Rockers Invade Sundance 2009: Slash, Jack White Hit Park City, Utah

Rolling Stone's own Peter Travers was camped out in Park City, Utah, this week for Robert Redford's annual Sundance Film Festival. Check out his reports on his blog, the Travers Take, where he relays the story of chilling with Mike Tyson, who offered an impromptu review of Gran Torino: "I'm not stupid and I know what Clint was doin'. I respect it. But there's something in me that wanted to see him just blow people away. Come on, I think a lot of people in the audience want to see that."

But in addition to movie-seeing, Sundance is always about star spotting — rock-star spotting, in our case. Slash and Perry Farrell bonded, Mariah Carey and hubby Nick Cannon took in a few flicks and Wyclef Jean introduced himself to Redford (just in case this whole music thing doesn't pan out). The White Stripes' Jack White made the scene, as the guitar-hero documentary It Might Get Loud — featuring himself, the Edge and Jimmy Page — enjoyed its Sundance premiere. Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard was also out West, spending time with his castmates in the Jon Krasinski movie Brief Interviews With Hideous Men when he wasn't with his fiancee, Zooey Deschanel. And Sting broke a Sundance record (and the space-time continuum) by partying with Paris Hilton and Kevin Bacon — making him one degree from ... something fierce and possibly contagious.

Check out all those photos and more here:

• Sundance 2009: Slash, Jack White, Mariah Carey and More Rockers Invade Park City, Utah

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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.

More Song Stories entries »

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