[Severian]

Paul Banks, from Interpol (or, that one band that felt like it might be something around the time Trail of Dead felt like they might be something but ultimately became nothing other than makers of a single college soundtrack album that isn’t actually hat good) was recently interviewed for Pitchfork’s 5-10-15-20.

He said that when he was a junior in high school, he was introduced to a band — Nirvana — “in a New Jersey subdivision” before becoming obsessed with them.

Thing is, Banks was born in 1978. He couldn’t have been a junior in high school until 1994.

He saw what was then the biggest and most talked about band in the world in a subdivision in the last year of that band’s existence?

I call bullshit, but if someone remembers their Nirvana dates and trivia better than I do, please feel free to correct me.

Originally Posted by From Paul Banks

We moved back to New Jersey for my junior year of high school. I was coming off my sophomore year in Spain—drinking in bars, smokin’ doobs, hanging out in a major European city, and living a pretty dope fuckin’ life. So moving back to the same school district where I’d been bullied after all of that, I was like [puts up two middle fingers], “This is for all of y’all. Suck my balls.”
Lunch was a defining time in high school. Sometimes I’d eat with a jock who was a cool bro. Sometimes I’d eat with the Asian raver girls. Sometimes I’d eat alone. I was an outcast, but not quite. There was this girl I met who was on some shit—she had her own zine and introduced me to some really cool shit. She took me to see a band play in a garage in a New Jersey subdivision, and I was like, “This is cool.”
I discovered and became obsessed with them. I remember listening to Nevermind with my brother and my mom, and she was as into it as we were. Nirvana helped me understand that music was what I wanted to do with my life. When guidance counselors called me in and asked what my plans were, I’d say, “I want to be a rock star.”

Granted, he doesn’t explicitly say, “I saw Nirvana at a Jersey house party,” but that’s the implication. And in 1994? Fuck that shit.

Fuck.
That.
Shit.

Nirvana historians, help me out. Prove me wrong so I don’t have to throw out my “Turn on the Bright Lights.” (Every five years or so I get nostalgic for “PDA.” Sue me.)

[noisereductions]

If it was 94 for sure they were playing stadiums. I can't see the math making sense.

[Kuhb]

If he was like me with a very sheltered upbringing and controlling parents, I didn't hear cool music until high school. Just didn't know it was happening

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Kuhb

If he was like me with a very sheltered upbringing and controlling parents, I didn't hear cool music until high school. Just didn't know it was happening

Yeah, but my dog my dog — read the quote. He’s saying he saw Nirvana and became obsessed with them when he was a junior in high school. He’s only a few years older than I am — a junior in ‘94 at the *earliest.* Was Nirvana playing fucking house parties in 1994, after dropping Bleach, Nevermind, Incesticide and In Utero? The same year they dropped Unplugged In New York?! The same year Kurt died?!!?

For fuck’s sake, Kurt only lived through the first quarter of 1994. He was in and out of rehab and on tour in fucking ITALY and FRANCE and elsewhere for be brunt of those months.

By this time, Nirvana may have been behind Pearl Jam in record sales, but in terms of the cultural discussion, they were the fucking Beatles by a year *before* when Banks said (or, rather, heavily implied) that he saw them.
It’s not about whether he was sheltered or not... he’s saying this happened, and it sounds like he’s telling someone else’s story and getting the details wrong.

Man, no way. No fucking way. That’s the same year I saw Nirvana — something I honesty don’t remember well enough to count among my concert conquests (shit) — and they were only in the states for a minute in 1994. They certainly weren’t playing any goddamn Jersey subdivisions.

I call bullshit on this fucker. Bull fucking shit.

[Severian]

Unless I am reading it wrong. Unless it’s super obvious to everyone but me that he is talking about some other band he doesn’t name, and said he became obsessed with just before mentioning Nevermind, under the section of the article devoted to what he was listening to when he was 15 (Young for a junior), with “Nirvana - ‘Nevermind’” as the heading.

Maybe I’m just reading it sideways and upside down, but damn well sounds like he’s saying he saw the biggest band in the world at a house party when he was a junior in high school (which he really should have been in 1995-96 when he was 16-17 years old).

But yeah. I could just be being a total dockhole.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

If it was 94 for sure they were playing stadiums. I can't see the math making sense.

Stadiums... *arenas.* Yes.

Hey, did you even clear your goddamn PMs? I have wanted to chat with you for a spell.

[Toilet & Bowels]

He doesn't say tbe band he saw was Nirvana

[Kuhb]

Just read the quote properly. I don't think he's implying the cool band he saw was Nirvana.

[Kuhb]

Side note... Heinrich Maneuver is a greeeeat song. I'd love to have written it

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

He doesn't say tbe band he saw was Nirvana

... he definitely doesn’t make it clear that it’s not.

Maybe it’s just sloppy editing or dumb phrasing , but under the Nirvana heading, he says, when I was a junior I met this cool girl? She took me to see a band at a subdivision. I became obsessed. I found “Nevermind” and fell in love with it.

Shit I dunno.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Kuhb

Side note... Heinrich Maneuver is a greeeeat song. I'd love to have written it

Eh. Their good songs were done by ‘04. I don’t even remember that one. Is that from Our Love to Admire? Jesus.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Kuhb

Just read the quote properly. I don't think he's implying the cool band he saw was Nirvana.

Same paragraph, next sentence, after saying how he became obsessed with the band, he’s talking about Nevermind. Doesn’t name the “them,” so it really feels like he’s talking about Nirvana.

But yeah whatever I dunno. Probably still full of shit

[Savage Clone]

As far as I can tell, this thread is about nothing.
Carry on.

[Kuhb]

This whole thread feels like a manic episode. Take care everyone

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Savage Clone

As far as I can tell, this thread is about nothing.
Carry on.

Nah, it’s about Paul Banks being full of shit, or at the very least unnecessarily unclear

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Kuhb

This whole thread feels like a manic episode. Take care everyone

That’s totally possible.

[Severian]

You guys are dicks. Didn’t realize you all loved Paul Banks so much, rushing to his defense like a buncha cowboys. Jeeeeeezus.

That album he did wrk RZA is what you deserve for being such dicks.

This could have been fun

[Savage Clone]

I mostly just think you misread an article that included an awkwardly worded quote, but that's me. I've done the same.

[greenlight]

so how is the new album? do not bothered to give it a try. first album rules though.

[Screaming Skull]

He saw some crappy high school band doing Nirvana covers and got hooked on Nevermind, ya twits!