The Neverending Love For Nirvana, Nevermind, And Kurt Cobain

Back in September, previously unseen footage of Nirvana’s 1990 performance in Tijuana, Mexico was set to hit the auction block, according to Bonhams auction house. The video, which includes audio, captures the band’s first-ever appearance in Mexico at the venue Iguana’s, where they performed 13 songs. While the complete setlist remains undisclosed, early reports describe the concert as characteristically intense, with frontman Kurt Cobain diving into the crowd multiple times and reportedly smashing two guitars during the set.

Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, and auctions are nothing new. Their long history together has fetched enormous price tags for Nirvana memorabilia, with collectors hoping to capture a bolt of lightning from the band’s brief but electrifying career. It continues to prove that Nirvana are still the kings of grunge, drawing new generations of fans. It’s remarkable how their story and music continue to inspire passion decades later.

We still don’t know what the item sold for, but it was estimated to be in the tens of thousands. Opening for Nirvana was fellow Seattle-based grunge band Tad, whose members were close friends with Cobain and company.

At the time, Nirvana was still touring in support of their debut album Bleach, having just completed a string of shows in California. Following the Tijuana performance, the band continued their West Coast tour with dates in Arizona. Two months later, they would return to the studio to record the single “Sliver.”

Nirvana returned to Iguana’s twice more: on June 15, 1991, and again on October 24, 1991, following the release of their breakthrough album Nevermind. These three shows mark the band’s only performances in Mexico.

An incomplete setlist from the 1990 concert, as compiled by Setlist.fm, includes:“Love Buzz,” “Floyd the Barber,” “Scoff,” “Spank Thru,” “About a Girl,” “Breed,” “Been a Son,” “Stain,” “Negative Creep,” “Blew,” and “School.”

In related news, a Nirvana-signed copy of Nevermind featuring doodles by Cobain—including hair, glasses, and a beard drawn on the album’s iconic baby cover—sold for $14,000 in August, according to the memorabilia site Gotta Have Rock and Roll. Nirvana’s legacy remains culturally and artistically valuable.