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United States Meat Puppets is an American rock band that originated in Phoenix, Arizona, gaining mainstream recognition after their collaboration with Nirvana on 'MTV Unplugged' in 1993.
Meat Puppets opened for Stone Temple Pilots in 1994, touring together. There were discussions about their music and interactions during this period.
Meat Puppets' Curt Kirkwood and Cris Kirkwood collaborated with Nirvana during their 'MTV Unplugged in New York' performance in 1993, which became a significant moment in rock history. Curt Kirkwood has discussed jamming with Nirvana.
Meat Puppets' Curt Kirkwood, Cris Kirkwood, and Derrick Bostrom were signed to the independent record label SST Records for many years, releasing several albums. Later, they signed with London Records for their major-label debut, 'Forbidden Places'. They later signed to Megaforce.
The brand Ernie Ball mentions Meat Puppets in a promotional piece about artists using their guitar strings. The specific strings mentioned are 'Skinny Top Heavy Bottom, Skinny'.
Billboard recognized Meat Puppets as one of Nirvana's core influences and noted their performances on late-night television, highlighting their significant impact.
The band had features in Rolling Stone, with Curt Kirkwood discussing influences, their collaboration with Nirvana on 'Unplugged', and new album releases.
Meat Puppets released several albums through SST Records during their early career, including their debut album 'Meat Puppets' and 'Meat Puppets II'.
Meat Puppets signed with London Records for their major-label debut, 'Forbidden Places', which combined various elements of their sound.
Derrick Bostrom oversaw the re-issuing of Meat Puppets' original seven records on Rykodisc, as well as the release of their first live album, 'Live in Montana'.
Meat Puppets released the album 'Rise to Your Knees' through Anodyne Records in 2007.
After departing from Anodyne, Meat Puppets signed with Megaforce Records and released their album 'Sewn Together' in 2009.
Meat Puppets contributed to Spin magazine's exclusive album 'Newermind: A Tribute to Nirvana', where they performed Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.
Meat Puppets opened for Dave Grohl's Sound City Players at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas in March 2013.
Meat Puppets completed a tour with The Moistboyz in April 2014.
Meat Puppets toured with Soul Asylum in the summer of 2015.
The Meat Puppets were chosen to open for an 11-show tour in support of The Dean Ween Group in October 2016, with Curt Kirkwood and drummer Chuck Treece contributing to 'The Deaner Album'.
Cris Kirkwood produced and/or played with The Exterminators, the Linecutters, and Sad Kid for Slope Records in 2016.
Meat Puppets formed in January 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona, with a lineup consisting of brothers Curt Kirkwood (guitar/vocals) and Cris Kirkwood (bass guitar/vocals), and Derrick Bostrom (drums). The band members met while attending Brophy Prep High School and later moved to Tempe, Arizona, where they established a regular practice space. Initially a punk rock band, Meat Puppets developed a distinct sound by integrating punk with country and psychedelic rock. Their early EP, “In A Car,” released in 1980, featured short hardcore punk tracks and caught the attention of Joe Carducci from SST Records. This led to the release of their debut album, “Meat Puppets,” in 1982.
The band’s musical direction evolved with their 1984 album, “Meat Puppets II,” which incorporated acid rock and country and western influences. This album introduced well-known songs such as “Lake of Fire” and “Plateau.” “Meat Puppets II” positioned them as a notable act on SST Records, contributing to the “cow punk” genre. They followed this with “Up on the Sun” in 1985, an album that showcased a more psychedelic folk-rock style while retaining punk elements. The band continued to release albums throughout the 1980s, including “Out My Way” (1986), “Mirage” (1987), “Huevos” (1987), and “Monsters” (1989), maintaining a rigorous touring schedule.
A significant turning point occurred in 1993 when Curt and Cris Kirkwood were invited by Kurt Cobain to perform on Nirvana’s “MTV Unplugged” session, where they played “Plateau,” “Oh Me,” and “Lake of Fire.” This exposure increased their visibility, and their 1994 album, “Too High to Die,” achieved commercial success, earning a gold record. The album featured their highest-charting single, “Backwater.” The original lineup released “No Joke!” in 1995 before a hiatus in 1996. The band reunited in 1999 for a period, then again in 2006 with a new drummer, Ted Marcus, and released “Rise to Your Knees” in 2007. Derrick Bostrom returned on drums in 2018, and the band released their 15th studio album, “Dusty Notes,” in 2019.
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