Twenty Years After the Wall

Posted Nov. 3 at 5:31 am by Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic

Chad Channing, Gary Thorstensen, Tad Doyle, Kurt Daneilson, Steve Wied & Kurt Cobain humping gear on a 1989 tour.

​Twenty years ago this week I was touring West Germany with Nirvana, and the Berlin Wall was crumbling. I was fortunate to see history first-hand, along with our fellow grungers Tad, when we played what was then called West Berlin on November 11, 1989.

I could feel history in the air. We had been touring West Germany and picked up the emotions of our hosts. To them, having Trabants, the little retro-styled East German cars, putting around on their roads was a big deal. I just thought the little cars were cute. Easterners were not allowed to leave the Soviet satellite country—to the point where a wall was erected around West Berlin to keep the Easterners out! But because of widespread unrest on the east side, in 1989 the Communists opened the border, which resulted in a wave of visitors crammed in these little cars.

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Fashion, Fascism, and Another Tweet in the Wall

Posted Oct. 27 at 5:12 am by Krist Novoselic

Collage By Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic's column on music and politics runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. He is also a regular contributor to Reverb, our music blog.

​I remember when Pink Floyd's The Wall came out. It was 1979, and I had just discovered their album Dark Side of the Moon, a sonic journey into madness. The Wall is way darker and heavier, full of so much imagery it's more like listening to a film than an LP. It's a concept album about a rock star who falls so far off the deep end that he starts to imagine his concert is a Nazi rally. There are myriad themes in The Wall, but considering the news coming out of the UK last week, let's stick to fascism.

The term fascist was repeated in a big way last week in the United Kingdom. Nick Griffin, leader of the British National Party (BNP), appeared on the prime-time political television program Question Time. This caused a huge stir, as many were aghast that someone who wants non-ethnic British people to leave the country was allowed on the BBC. The attention from the resulting uproar put Griffin in the national media spotlight.

BNP policy proposals aren't too different from American conservatism. For example, the BNP opposes state recognition of same-sex relationships, they think global warming is a hoax, and they don't like multiculturalism—a phenomenon for which government immigration policies are blamed.

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Krist Novoselic's DW Column Will Return Next Tuesday. Look for Him on Reverb

Posted Oct. 20 at 1:16 pm by Chris Kornelis

Courtesy of Sub Pop

​Krist Novoselic's regular column will return next Tuesday. If you can't wait a week to get your Krist fix — and who can't!?! — be sure to check out his regular posts over on Reverb. He's got a special post coming up on Friday that I think y'all are going to enjoy over a glass of cold gin.

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Tim Eyman, Special Interests, and the True King of Voter Initiatives

Posted Oct. 13 at 7:40 am by Krist Novoselic

William U'Ren, the true king of the voter initiative. Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. Read about what's spinning on his turntable, every Friday on Reverb.

​These are the final days of the 2009 election, and as usual it's Tim Eyman, the Initiative King, fighting the government. Eyman knows the source of his power is in voters' desire for securing control over government. And this process does just that; however, it also gives power to special interests who can afford to buy enough signatures to get a measure on the ballot.

During the progressive era, the initiative process was another vehicle for change for a population who felt increasingly disconnected from a government they felt was a tool for special interests. Sound familiar? In fact, in a 1910 letter to the Washington Grange, Washington Governor M.E. Hay comments on the sentiments of his day, which could just as accurately describe our current political climate: "There is a great unrest or feeling among the people that our form of government can be materially changed for the benefit of all. At no time in the history of our country, during periods of profound peace and wonderful prosperity, has there been such a feeling of unrest as there is today."

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Is the Election Debate Any Better Without the Incumbent Mayor on the Ballot?

Posted Oct. 6 at 2:19 am by Krist Novoselic

Justin Dylan Renney/Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic's column on music and politics runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. He writes his latest vinyl finds every Friday on Reverb.

​I had a great time at the music-community candidate fundraiser last week at the Crocodile. The Maldives rocked, and I had the opportunity to join The Presidents of the United States of America onstage. We did a couple of surf tunes, and I played bass on "Peaches." We also continued a time-honored ritual at the Crocodile—closing the bar!

