Rare Nirvana Photographs from 1991 Concert on Sale as NFTs

On Oct. 1, 1999, seven days after the release of the band’s breakthrough album Nevermind, Nirvana had a gig at J.C. Dobbs in Philadelphia. There was a buzz around the show, and in the audience, photographer Faith West was ready to capture the night.

“At the club that night, the air was thick with anticipation,” recalls photographer West in a statement. “There was a buzz of excitement that said something awesome was about to transpire. Also, there was a sense of joy emanating from [Kurt] Cobain in his raucous guitar licks and the transcendent longing of his vocals.”

For more than three decades, 28, photographs shot by West from that night have never been seen and are set to be sold as NFTs through Pop Legendz on Feb. 20 on what would have been Cobain’s 55th birthday.

Available for purchase at Pop Legendz, are four one-of-a-kind NFTs made from 10 never-before-seen images, which will be sold auction-style with bids beginning at 67 Ethereum, which is currently valued at $250,000, for the GIF artworks. Buyers will also receive a framed 16″ x 24″ fine-art print of one image, signed by the photographer. 

In addition to the four pieces, 10 images that make up the artworks will be auctioned off individually as NFTs, in black-and-white and in acid-washed color versions.

Additional items include the “Nirvana Fan Club,” a sale of GIF artworks as NFTs limited to 150 pieces which were created from four images, at $499, in addition to another 150 copies of each of the 17 still images for $99 each, also available in black and white and acid-washed color. 

Half of all proceeds from both sales will benefit The Trevor Project, a non-profit assisting at-risk LGBTQ+ youth, while another portion of the proceeds will benefit Grid Alternatives, an organization bringing solar power to low-income families.

“I can still hear the echo of the fuzzy guitar,” says West, “and feel the energy in the room, when I recall it now, three decades later.”

Photo: Faith West / Pop Legendz