Seattle

Seattle was the city that gave Nirvana its home base and became the symbolic center of grunge. In Cobain's story, it is both a literal place and the emotional backdrop to his final return and death.

• Was the home city of Nirvana's early scene, including clubs, labels, and musicians tied to grunge.
• Helped define the sound and image that broke into national attention in the early 1990s.
• Cobain was found dead at a residence in Seattle in April 1994.
• The city's music history is closely linked with bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.
• Seattle remains a shorthand for the grunge era because of its outsized role in shaping the movement.