#grunge

#grunge

The beating heart of Sugar was always the sound of Bob Mould's guitar: a colossal, metallic, thunderous thing, like a sonic boom you could whistle. It was incredible, being engulfed by that wall of sound.

A band called Ad Nauseam is dead set on keeping grunge alive in Portland, but no local venue will return their calls to play a show. Like the most iconic grunge acts, Ad Nauseam has deep PNW roots. They deliver sludgy, whining guitar licks and haunting, sandpapery vocals. They've even got an angsty tune called "Scab Pimple" for goodness sake. So why can't they land a gig? Well, it might be because all four band members are between the ages of 10 and 16.

Nothing can quite describe the feeling of standing in front of the stage at a rock concert, immersed in bodies, pushed to the point where you can't breathe, and everyone's screaming lyrics, singing along, phones aloft while they're being pummeled by the driving sound of grunge. This past Saturday night, Dec. 20, Dexter and The Moonrocks brought grunge back to Portland at the Crystal Ballroom. There was a twist, though. Their sound has a bit of country twang.

It's less about looking done-up and more about feeling something, even if it's subtle, says Kim Paige, a professional makeup artist with Black Radiance.