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On This Day in 1988, a Free Outdoor Concert Organized by a Local Parks Department Saw the Birth of Grunge

A free outdoor concert in Olympia, Washington, heralded the emergence of grunge with Nirvana and Soundgarden on the same bill.

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On August 20, 1988, the Parks Department of Olympia, Washington, kicked off its free outdoor summer concert at Capitol Lake Park. This was the second year of Capitol Lake Jam, co-sponsored by the Safe and Sober Driving Task Force of Olympia. But as far as music history goes, this was an opportunity for concertgoers to catch the early wave of grunge before it swept the nation.

Nirvana’s first album, Bleach, was still 10 months away. Additionally, Dave Grohl hadn’t yet joined the band, so Chad Channing was still on drums. The show began at 4 p.m., with Gig Harbor band My Name kicking things off. Nirvana took the stage next, followed by Seattle-area band Swallow.

Infinite Menagerie was........

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