Kurt Cobain's Young St Bridge

The Young St Bridge in Aberdeen, WA was once a place of refuge for the notorious musician and song writer, Kurt Cobain. Before he found his spotlight as the front man of the Grunge band, Nirvana, Kurt spent much of his time underneath this bridge. The cold, rainy weather and the atmosphere of the muddy river side gave a great influence to the way that Kurt wrote his music.

Just a few miles outside of the heart of the city of Aberdeen you will find the Young St Bridge.The bridge crosses over the dark and muddy Wishkah river. When he was young, Kurt Cobain spent many nights here when he couldn't find other shelter from the rain. Being in these conditions, i could only imagine the things that ran through the young artists mind. The watter is cold and dirty and the sealing of the bridge leaks water from several different spots. A young writer like Kurt was destined to absorb emotions of such a dark environment and transform it into something that a whole generation of young people could connect with.

In honor of the late musician, the city of Aberdeen dedicated the small patch of grass next to the Young street bridge to Kurt and called it "Kurt Cobain Riverfront Park". Several plaques, Signs and statues have also been erected in the area as a way of remembering an artist that once called this place a home.

In 1996 Nirvana released a live compilation album in Honor of Kurt Cobain just shortly after his death. The album title "From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" referenced the influence that this place had on both Kurt and the band. The album contains some of Kurt's last live recordings before his death in April 1994.

When you make your way down to the underside of the bridge, be careful or you might slip and fall in the mud like i did. If it's raining, you'll notice that the bridge leaks a good amount of water causing the dirt below to turn into a muck pit. Remember to plant your feet and take slow steps.

Many have stopped and left messages and artwork on the underside walls of the bridge. Kurt's impact on his fans and fellow musicians is truly glorified in this all too appropriate memorial. He will be alive here, in the muddy Wishkah riverside, where his loved ones scattered is ashes after he died. His name lives on through his timeless words and all of those who continue to remember them.

This was by far one of the most amazing memorials that i have ever seen. It really allows you to see through the eyes of Kurt Cobain. Visiting this park and and walking under the bridge gives you a chance to find yourself in the artist, and pay respect to a legend of a musician that will forever live on.