NIRVANA bassist KRIST NOVOSELIC is RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT… No, Really. And covered Nirvana’s debut single during his campaign convention.

Novoselic recently launched his presidential campaign under the Cascade Party in Washington state, as well as debuted his new group, the Bona Fide Band. According to the former Nirvana bassist, he started his new band solely because of the requirements Washington has in place to recognize new political parties. In order for the Cascade Party to be seen as a “bona fide party,” someone must run on the presidential ticket and host conventions.

So Novoselic, along with Mark Pickerel of Screaming Trees, started the Bona Fide Band to get the word out and to play shows that count as “conventions.” Last week, they kicked off their first set of shows and performed covers of songs from Novoselic’s other bands: Giants in the Trees, and 3rd Secret (which he is in with Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden). During their show in Kurt Cobain’s hometown of Aberdeen, WA, they even covered Nirvana’s 1988 debut single “Love Buzz” – which itself is a cover of a 1969 song originally recorded by Dutch band Shocking Blue.

Nirvana bassist needs help from supporters

With more shows for the Bona Fide Band on the horizon, Novoselic is hoping to collect the 1,000 signatures needed for the Cascade Party to qualify for the presidential ballot.

Novoselic did make clear that he really doesn’t have any desire to actually become the next president of the United States, but is only doing this to establish the party. “We are challenging the rule compelling us onto the presidential ballot,” he wrote on the Cascade Party website. “We have sent a letter to the State which requests changes to administrative rules that force us to run for president.”