I want to talk about Seattle's mayoral election this week, but not in terms of the horse race between the two remaining candidates. This is a perspective about the rules the election is conducted under. With the short time remaining until voters head to the ballot booth that is their envelopes, it is odd that incumbent Mayor Greg Nickels isn't on the ballot - even though he sought a third term.

Remember last August? I'm sure most of you were enjoying your summers, not thinking about politics. This fall Seattleites will be joining their fellow Washingtonians with voting on domestic partnerships and government budget caps, but they won't get to have a say on their incumbent mayor.

I know what you're thinking: Voters had their say in the primary, or could have participated in August and chose not to. You've got a great point, and rules are just that—the rules. But is the election debate any better without the incumbent mayor on the ballot?

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Why I'm Joining the Music Community in Support of Mike McGinn for Mayor

Posted Sep. 29 at 1:43 am by Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. He'll be performing with the Presidents of the United States of America on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Crocodile as part of a campaign fundraiser for Mike McGinn, Dow Constantine, and Peter Holmes.

​The music community is supporting Dow Constantine, Mike McGinn, and Peter Holmes for a simple reason: They have made clear that they will be supportive of issues of importance to our community. (Read about McGinn's nightlife plans in this Daily Weekly post.) People need to know what kind of government will result from the election. Here's why:

Even though I moved out of Seattle in 1999, I am still happy to accept the invitation to participate in Wednesday's fundraiser in the heart of our state's music scene. I'm also on Dow Constantine's campaign committee. Dow had a very successful event at the Croc earlier this year, and it makes sense to give it another go at the same venue.

This fundraiser is hosted by the "music community," a group of promoters, venue operators, musicians, and others meeting a need for social and entertainment opportunities for people in Seattle and beyond. This "music establishment" comprises individuals with a lineage to JAMPAC—the group that fought the teen-dance ordinance, etc.—and other even earlier political efforts.

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Why Voters Need to Look at the Rules for Electing Our Lawmakers

Posted Sep. 22 at 11:55 am by Krist Novoselic

​The 2008 election was supposed to be about change. And we got big change with our new president. Naturally, there have been detractors—mostly in the minority Republican Party—who don't like the change and are spewing all kinds of rhetorical hysteria to reach their goal: regaining power.

I don't think readers come to Contention & Conscious to get the latest summary of crazy comments by right-wingers. But what I do want to say is that this white noise is meeting its purpose: It is distracting people from the important issues of the day.

Ask most Americans and they'll tell you they're tired of status quo politics. But so many of the demagogues crying foul are actually agents of the status quo themselves! They recognize the reins of power and are only bitter because they're not the ones holding them. They fan the flames of discontent hoping to ride negative sentiments back into power. Thus the cycle will be complete with business-as-usual.

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Journey to the Center of Self-Doubt

Posted Sep. 15 at 2:06 am by Krist Novoselic

Novoselic Points at the Sistine Chapel - 1991. Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly.

​This column is the third installment of a (coincidental) trilogy regarding spiritual matters.

Last night I had one of those anxiety dreams in which I was naked in public. Walking around a colossal department store, I suddenly realized I wasn't wearing anything. It was very uncomfortable, and I tried to ignore it as if it were normal. But people watched, and I worried. Then the dream shifted to another circumstance, and I was clothed again.

I live in a remote place, and even though I enjoy privacy, there are plenty of opportunities for exposing myself to the world. I write a weekly column, give interviews, and travel to events in public places. In the first installment of this trilogy, I wrote about finding truth on the way up Mt. St. Helens. I didn't climb the mountain to write a story, and I sure didn't Tweet my revelation moments after it happened. But again, I put myself out there—so no boo-hoo for Krist and his subconscious anxiety!

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R-71, Religious Association, and My Pentecostal Experience

Posted Sep. 8 at 5:11 pm by Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly.

​When I lived in Yugoslavia, most of my relatives were either dogmatic Catholics or dogmatic Marxists. The schism would manifest itself most notably at funerals, where Marxists would refuse to enter the church and stood outside for the services of Catholics.

The totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe hardly tolerated homosexuality, one of the issues on which you'd find Catholics and Marxists in agreement. And forget about any referendum on the policies of either the church or state apparatus.

