Who: Chris Cornell
What: Songbook Tour 2013
Where: Scottish Rite
Auditorium
When: November 24, 2013 at 7:30pm
WARNING: If you just had to Google Chris Cornell to find out who he
is—first: shame on you, and second: there's probably no reason for you to read
the rest of this review, but then again, it might be well written and somewhat
humorous. So if you have nothing else to
do for the next five minutes (Can porn really wait?) give it a read.
If in the past you cruised around in a black
primer Camaro on Friday nights cranking Outshined, or Spoonman, or Hunger
Strike, or…well you get the idea, then this concert should be right up your
alley. No, there are no loud guitar
riffs, or nutty drunks throwing beer or fists your way. And no, you probably won't see women flashing
or getting stripped naked while stage diving.
But an amazing history of talent will be unleashed to a smaller crowd,
creating a pleasurable and intimate experience that will be hard to match. So grab a loved one, a better half, or one of
the kids, and head to the nearest venue to see Chris Cornell, one of the best
vocalists this side of rock music.
STORY:
Chris Cornell, front-man of Soundgarden,
Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog, ditches all other musicians and hits the
road, Lone Ranger style, to perform from a deep well of songs that spans
decades. Anecdotes, record playing,
rotary phones, guitar strumming, bicycle riding, and perfect vocals ensue.
INTRODUCTION:
In a tiny New Jersey town, known for…well, nothing,
Chris Cornell came out on stage in an antiquated theatre filled to the brim
with an older, yet “cultured” audience.
Most of the front rows jumped to the stage to welcome the musician and
were thanked with heartfelt waves and handshakes. Cornell then placed an open palm over his
eyes to shield the lights and announced the theatre is "interesting"
and that it looked like a place the witch trials might have occurred. After a short story about his family and current
place in life, one of seven guitars was strapped over a shoulder and an
impressive history of his music, peppered with a few tributes, followed.
HOW LONG IS THE SHOW?
One would think a lone man with several guitars
would probably crank out an hour or an hour and a half of entertainment, and
then call it a night. Nope. Not here.
Mr. Cornell played for a whopping two hours and fifty minutes. His energetic enthusiasm might have let him
sing well into the morning, but being a family man now, he has to think about
others, and instead packed up the show around 11:30pm. With an opening act (Bhi Bhiman) starting
exactly on time and playing about a half hour, that brought Cornell onto the
stage a tiny bit after 8:30pm. So if you’re
looking to get completely trashed ahead of time and slip in just before Cornell
takes the stage, a one hour difference from the start time should ensure plenty
of alcoholic debauchery.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
A laid back, easy-going, yet funny musician will
talk about his career and then sing whatever song strikes his fancy at that
moment. If the audience contains totally
sloshed, middle-aged women, expect a lot of screaming about how sexy Chris is
and random songs they want to hear. The
venue (whether it was the theatre or how the tour handles photography in
general) didn't care too much about cell phone recordings or random flashes
from cameras. So stuffing your super-8
down your pants and telling the security guard it’s a left-over dinner plate is
probably not necessary.
Standing room was non-existent and most of the
show people remained calm and in their seats.
If you're going to the Songbook Tour to expose your love of Audioslave
and how much you like punching people in the face, you're in the wrong building. Stabbings, assaults, and gun violence have
been moved to the random Rage Against the Machine concerts and any show
containing the Wu-Tang Clan. Now, if
you're really a lucky attendee, you
might just have a happy crack-head couple taking puffs of their happy
crack-pipe during the show with the police department six feet away. Nothing says smart like smoking crack within
arm's reach of the law.
Most of the songs Cornell sang were just him
and a guitar, but two instances saw the opening act (Bhi Bhiman) walk out on
stage to help with Hunger Strike and other impromptu songs like Led Zeppelin's
Over the Hills and Far Away—which after about midway through Cornell gave it
the kill sign and announced, "...you'd
be surprised, but between me and Bhi Bhiman, there are millions of songs we
don't know." The strangest, yet
most interesting portions of the concert occurred when Chris broke out the
vinyl. Yep, in addition to a rotary
phone on stage (no idea why he had that) there happened to be a record
player. (For the young kids out there
that don't know what a record is: pretend someone took your iPhone, flattened
it, rounded it, and then spun it on a table, after hitting play.) Cornell would rummage through several vinyl
sleeves, pull out the one he wanted, get that sucker spinning, and then sing
along to the music.
If you search the web for Chris Cornell's
Songbook Tour playlists, you'll find multiple sites listing off the many
different tunes your ears might hear. What you'll get is anyone's
guess as he seems to decide what's next on the spur of the moment. But you might hear a little Zeppelin or
Beatles or something of the like, which added to the special feel of the
concert itself.
CONCLUSION:
For an amazing intimate show from a performer
who has wowed audiences with his high notes for decades, you can't get any
better or funnier than Chris Cornell.
Not only will you hear exceptional lyrics and melodies, but you'll catch
a glimpse into the man himself. The
smaller the venue the better, as the show at the Scottish Rite felt like
Cornell was playing in your living room.
If you've enjoyed any past concerts with Chris as the front man, then
the Songbook Tour of 2013 will not only surprise you, but will also help you
understand the soul that sits behind the instrument.
4.5
out of 5 stars (minus a ½ star for the unnecessary
opening act)
