Throwback: Happy 71st Birthday, Butch Vig!

It’s August. We’ve somehow managed to survive 3/4s of a what has been a miserable, soul-wrenching slog of a year, full of gratuitous brutality, endless war, and a slow-burning slide into fascism. Oh and add economic difficulties. But, we’re still here. And we will face whatever it is we’re meant to face, right?

Music, art and community matter more than ever. Let’s not forget that fact. As always, I will spend some time celebrating the birthday of a series of favorites and legends while we still have them.

• MTV was launched 45 years ago on August 1
• Coolio was born 63 years ago on August 1
• Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott celebrated his 67h on August 1
• Public Enemy‘s Chuck D. celebrated his 66th birthday on August 1

Butch Vig celebrates his 71stbirthday today. As a producer he has worked with Nirvana (famously on Nevermind), Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, L7, Sonic Youth and a lengthy list of others. But he may be best known these days for being Garbage‘s drummer. Talk about a legendary career, right?

Nevermind as an 11 and 12 year-old was a mind-blowing revelation. When I listen to those songs as a 47 year-old, I remember how those songs made me way back then.

Garbage’s first two albums, 1995’s self-titled and 1998’s Version 2.0 were critically applauded and commercially successful. But they were also a big part of my life’s soundtrack as a high schooler and college student. 

Thanks Butch! And happy birthday!

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