On April 17, 1991, Nirvana performed at the O.K. Hotel in Seattle, Washington. This show is legendary because it featured the first-ever public live performance of “Smells Like Teen Spirit“. At the time of the performance, the song was brand new, and the band’s landmark album Nevermind would not be released for another five months. The show was a last-minute gig organized primarily to raise gas money for the band’s upcoming trip to Los Angeles to record the rest of Nevermind. During this debut, Kurt Cobain sang slightly different lyrics than the final studio version. Beyond the debut of “Teen Spirit,” the set included early versions of other Nevermind tracks like “Polly,” & “Breed“.
The lineup for the night included other notable bands like Fits of Depression and Bikini Kill. According to recordings and concert archives, the performance featured a mix of early tracks and songs that would soon make them famous:
Main Set:
Pennyroyal Tea (First time played live; Kurt solo)
Polly
Big Cheese
Turnaround (DEVO cover)
Love Buzz (Shocking Blue cover)
D-7 (Wipers cover)
Blew
Been a Son
Stain
Negative Creep
Libido (Naked Raygun cover jam)
Wild Thing (Chip Taylor cover jam)
About a Girl
Breed (Often listed as “Immodium” on written setlists)
Floyd the Barber
Verse Chorus Verse
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Live debut)
Encore:
School
Dive
Territorial Pissings (Listed as “Punk Rock Song” on the original handwritten setlist)
Sliver
Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994)
