Nirvana tribute band Breed to play Cobain classics at Buzzbin

Kurt Cobain's shocking suicide 25 years ago abruptly ended the short but stirring career of his band Nirvana.

But the desire for Cobain's invigorating and explosive grunge rock remains strong, which is where Breed comes in.

The young tribute band, whose members hail from Kent, Barberton and Wadsworth, plays Nirvana music live at clubs, including a show Friday at Buzzbin in downtown Canton. Together about a year, the band has done shows at Vortex, Aqueduct Brewing and Funny Stop in Akron, and the Civic Music Hall in Toledo.

Breed's sets include Nirvana favorites ("Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Come As You Are," "Lithium," "About a Girl") and less familiar tunes ("Negative Creep," "Talk to Me," "Even in His Youth," "School").

I chatted with band members Trevin Flaker, 20, vocals and guitar; Alex Flecksteiner, 22, bass; and Stephanie Conley, 25, drums.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

TREVIN: "I had a dream of doing a Nirvana band for a while. I've been a fan since I was in the eighth grade. Kurt wrote his music based on struggles he's gone through. His parents were divorced, my parents are as well. I can relate."

ALEX: "To be completely honest, when I showed up in this band, I knew maybe 'Teen Spirit' and 'Come As You Are.' But I kept working on it, and it turned out to be cool. (Cobain's) music is very catchy, so the basslines are kind of poppy in a lot of senses. It's been fun to learn."

STEPHANIE: "I've never been in any other band before this besides the high school band. I knew (Nirvana's) bigger hits, I've always been a fan. I thought it was going to be a lot simpler to play, but it's a challenge. You definitely have to be aggressive with it, you can't hold back. You feel the muscle in your forearms burning after a show or even after practice."

ALEX: "Stephanie plays very loud. She can flail her arms without giving any emotion. I swear she is a robot. She is very talented. She's been playing drums for a while. Her father is a drummer, she learned off him."

TREVIN: "Years ago when I just played by myself in my basement, it was really hard when I did Kurt's scream parts. My voice always gave out. One thing I've learned from a lot of practice is you've got to find that best range in your voice for screaming. That's how I've gotten through."

STEPHANIE: "Trevin dresses like Kurt with the flannel and jeans, he plays all the same type of guitars Kurt did and he sounds pretty identical to him, too."

ALEX: "Honestly, Trevin's really one of the best. He really mimics Kurt's voice really well. From him talking to him singing, it's like a light switch. It's crazy. And he's got the hair in the face and the goatee going on. At first, he had a bowl cut and he looked hilarious, but he kept getting it longer and longer."

TREVIN: "Alex and I get along pretty well. The dude is understanding, and he's a really gifted bass player."

STEPHANIE: "It's so much fun. We're all so different, but we mesh together perfectly."

TREVIN: "At first we didn't really know what we were doing. Now we try to be more dynamic, moving around, trying to get the crowd up and excited. When we end a song, Alex and I add in our own little jokes to interact with the audience. They seem to really love what we do and want us to come back to the venues."

ALEX: "There's definitely parts (in Nirvana's music) that are made to get your heart pumping. It's definitely cool being part of that energy and being able to create that effect on people."

STEPHANIE: It's incredible. You can get lost and just be in the music."

TREVIN: "It can feel like a big rush. We love every minute of it. In my personal opinion, you have to be inspired to do this music. Otherwise, what's the point?"

WHO: Breed: A Tribute to Nirvana, Post Traumatics, Fair Weather Friend

WHEN: Friday, 9 p.m.

WHERE: Buzzbin, 331 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton.

ADMISSION: Free.

IN CONCERT