Relive the grunge glory days with Fallapalooza at Icehouse Amphitheater Sept. 13

By Vincent Harris
Posted 9/9/24

Members of Generation X, meaning people born between 1965 and 1980, are starting to get a bit….distinguished, let’s say. There’s certainly a lot more gray in our hair than there …

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Relive the grunge glory days with Fallapalooza at Icehouse Amphitheater Sept. 13

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Members of Generation X, meaning people born between 1965 and 1980, are starting to get a bit….distinguished, let’s say. There’s certainly a lot more gray in our hair than there used to be, and the text on those smartphones seems to be getting smaller and smaller. And don’t even get a Gen X-er started on the meds we’ve had to start taking, because none of them are the fun ones.

It makes one pine for the glory days of the early to mid-1990s when it seemed like everything was going Gen X’s way. Heck, even the music world changed to suit the tastes of people coming of age in the ‘90s.

Grunge, the potent mix of heavy metal noise and heart-rending lyrics, seemed tailored to our flannel-clad needs way back then. Bands like Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots were selling millions of albums, and the seeds were planted for future world-conquering bands like the Foo Fighters.

If you’re in the mood for a little nostalgia, and your hip isn’t bothering you, the Icehouse Amphitheater is throwing a party this weekend that might make you break out your old Sonic Youth t-shirt. That’s right, Fallapalooza has returned to Lexington.

Think of Fallapalooza, the multi-act festival that kicks off at 6 p.m. this Friday night, Sept. 13, as a throwback to those great traveling music festivals of the 1990s, among them Lollapalooza, which this event is obviously named after. And while there will be plenty of food and drink on sale at Icehouse throughout the evening, music festivals are about music, so who’s playing?

First up is Hey, Johnny Park, a Foo Fighters tribute band that has been playing shows across the Southeast for more than six years. But instead of putting on the high energy, full-tilt rock show that Dave Grohl and company would, the band is stripping down the Foos music with a special unplugged set, which gives you a chance to hear more intimate versions of classics like “My Hero” and “Learn To Fly.”

Up next is Glide, a tribute to Stone Temple Pilots. While STP’s initial hits like “Plush” caused critics to label them derivative of grunge bands like Pearl Jam, they eventually proved just as artistic and commercial as their peers with hits like “Vasoline,” “Interstate Love Song” and “Sour Girl.” Glide performs spot-on versions of all the band’s big hits.

Closing out the night is Nirvani: A Nirvana Tribute Experience, which makes sense. Nirvana’s 1991 album, "Nevermind," and the hit single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” essentially defined grunge.

Onstage, Nirvani embodies singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Chris Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl both in their talent and authenticity. Each band member portrays the appearance and playing styles of their Nirvana counterparts. This combined with their use of authentic vintage instruments makes Nirvani a live tribute concert experience that is as close as you can get to the real thing.

So this Friday night, why not drag out the flannel (weather permitting), head over to Icehouse Amphitheater and say, “Here we are now, entertain us” at Fallapalooza?

Showtime is 6 p.m. Admission is $18.

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