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Smells Like Town Rivalry: Kurt Cobain Day Declared in Aberdeen, Washington

Kurt Cobain Day Aberdeen Washington Nirvana Proclamation

Not to be outdone, the small Washingtonian city of Aberdeen has declared that February 20 will henceforth be known as Kurt Cobain Day. The legendary musician was born there, of course, on that exact day in 1967. But that didn’t stop Hoquiam, a town four miles west, from proclaiming April 10 Nirvana Day a month ago. A little friendly municipal rivalry, perhaps? For the record, the sign welcoming visitors to Aberdeen has read “Come as You Are” since 2005.

And city mayor Bill Simpson is prepared to escalate if need be — according to local radio station KXRO, he confirms that the official proclamation will be read in full on February 12, and that Cobain Day could evolve into an entire Cobain Week. For now, he shared a teaser snippet of the announcement:

“Aberdeen residents may justifiably take pride in the role our community played in the life of Kurt Cobain and the international recognition our community has gained from its connections with Kurt Cobain and his artistic achievements.” Also: Kurt Cobain, Kurt Cobain, Kurt Cobain. And … Kurt Cobain.

Hoquiam’s Nirvana Day coincides with the date that the iconic grunge gods will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cobain died on April 5, 1994. We recently saw unearthed footage of the band’s final Los Angeles show, in which the troubled leader paid tribute to another fallen star, River Phoenix. For happier reminiscences though, here’s the cover of Nirvana’s 1989 debut Bleach remade using legos.