As a lifelong Soundgarden fan and a career musician myself it was a pretty special opportunity to get into such an intimate venue to see not only Chris Cornell but also a surprise performance by a group of musicians that helped shape the landscape of modern rock music. When this show was announced I was determined to get in and see Chris Cornell again. Last November, I was in attendance for his performance at Carnegie Hall, and in spite of my eager anticipation of it I was still surprised by the extent to which I was drawn to the side of himself that he displayed in that environment. Given that I perform 300 nights a year myself as either a soloist or an acoustic duo, the format really appealed to me and learning that Chris Cornell, he who embodies rock, was as compelling a performer stripped down as he would be with his army behind him was quite a nice surprise.
Fast forward almost exactly one year and not only were we treated to another flawless acoustic performance, including covers by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen (for the Hurricane Sandy victims), but four or five songs into the set he invited "some friends of his" to the stage. . . these friends being, of course, Ben Shepherd, Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron, who came out to play Fell On Black Days, Outshined, Black Hole Sun and a couple of tracks off their new record King Animal.
They then left Chris Cornell on stage again to play for almost another two hours - cracking jokes and keeping the energy high for the entirety of his set.
Suffice it to say that it was an unforgettable experience. The Bowery Ballroom is an amazing place to see a show and if you get an opportunity to see one of your biggest influences in a room that accommodates 500 of your closest friends, you should take it and soak in every moment.