This is the former location of Butch Vig's studio in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1990, Nirvana (Cobain, Novoselic and early drummer Chad Channing) recorded here what was intended to be a follow-up to Bleach for Sub Pop Records. "Polly" was the only song recorded at Smart Studios to make it onto what would become Nevermind. Butch Vig would end up producing that album for them when the band signed to DGC Records, but it was recorded in California.

The studio, which Vig co-founded in 1983 along with future Garbage guitarist Steve Marker, closed in May 2010. Other bands who had recorded/mixed there include Smashing Pumpkins, Archers of Loaf and of course Garbage.

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Bob Stinson used to live at this house in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis with his younger brother, Tommy. Around 1978, Bob bought Tommy a bass guitar to help keep him out of trouble, and the two started to practice with drummer Chris Mars.

Paul Westerberg was a janitor at a senator's office downtown, and he would walk by the house daily and hear them practicing. After auditioning a number of other singers, Westerberg was hired as lead vocals/second guitarist in 1979.

The group was initially called Dogbreath. They played one drunken show as The Impediments, and the promoter of the show threatened to have them banned from every venue in town. So they changed their name to The Replacements...

The cover of The Replacment's Let It Be was shot at this location.

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According to Minneapolis musician and City Pages writer Jim Walsh, the Replacements played a high school dance at this building back in the day. He is fairly certain that the line "we are the sons of no one" from "Bastards of Young" comes from that experience. Also according to Walsh, the 'Mats refused to help carry other band's equipment.


The Sons of Norway is a Norwegian fraternal benefit society that now houses a Wells Fargo branch.

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The Dakota also served for the sweeping exterior shots of the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. In the film, the building is called "The Bramford" and has a troubled past associated with the occult, baby murders, and witchcraft.

The Dakota building was well known for its show business inhabitants. Director Roman Polanski initially thought the interiors to be to new and clean to be appropriate for the film, but that became a moot point once the building owners refused to allow interior shooting.

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The Stone Pony, located in the Jersey seaside town of Asbury Park, is one of the most recognized small venues in the world. Many artists have honed their skills here, including Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.

The Boss has played here nearly 90 times, but except for the occasional children's school fund-raiser, he usually just sits in with another band. Despite public perception to the contrary, Springsteen already had two albums completed when The Stone Pony opened in 1974.

Professional wrestler Bam Bam Bigelow used to work as a bouncer at the Stone Pony before he toured the wrestling circuit.

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