Eva Ryan-Gallagher… What can I even say about her?
She was this poet and singer from New York who kind of exploded right alongside the whole Seattle thing. She ended up forging really close ties with the city and with bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. At just 17, Rolling Stone called her “the muse of grunge,” and in a way she really was. For a while she was connected to pretty much everyone in the scene.
I first really got into her when I heard about that night in New York in late April 1990. She was only 15 and Nirvana was playing the Pyramid Club the next day. Kurt and the guys crashed on the floor at her girlfriend Robin’s place. That’s where it all started for her with the Seattle crowd. She had this unique thing going on stage — a real fusion of poetry and grunge that felt incredibly powerful. It wasn’t like anything else happening at the time.
I was lucky enough to see her live on January 29th, 1993 at the Paramount Theatre here in Seattle. That show was brutal. She poured everything into it. Even now, when I put on that bootleg and listen to her version of “Rock n’ Roll Suicide,” it still gives me chills every single time.
By late ’94 she started stepping away from the big concerts and focused more on her poetry and smaller readings. In ’96 she moved to the UK and began experimenting with poetry and electronic music performances. Then in '99… she just disappeared. No more shows, no new records, nothing. She went completely quiet.
Where did you go, Eva?
I still think about her a lot. She was this crazy talented girl who showed up right when everything was blowing up, and then one day she was just… gone. The scene felt a little emptier after that. I hope she’s doing okay, wherever she is. I really do.