Earlier this year, Nirvana entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making them the first "grunge band" from the Seattle scene to be inducted. As Alice in Chains prepare to play a show in Cleveland next week, where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located, guitarist Jerry Cantrell spoke with Cleveland.com about Nirvana's induction and more.

“It’s well-deserved," says Cantrell. “I loved those guys.’’ But the singer-guitarist adds, “I was surprised to see them go in before Pearl Jam. They went in for ‘Bleach,’ which wasn’t a big record till ‘Nevermind’ became a big record."

However, Cantrell is a bit mistaken in his sentiments. A band becomes eligible 25 years after its first significant recording, and while it's true that their 1988 single 'Love Buzz' and 1989 debut album 'Bleach' helped Nirvana become eligible, an act is inducted based on their whole body of work, not just the recording that made them eligible.

Cantrell concedes it would be nice to Alice in Chains be inducted, but, “If even one of our group [of Seattle bands] was considered and inducted, it says a lot for them and, associatively, about our whole city."

AIC are in the midst of a tour supporting last year's 'The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here.' This leg wraps up May 24 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The band has also added some August dates, which kick off Aug. 8 in Penticton, British Columbia.

Before those August shows, Cantrell will appear at this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas. He’ll be there along with Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean DeLeo and Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins. The camp runs July 31-Aug. 3 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, with a live performance by campers and counselors at the House of Blues to wrap up the festivities.

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