Nirvana

Sub Pop 20th Anniversary

Leave it to Sub Pop, the smart-aleck indie label that coined "grunge" with tongue firmly in cheek, to outlive its naysayers and the defection of early flannel-and-power-chord standard bearers such as Nirvana (seen here) and Soundgarden, and reinvent its... more sound (but not its underlying 'tude).

Comedian Eugene Mirman on Sub Pop
Sub Pop by the Numbers

Accordingly, the Seattle label is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a long weekend mingling hype and self-deprecation through parties (on the Space Needle, no less), comedy shows, club gigs and a two-day outdoor marathon, the SP 20 Festival. Here's a visual honor roll of Sub Pop, then and now, from its defining Northwest rockers to today's more diverse band of rockers, singer-songwriters and, yes, comedians.

More Nirvana | Summer Music Guide

Nirvana/Martyn Goodacre/Retna