Rage Against the Machine Concert Ends in Protest, Arrests

Much like the aftermath of Rage Against the Machine's fiery attempted concert outside the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, fans and police scuffled following the band's proper concert at Minneapolis' Target Center last night, with 102 people being arrested. While 87 people were tagged and released, 15 fans were booked on charges. As fans exited the venue last night, the crowd immediately began to disperse, but about 250 concertgoers hit the streets with chants of Rage choruses like "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me." The resilient masses then started marching up and down 1st Avenue, causing the riot-geared police on foot, horseback and bicycles to congregate as well. The police pushed the developing riot back to Seventh Street, with a couple dozen fans exiting the scene in the process. It was there that the police managed to vanquish the protest, thanks in part to a little pepper spray. In all, it took two city buses to haul the protestors to jail. It's been a wild week for the Twin Cities thanks to the RNC. On Monday, the first day of the convention, the city faced its biggest protest, resulting in even more violence and property damage than even Rage Against the Machine fans could deliver.

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• Rage Against the Machine Lead March to RNC After Police Shut Down Impromptu Show
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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.

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