
Twenty is a nice, round number. But isn't 21 the birthday where you really throw a party?
So it might be in 2009 for Sub Pop Records -- if it's up to label patriarch Bruce Pavitt. Asked to name one absent band he would have liked to see at this past weekend's SP20 two-day anniversary show, Pavitt replied, "Reverend Horton Heat, who I think is a national treasure -- a musical genius and an amazing performer. I would love to see him at next year's festival."
Yeah? You think that's gonna happen?
"I'm gonna make it happen. Jon [Jonathan Poneman, the label's other founder] doesn't know that yet."
("Yeah," Poneman responded the next day. "He can put it on all by himself.")
The 25-band charity concert at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Wash. turned out to be as satisfying for the newer artists -- Iron and Wine were clearly the top draw, and Fleet Foxes the most ascendant -- as its eagerly anticipated Class of '88 reunions: Les Thugs, the Fluid and, of course, Green River, the grunge band that began it all so long ago its first EP came out on Homestead Records. Its members then fractured into
Mudhoney and Mother Love Bone ... and Mother Love Bone begat Mookie Blaylock, which soon changed their name to
Pearl Jam. Frontman Mark Arm winked at Green River's supergroup pedigree by going even further back in time to introduce the band.
"Bruce Fairweather and Jeff Ament, from the Montana hardcore band Deranged Diction!
"Steve Turner and Stone Gossard, from the proto-grunge band the Ducky Boys!
"From Spluii Numa, Alex Shumway!
"Oh, and I'm the evil genius behind Mr. Epp."