The Meat Puppets are one of the most influential bands to come out of Arizona. The Meat Puppets were formed when brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood met drummer Derrick Bostrom at Brophy Preparatory Highschool in 1980. They moved to Tempe where they helped shape the burgeoning punk and soon-to-be alternative rock scene (vogue, para1-2). They have been cited as influencing names such as “Nirvana, Soundgarden, Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh and Pavement.” (“Meat Puppets.”, para., 3). The Meat Puppets were a major influence on the beginning of cow-punk or country and acoustic fused punk music in the 1980s. However, it wasn’t until 1993 that they would enjoy some mainstream success. This came in the form of an MTV performance in which the Kirkwood brothers would get on stage and help Kurt Cobain cover 3 of their songs (“Meat Puppets.” para. 1-10). The band went through some issues in the next years, but in 2006 they reunited without drummer, Derrick Bostrom. In 2019 the Kirkwood brothers got Bostrom to join, and the original lineup is still together (“Improvisational Revelations: An Interview with Derrick Bostrom of the Meat Puppets.").
Works Cited
“Improvisational Revelations: An Interview with Derrick Bostrom of the Meat Puppets.” Trial and Error Collective, www.trialanderrorcollective.com/interviews/improvisational-revelations-an-interview-with-derrick-bostrom-of-the-meat-puppets. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
“Meat Puppets.” Vogue, thevogue.com/artists/meat-puppets/#bio. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.