Kanye West, Rage Against the Machine Energize DNC Crowds

At 1 a.m. Thursday, Jamie Foxx jumped on stage during Kanye West's private-party show at the Exdo Event Center in Denver, surprising even West himself, and the two did a roaring "broke . . . broke" version of "Gold Digger." And that was just a small highlight of West's hour-long set at the packed warehouse-turned-club. He improvised lines about his late mother and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at the end of "Flashing Lights," did killer versions of "Touch the Sky," "Jesus Walks" and "Stronger," and generally rewarded a sweaty crowd at the packed-in party for Bono's anti-hunger One group and the Recording Industry Association of America. Earlier Wednesday, Rage Against the Machine provided the pre-protest soundtrack for Tent State University at the Denver Coliseum. Tom Morello sprayed riffs everywhere for the opening "Guerilla Radio," "Wake Up" and "Killing In the Name." Guitarist Wayne Kramer, who performed at the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention protest in Chicago, sat in for an explosive take on MC5's classic "Kick Out the Jams." Later, Rage and Denver's Flobots joined thousands of protesters in a peaceful five-mile march to the Pepsi Center, just after Sen. Hillary Clinton demanded her party's vote of acclamation.

Related Stories:
• Death Cab at the DNC: Hillary's Speech
• Crosby & Nash, Tom Morello, New Orleans Musicians Steal "E-Town" Show in Denver
• More Convention Coverage at the National Affairs Blog

• 
  MUSIC The Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments
• 
  MOVIES & TV 'Game of Thrones': The Show Vs. the Books
• 
  POLITICS Matt Taibbi: Facebook IPO vs. Shareholders
• 
  VIDEOS Exclusive: Garbage Rip Through 'I Think I'm Paranoid'

Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter