

Since we're on the topic of music, I have to comment on venues. Mississppi Nights was the place to see bands, aside from Riverport for Lolla and Lilith Fair. M'Nights was dark-cozy-dirty and you could literally get close enough to sweat on the performers, and they could sweat on you right back. The American brought the larger acts that had acquired the momentum to make it off the smaller stages. Small or large, it mattered not to me - as long as I could get as close as possible and writhe along with the crowd, I was sated.

Later on in the 00's Pops brough about a slew of great acts - X, The Cramps, Skinny Puppy, etc. that felt like a resurgance from glad days gone by, but with new responsibilities as a true adult. It was a good time to revel in the past, but for a few hours, and lap up the hot licks these pioneers served up in a frothy, steamy pile of goodness.

I'm happy to say that even with the sad, untimely demise of Mississippi Nights, St. Louis isn't short on venues to showcase local and national acts. Plush is one of my new favorites as are the Firebird, Crack Fox, Old Rock House and Gramophone. The Pageant is okay, but it seems to bring out the douchebagettes at most concerts I attend - no respect.

2.  Many would argue there was no fashion back then - it was all old clothes wrinkled and worn with no thought behind it. That, my friends, can be considered fashion. Flannel. Doc Martens. Concert tees. Baby doll dresses/black tights/lace-up boots. Bargain Barn/Goodwill cardigan sweaters, vintage long-sleeves and ratted jeans. Birkenstock and wool socks year round.

Men who adopted the grunge look were okay in my book. Is there anything sexier then a guy sporting a pair of shorts, black boots with white socks, a soft, worn t-shirt preferably advertising some obscure yet genius soon-to-be-discovered band, complimented by a flannel or earth-tone checkered button-up? I think not. In fact, I believe my former husband was wearing this exact ensemble (sans flannel because it was August) when I first spied him across the quad, at which time I told my friend Pete that I would someday marry whoever that dude was loping in front of Nichols dorm.  Which I did.

Sadly (or not?) the mainstream film "Singles" (see pic below) was pretty accurate in what a lot of us wore around that time. I never wore such a hat, but I did don the tights/dress/boots/jacket look, and this is basically what most guys I knew wore, more or less:

A few years ago, Katie Holmes attempted to bring her own brand of grunge to the masses, bless her heart. It didn't take, but dammit, kudos to her for trying. BTW, the belts have to go... 

I have to admit I miss this look. I'm a dress for comfort kinda gal, and the fashion from that time was perfect for me. Don't get me wrong - I would put on my best goth/club duds when we went to Zone 8 or Metropol to dance, otherwise I was comfortable in my jeans, boots/Birks, tee with or without a cardigan to keep warm.

It was a time you could go through phases as a quasi-adult and not get too much frack for it. I had my goth phase, and my earthy-crunchy phase, and in the end settled on a comfy indefinable phase which has lasted through today. I have managed to hold onto a few of the primo articles from back in the day - a few concert t's, my Docs, and my favorite mock turtleneck, blue Gap circa 1990, which has held up well over time and looks great paired with broken-in denim.

Trends come and go - a few years ago it was back to mod, and word on the street is that 80's fashion (shoulder pads, neon, big and bold) is making a comeback. Not the best look, but if that gets us closer to bringing back grunge, I'll gladly suffer the leg warmer nightmare for a resurrection of flannel dreams.