Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney. If you grew up in Washington, you’ve no doubt heard some of these names at least somewhere. Actually, the only way you could have escaped these is if you lived under a rock, and even if you did, it better be big because it surely would have rolled away by now.

These bands have a lot in common. They’re all grunge, all started in Seattle and oh yeah, they were all signed to Sub Pop Records, which catapulted their career. The then small record company is actually responsible for signing some of the most beloved musical acts of recent years.

Bands such as The Flaming Lips, Death Cab for Cutie, White Stripes and The Shins all have Sub Pop to thank for getting their names out and turning them into the international powerhouses they are now..

So it’s a pretty big deal that that Sub Pop’s founder, Bruce Pavitt, is coming to Central on Friday. Not only will he be answering questions with students, he’s also bringing along Calvin Johnson, an early Sub Pop collaborator. They’ve taken their fanzine articles and turned them into a book, “Sub Pop USA: The Subterranean Pop Music Anthology, 1980–1988.”

Ellensburg native Mark Pickerel — founder of The Screaming Trees and longtime owner of Rodeo Records, which for years drew vinyl lovers to downtown Ellensburg — will also play an acoustic set.

If the previous paragraph didn’t start your blood pumping and your heart racing, you may need to retire to a dark corner and pop in a grunge record or two, or four or seven. Three music legends are coming to Central, the school in the middle of nowhere, and they’re coming to see you. Yes you. Don’t complain if events like this don’t come around twice.

If you remember rocking out to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in your 90s boxer shorts while your parents screamed at you to keep it down, then you owe it to yourself to meet the man who made it all possible.

I’ll see you there.