“G-Man”
Scott Griggs
Writer, DJ, Promoter - The Rocket, KCMU, Re-Bar, The Flavor
At The Rocket, Seattle’s influential alternative newspaper, Scott worked as a promoter and connector, spotlighting emerging artists during a time of rapid cultural change. His focus wasn’t criticism, but amplifying the people shaping the city from the ground up.
At KCMU, the student-run station that became KEXP, he helped foster a culture of eclecticism and experimentation, bringing new voices into a platform dedicated to Seattle’s underground scene.
At Re-bar, the legendary nightclub rooted in queer culture and experimental art, Scott was a promoter who brought the right mix of people together, helping shape the venue’s lasting cultural impact.
Photo by Rachel Crick at the Rite Aid marquee at the Broadway/John intersection
Transcript
In late 1990, I got a job at Orpheum Records in Seattle. It was located on the very north end of Broadway Avenue. The owner, Bruce, was a great guy. The employees were very knowledgeable, and many launched long careers in the Seattle music scene after working there. Orpheum was a place that folks could go to indulge in their music passions.
One weekday night, a couple of years working there, a coworker and I were preparing to close the store, and in walks Courtney Love. Then another woman, and a few seconds later, Kurt Cobain followed. They were the only customers, so I helped Courtney find music, and Sean, my coworker, helped Kurt.
Within a few minutes, they divided their selections into one very large pile and slightly smaller pile. The three of them had a short discussion and instructed us the large pile they would pay for and the smaller pile they would take with them without paying. They told us the smaller pile were illegal boot legs that Nirvana really owned.
In a small panic, we called Bruce, and he called his lawyer. Five minutes later, he called us to say to let them leave with the Nirvana music. I asked our late night shoppers to sign a receipt to prove our story. The receipts at the time were on 8 and 1/2 by 11 inch dot matrix sheets. They paid, signed, and skipped out.
There's rumors that color copies were made at Kinko's of the signed receipt. Bruce got the original, I think.