On Feb. 25, The Blue Note hosted Seattle Royale, a tribute performance to the original Seattle-bred grunge bands: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. For the night, Missouri native cover bands morphed into grunge rock stars, some more convincingly than others. 

Back by popular demand,  this was the sixth Seattle Royale event held at the venue and the first since 2019. The event was sold out and the floor, bar and upper level were packed with grunge enthusiasts in their best and dingiest grunge outfits. 

“It smells like stinky flannel in here!” The Many Colored Death’s Brent Moore yelled partway through their set of Soundgarden covers. 

Indeed, dozens of attendees sported plaid button-ups draped over graphic tees or tied around their waists. Also common throughout the concert hall was dyed hair, leather and tattoos.

The first band, Down Side Up, masquerading as Nirvana, began playing at 8 p.m. They made no move to introduce themselves. Instead, the first chord of “Breed” vibrated in the air, and lead singer James Webb kicked the show off strong. Webb mimicked Kurt Cobain’s gritty vocals and slurred lyrics masterfully. All but the most nitpicky listener could have closed their eyes and believed they were at a Nirvana show in 1991. 

Down Side Up covered some of Nirvana’s most iconic songs, including “In Bloom,” “Molly’s Lips,” “School” and “Silver.” The band jumped from one song to the next, scarcely stopping to breathe. By the third song, drummer Aaron Mankin had taken off his shirt and flung it to the side of the stage. 

Next came The Hipnecks, covering Alice in Chains. The performance was less flashy but equally impressive. The Hipnecks nailed Alice in Chains’ blues-rock style with humility, the members rarely looking into the crowd and instead focusing on their instruments. Pat Kay played a large black cello for some songs and a violin for others. The Hipnecks layered rich harmonies over raucous electric guitar riffs, and the crowd roared in response.

By 10 p.m., spirits and volume were at roof-raising levels. The Many Colored Death, a Soundgarden cover band, took the stage with gusto. Each member of this trio was a powerhouse. Drummer Shea “Thundercat” Spence banged with abandon while lead singer Moore masterfully screeched out near-impossible notes. 

“I’m just here to make noise,” Moore yelled. 

Moore’s enthusiasm was contagious, but it sometimes lacked Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell’s more emo refinement. However, what he sacrificed in subtlety, he made up for in hair-flipping.

The final band, Decadent Nation, was a Pearl Jam song. While entertaining, the band was a juvenile, comically overstated replication of Pearl Jam. Lead singer Colin LaVaute moved around the stage with unconvincing bravado. He eventually walked through the audience, up the stairs and out onto the balcony, where a spotlight shone on him for part of a song. LaVaute’s performance was not inherently poor, he was a gifted singer and performer, but paled in comparison to Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. 

While Decadent Nation’s guitar players and bassist were undeniably talented, the band failed to come together to successfully emulate a grunge band. Pearl Jam’s glorious 90s legacy only made the performance more disappointing. 

The show didn’t end there, though. Members from each band came back on stage for a final song to conclude the night. LaVaute explained how the concept for the grunge show originally came to be.

“It was just a ten minute conversation,” LaVaute said. “Not even half a beer.” 

Eight years since Seattle Royale’s inception, grunge is alive and well.

Edited by Savvy Sleevar | ssleevar@themaneater.com 

Copy edited by Sterling Sewell and Mary Philip