When former 102.1 The Edge program director Alan Cross interviewed Mudhoney last year, he asked them to comment on the Soundgarden reunion to which front man Mark Arm replied “Have you heard Cornell’s solo stuff? The reunion was inevitable.”
Well put Mark.
After more than a decade of bad Cornell material and Matt Cameron slumming it with Pearl Jam while Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd have been taking it easy in Seattle, the seminal Nineties alt-rockers walked onto the Molson Amphitheater stage on July 2, 2011 to play the first show of their first tour in fourteen years.
Current popular fashion has adopted and revived the Nineties grunge look, but it was never more classically present than in the crowd at this show. Sub Pop’s “LOSER” t-shirts were speckled throughout the crowd complete with plaid shirts and Doc Martins. I have always subscribed to the 'never wear the t-shirt of the band you’re seeing' rule, and apparently the rest of the audience did as well with every second person wearing an Alice in Chains shirt. There was even an archived Mad Season shirt in attendance.
When Soundgarden strutted on stage, the nostalgia was poured on thick. Not only were they standing before a massive venue full of adoring fans, but they also all looked almost exactly the same as the last time we saw them together on stage.
A surprising opener choice was b-side "Black Rain" from last year's Best Of collection Telephantasm. It was obvious the band was itching to play new material with their new album looming so it would seem this was the next best thing. After that, it was all uphill with single, after fan favorite, after single; the second song, “Searching With My One Eye Closed," garnered an amazing crowd response and truly opened the show, following with arguably their biggest hit "Spoonman.” After that it was a savage display of growling hits as virtually every single off every album was performed including "Rusty Cage,” "Jesus Christ Pose,” "The Day I Tried to Live" and on and on with the strange exception of "Pretty Noose" from 1996’s Down On The Upside.
Even with all of the band's members pushing 50+ years, their energy was still overwhelming. Cornell pounded on his Gibson and crisscrossed around the stage when only on vocals. Cameron chopped hard but flawlessly on the drums and Ben Shepherd – the rock that ties the band together – stomped, kicked, hunkered and jumped while playing his signature brand of sloppy, dirty, technically solid bass guitar. Kim Thayil camped out on his side of the stage splashing the audience with lightening bolts of lead guitar but, as always, hid behind his guitar in true rock-mystique style.
Rounding out the final songs on the set list were "Black Hole Sun" followed by the last track on Superunknown, "4th of July"; a surprisingly slow and sludgy choice to end a large-venue set. That end was redeemed by an encore which included "Face Pollution", "Just Like Suicide" and "Slaves and Bulldozers” though.
In the Nineties, Soundgarden was the definition of successful, alternative rock band. They weren’t polished and their songs were not formulaic, but they embodied everything that true rock and roll rebellion is defined by: crazy, offbeat guitar heroics and screaming youth. They may be sixteen years older now, but they can still level a crowd with their song power shot into the stands like a shot from a canon off a pirate ship.
Set List – July 2, 2011
· Black Rain
· Searching With My Good Eye Closed
· Spoonman
· Gun
· Rusty Cage
· Blow Up the Outside World
· Let Me Drown
· Jesus Christ Pose
· My Wave
· The Day I Tried to Live
· Outshined
· Beyond the Wheel
· Fell on Black Days
· Ugly Truth
· Burden in My Hand
· Superunknown
· Black Hole Sun
· 4th of July
Encore:
· Face Pollution
· Like Suicide
· Slaves & Bulldozers
Artist:
www.soundgardenworld.com/
www.myspace.com/soundedenmusic
www.facebook.com/Soundgarden
www.m.twitter.com/soundgarden
Photos:
Soundgarden – Molson Amphitheater – July 2, 2011 – [Photos]
Tour:
Soundgarden's current tour continues. For a list of upcoming dates, click here.
