RIP // STEVE ALBINI
I was recently watching the Conan O’Brien interview with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Steve Albini for In Utero’s 30th anniversary. While it’s up there as one of my favorite records from my teenage years, I generally very consciously avoid the impulse of nostalgia, as I feel it’s an often toxic impulse - especially in how it’s experienced via social media.
However! Once I saw that Steve Albini was partaking in the interview, I felt like it was a hall pass, as he has often been a barometer of integrity throughout my life. If Steve is involved, surely it’s fit for consumption.
I honestly don’t really remember the actual words or direction of the interview, but rather I became consumed with thoughts about how long ago this all went down. But instead of feeling old, I felt inspired. And good. Holy shit - Steve Albini is 61 and still so fucking amazing. I recently learned the buzzword/concept parasocial, and that was definitely happening. That’s ok with me though. It was a great hang with my longtime (not real) friends.
I was totally shocked by the news. It really felt like I had just seen him. And just like that - gone. The idea that he will no longer be making records feels almost absurd. Of course, there’s the old cliche that he’ll live on through all that he left behind. I definitely spent some time revisiting that body of work yesterday. Two things that brought a smile to my face:
