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Thursday, August 6, 2009

RIP It's a Cold, Gray Elliott Day

Posted by Kelly O on Thu, Aug 6, 2009 at 1:30 PM

It's only 67 degrees in Seattle right now. Perfect for drinking hot coffee and listening Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith. He would have turned 40 years old today...

c28f/1249591566-elliottsmith.jpg

photo by Autumn De Wilde

Comments (18) RSS

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One of my favorite musicians. RIP.

Posted by Critical on August 6, 2009 at 1:57 PM

years later, i still can't listen to his music without hearing all the sadness that caused him to put a fucking knife through his heart. its too much for me.

Posted by alithea on August 6, 2009 at 3:17 PM

Who?

Must be a Seattle local.

Posted by ElliottWah on August 6, 2009 at 6:05 PM

@2 same, I start listening to old favorites and it just pours out... Seeing him at First Ave in Minneapolis the night after Bob Mould was one of the best weekends of my life.

Posted by julie russell

on August 6, 2009 at 6:38 PM

@1, 2, 4: I concur. Brutal. That sadly prescient scene from "Royal Tenenbaums" with Needle in the Hay is just devastating.

Posted by emma's bee on August 6, 2009 at 6:46 PM

Oh, sad, I never knew this was Elliott's birthday. I was one of the lucky ones who got to see Elliott at the Velvet Elvis, Crocodile, Redmond fire House, and the Showbox back in the day. His music still stands up as some of the best. I actually heard "Wouldn't Momma be Proud" on the jukebox today, and it sounded better than ever. Jesus, it's so sad, he was such a talent.

Posted by Roosevelt

on August 6, 2009 at 7:54 PM

Wow, 40. He was so young.

Posted by The Cap'n on August 6, 2009 at 8:17 PM

Great artist. I listened to his "Rose Parade" today.

Posted by kim in portland

on August 6, 2009 at 8:35 PM

I feel the same every time I listen to him - sullen, moved, heart-breakingly sad, overcome, at ease and happy.

Posted by greg in ballard on August 6, 2009 at 9:08 PM

Funny, I have a friend who's also turning 40 today...

Posted by Matt from Denver on August 6, 2009 at 10:38 PM

man, fuck.

i've never realized how really, really sad it is i always remember the day he died, but never his birthday.

Posted by erik on August 6, 2009 at 10:40 PM

There are some of his songs I just can't listen to any more. Just too sad.

Posted by very bad homo on August 7, 2009 at 12:31 AM

he's still very much missed.

Posted by jayme on August 7, 2009 at 4:12 AM

His music is amazing. But I never feel sad that he died, all I could ever hear in his music was his beautiful swan song to death.

Posted by Fenrox on August 7, 2009 at 7:25 AM

Even violent and needless death possesses signs of hope...I need to cry.

Posted by slaggy

on August 7, 2009 at 8:03 AM

I, too, stopped listening to his music when he died. One morning, though, in an out-of-the-way place in western Panama, "Rose Parade" came on while I was eating breakfast. I just started to cry right into my scrambled eggs.

Posted by TVDinner

on August 7, 2009 at 9:55 AM

I hope and pray his life story never becomes a bad Hollywood movie

Posted by Kelly O on August 7, 2009 at 10:31 AM

Saw him three times down in LA and still have a set list. It really is timeless music and the sadness I felt when I first heard he was gone hasn't changed a bit. The ones that can't be replaced are few and far between, but Elliott was one of them.

Posted by kap0w on August 7, 2009 at 12:18 PM