Back in the U.S.A., and later in my teens, my folks had a short association with some Pentecostals. They were nice people, and I remember the preacher played a cool Gibson hollow-body electric guitar. This denomination of rollers knew how to rock!

The preacher was interested in saving my soul. I agreed to try it, so we found a private place and sat down. He started praying and speaking in tongues. It got intense, but nothing happened. I told him that it would probably come on slowly. I don't think this worked for my parents either, and this group fell out of our lives. I've had other experiences with people trying to save me, but the results were the same. I am still a believer, but it's a personal thing and I'll keep it to myself.

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Krist Versus the Volcano: It's True What They Say About Clarity at the Top

Posted Sep. 1 at 2:11 am by Krist Novoselic

Finkbeiner & Novoselic Atop Mt. St. Helens. Krist Novoselic's column runs every Thursday on the Daily Weekly.

​Last week I climbed Mt. St. Helens. It was an 8,500-foot physical and mental challenge. Going up a mountain is also a classic allegory, and I learned why on the ascent.

I remember when Mt. St. Helens blew up. It was a May morning in 1980 in Aberdeen, and I awoke to what I thought was snow. But the dark gray sky and falling flakes were actually ash. My family's house was downwind from a volcanic eruption! It was a disaster, but things eventually worked out for me (I made money over the next two years cleaning ash from house gutters).

Mt. St. Helens is a big part of our state's history and lore. The idea to climb the volcano occurred at my house last year over beers while shelling Dungeness crab with Bill Finkbeiner.

I first met Bill in the mid-'90s while lobbying against censorship bills in the Washington legislature. Bill was a Republican House member representing the district that Microsoft is in, and was a great friend of the music community. Bill went on to the state Senate, where he rose to become Republican majority leader. But his independent streak put him at odds with his caucus, and in 2006 he left Olympia to concentrate more on his business. Since then the Republicans in the Senate have held a small minority of seats.

So back to the climb: Bill obtained the permits and we headed for the volcano. We drove up to the climbers' bivouac, parked our rig, suited up, and started walking.

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Tacoma News Tribune Gets It

Posted Aug. 28 at 5:41 pm by Krist Novoselic

You Betta' Settle The Lawsuit!!!!

​Patrick O'Callahan at the Tacoma News Tribune says there's, "An easy, constitutional fix for Top Two" - our state's new election system that can't get out of legal trouble. He adds - "The obvious fix: Give voters some clue, on the ballot, that a particular candidate doesn't merely "prefer" a party but has in fact been endorsed by that party, through its convention process or however else it chooses."

Most other editorialist's around the state pander to their readers on the issue. O'Callahan could have jumped on the "bash the parties" bandwagon, but instead took a reasoned look at the constitutional problems with I-872 and referred to the system as "an erosion of the 1st Amendment".

I'm happy to finally start to hear others talk about settling the legal problems with our state's new election system.

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The Power of a Solitary Vote, The Power of an Individual Voice

Posted Aug. 25 at 1:10 am by Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @KristNovoselic.

​Last July, I filed for public office to protest Washington State's new election law (generally known as the "top-two primary system"). Even though I'm the chair of my County's Democratic Party, and I have many friends in the Republican Party, the stunt wasn't about those two organizations, per se. My point is the law infringes upon the fundamental right to free association.

Libertarians, Democrats, and Republicans have been challenging this election law since 2005. (Voters approved the top-two measure, Initiative 872, the prior year.) The State of Washington and the Washington Grange filed a motion to dismiss the most recent legal challenge, but in a Federal District Court ruling last week, Judge John Coughenour denied the motions. The court may now examine evidence of voter confusion and any resulting harm to our right of freedom of association.

The plaintiffs listed above will now have to give examples, as I did in this column last year, about how the top-two system hurts free association. And however the District Court rules, you can bet on appeals all the way back to the U.S. Supreme Court (where the state law has already withstood one challenge).

Another thing you can bet on is that most people don't understand the merits of the latest court challenge. I found this out during my short-lived candidacy a few months back. People asked me about my protest, and I'd find myself explaining basic concepts on how the right of free association is derived from the First Amendment of the constitution and why it's important. Most people come around and agree, but some can't get past the antiquated notions of party members as "hacks" or "party bosses."

