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How a Small Boston Radio Station Introduced Nirvana to the East Coast Before “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Was Even Released

Did a DJ at a small Boston radio station single-handedly introduce Nirvana to the East Coast by debuting ‘Nevermind’ in full on the air?

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There were dozens of bands involved in the alt-rock scene of the 90s. But it’s an undeniable fact that Nirvana blazed a trail when they released Nevermind in 1991. The scene was starting to bubble up in the mainstream, but that album had it spilling over.

By the time Nevermind released on September 24, 1991, the Nirvana hype was palpable. Their music was what everyone needed, but had no idea they needed, until it was punching them right in the face through the radio. Nirvana was very much a product of their time, and they made music for people just like them.

So not only was Nevermind important for the alt-rock/grunge scenes and insecure, listless Gen-Xers, it was also important for a tiny independent radio station in Boston. Kurt St. Thomas, who could easily call himself one of the first Nirvana fans, was a DJ at WFNX. He was one of the band’s earliest........

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