Nirvana Tested New Songs on Tour

In the months leading up to the release of their album Nevermind on September 24, 1991, Nirvana tested their new songs by playing them in small clubs. Following the tour for their first album Bleach, Nirvana took part as the opening act on the tour for Sonic Youth's 1990 album Goo. Dave Grohl left the band Scream in order to join Nirvana, taking the place of departed drummer Chad Channing.

At their concert in Calgary, Nirvana played songs from the album Bleach alongside new songs, including Breed, Lithium, and Territorial Pissings. Nirvana also traveled to the city of Edmonton, where they performed the first and only concert of their career in that city. Krist Novoselic wrote a tour diary for the fanzine Maximum Rocknroll, in which he likened the club in Edmonton to a hotel conference room.

The band moved on to the city of Victoria and took the stage at a venue called The Forge. The band Skin Barn carried influences from early 1980s hardcore scenes, and the group also carried the influences of alternative rock bands such as The Replacements, Pixies, and Jane's Addiction.