Instead of going over the ruling and constitutional law—a subject where I'm no authority—I want to take this occasion to remember a Democratic Party activist who recently passed away. Her very admirable life is an example of why I keep harping on this issue.

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It Was 20 Years Ago ... Whatever.. BLEACH!!!

Posted Aug. 23 at 8:56 pm by Krist Novoselic

Endino and Novoselic Still Working Together. Krist Novoselic writes a weekly column, every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly.

​November 3rd, the 20 year anniversary version of Nirvana's Bleach will be released. (The actual anniversary was last June.)

I just got off the phone with producer Jack Endino for a comment regarding the occasion. He said, "Considering it only took about 30 hours in the studio, and the equipment we used, I'm glad it sounds as good as it does.".

Jack - WTF?? There are many reasons for this record being an aural treat. First, I was in the band. (more on my utter lack of objectivity later). Second, Endino recorded it and finally, most importantly - the release is a tribute to the vision of Kurt Cobain.

There's going to be a vinyl version too. Jack and I got test pressings earlier this summer and the vinyl sounds killer. It's going to be pressed on white vinyl - just like the first issue. I put the tone arm down and the bass growl of "Blew" is there in all its Grunge glory. The CD is re-mastered too.

There are going to be many unseen photos of the band in the booklet. The package also includes a live show recorded on February 2nd, 1990 at the Pine Street Theater in Portland, Oregon with drummer Chad Channing.

Here's the song list from the release:

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Woodstock, Manson & The Enduring 1960s

Posted Aug. 18 at 2:06 am by Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @KristNovoselic.

​What a coincidence that Manson Family member Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was released from prison right before the 40th anniversary of the first Woodstock concert? The Rolling Stones' show at Altamont, Calif., is seen as the anti-Woodstock, but there's a more profound juxtaposition: Woodstock and Charles Manson marked opposing perceptions of the counterculture in 1969. Depending on your worldview, hippies were about peace and music or dope and death.

I barely remember the '60s. I was 5 years old living in San Pedro, Calif., when the decade ended. I grew up around Croatian immigrants who were mostly hardworking, straight people. As a child I perceived hippies as bad. At that time, there was a terrible murder two blocks from my house. The next day the newspaper ran a photo of the killer on the front page. He had long hair and a beard—just like Manson or John Lennon!

In the early '80s I gained a better awareness of the 1960s by discovering the music of the era. I would haunt thrift stores in Grays Harbor buying clothes, records, and other things left over from the '60s. Hendrix, Beatles, Rolling Stones—all kinds of great music to discover, and the prices were so cheap!!! Cool shirts were $1, and I still have the English pressing of Rubber Soul I got for a quarter at the Salvation Army. Rummaging through the bins, I'd usually come across the soundtrack album of the documentary Woodstock. Many times I'd take out the record, see that it was scratched and played to death, and have to put it back in the stack. I finally found a good copy, and enjoyed the many great performances.

In the book section of the store, as common as the Woodstock album, a thick paperback could be found that shared the title of a Beatles song—Helter Skelter. It was co-authored by Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Manson in 1969. Just browsing the many photos was so creepy. I can still see the censored crime scenes where the victims' bodies are meticulously cut out of the image, leaving ghostly white silhouettes instead.

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What Voters Scream About When They Scream About Health Care Reform

Posted Aug. 11 at 10:38 am by Krist Novoselic

Krist Novoselic's column runs every Tuesday on the Daily Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @KristNovoselic.

​Many Americans have a lousy relationship with their democracy. Like that couple who can't stand each other but stick together, it's gotten to the point of constant screaming. Add in our nation's dysfunctional health-care system, and now people are really flipping out.

It was the summer of love last year during the presidential election. Both camps rallied behind their candidate, and like-minded Americans circled the stump cheering on promises and ideas meant to evoke a whoop of approval. The Democrats talked about reforming health care; the Republicans decried socialized medicine.

But that was 2008. Now the issue is before Congress, the 2010 midterm election campaigns have already started, and we've found ourselves in the summer of loathe. People are going to town-hall meetings with their representative in the U.S. House and freaking out about the health-care issue in a series of rude, irresponsible, and downright ugly displays. But where is this hostility toward representatives going to? The presidential election was competitive. Most U.S. House races are not.

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