Chris Cornell @ UB Center for the Arts, Amherst, New York Sunday, October 11, 2015

Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell is currently in the midst of a tour supporting his latest solo release titled “Higher Truth.” His appearance in front of the sold out crowd was his second in two years at the Center for the Arts. In fact, Cornell immediately made a remark upon taking the stage that he remembered a joke he told last time about the commercial that reminded him of Buffalo and cold and flu season. He stated that he wouldn’t be telling jokes and was happy to be here. After a few strums of the guitar before the third song “Moonchild,” he paused and said “I forgot how fu*king amazing this place sounds!” Well Cornell couldn’t have been more spot on in his assessment. More on that later.

Let’s start at the very beginning when Cornell came out and immediately jumped down into the front row to shake and slap hands. I knew it was going to be one hell of an intimate evening. He played the first song “Before We Disappear” with his shades on and then removed them telling the audience, “please remind me that I’m leaving them here otherwise I will forget them.” He did his best Bob Dylan by strapping a harmonica to his neck and changing lyrics around a bit to make his own song called “The Times They Are A -Changing.”

Cornell had cellist Bryan Gibson join him for 10 songs on the cello and on mandolin for “Nearly Forgot my Broken Heart.” Hearing Cornell’s voice on “As Hope & Promise Fade” really was earth shattering. A true feat he seemed to capture all night. Without a true supporting band, Cornell for the most part was left out there front and center to rely on his voice and playing. Cornell also played a record filled with just a piano and he was able to sing “When I’m Down” over the top of it and really hit it out of the park.

In the midst of tackling and adding his fresh take on the Soundgarden classics like “Rusty Cage,” “Black Hole Sun” and acoustical offerings, he delivered a few covers that got your attention as well. I was not aware that the Bee Gees song “To Love Somebody” was originally written for blues singer Otis Redding, who he died before he got a chance to record it according to Cornell. He also added “River of Deceit” by Mad Season. This flowed into two songs of a side project he was in around the same time of Mad Season called Temple of the Dog. Those songs were “Hunger Strike” and “Say Hello to Heaven.” Cornell’s voice on the latter was another show stopper.

Cornell treated the fans to a two hour and 10 minute show that included not only songs off of “Higher Truth” (5 were played). He also played songs from his short lived projects Temple of the Dog and Audioslave. Of course, he did songs from Soundgarden and threw a few choice covers in too. It made for a career retrospect even though it wasn’t billed as such. I must say I have never heard a show sound that good in a long time anywhere. Cornell can still deliver the goods as his voice is still as pristine as ever. As Cornell was delivering with his voice, I must say his acoustical guitar playing was also spot on. He played various acoustic guitars throughout the evening.

He talked about how he loved the crowd here and would be open to coming back as long as the fans wanted him to. Can we start planning now Chris?

Setlist:

Before We Disappear
Can’t Change Me
Moonchild
The Times They Are A-Changin’ (Bob Dylan cover)
As Hope & Promise Fade
Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart
Fell on Black Days (Soundgarden song)
Thank You (Led Zeppelin cover)
River of Deceit (Mad Season cover)
Hunger Strike (Temple of the Dog song)
Say Hello 2 Heaven (Temple of the Dog song)
Doesn’t Remind Me (Audioslave song)
Let Your Eyes Wander
Call Me a Dog (Temple of the Dog song)
To Love Somebody (Bee Gees cover)
When I’m Down
Worried Moon
Rusty Cage (Soundgarden song)
Sunshower
Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden song)
Like a Stone (Audioslave song)
I Am the Highway (Audioslave song)
Nothing Compares 2 U (Prince cover)
Ave Maria (Franz Schubert cover)
Wooden Jesus (Temple of the Dog song)