Soundgarden @ Great Woods, 7-10-2011

[music | Sleater-Kinney - Modern Girl]

Coheed and Cambria opened, and I've got to say they were a much more suitable opener than Juliette Lewis. It seems they had a pinch-bassist due to their bassist being arrested minutes before the show on charges of armed robbery of a pharmacy. Overall they were good, I've not been a huge fan, but they were good, maybe we'll give 'em $15 for the old legal defense fund.

Soundgarden was great, though sound wasn't so good. Much of the show was really bass & drum heavy, making them sound more like Drowning PooDleofMuddVvayynne. A lot of the time it was like "hear our bass line, and oh yeah, watch a Kim Thayil gesticulates wildly on some instrument he seems to be holding, but which must not be plugged in". Pity. This is often the case at Great Woods, but not always. Also, if a band has a loud opening band, which in this case sounded /really/ pretty good, the headliner seems to want to go One Louder, completely fucking up the sound. As is also often the case, the encore set sounded a lot better.

I'd have to say the Chris Cornell show a couple of years ago /sounded/ better overall, and since he played lots of Soundgarden, was pretty complete, however this is the only time I've gotten to see them all together, and I'm still really happy. Plus, at that show, we had to deal with Juliette Lewis. Even though we had 4th row seats right in the middle, some jackass didn't think cameras were permitted (which, at that venue, they totally are), and so didn't bring one. Wonder who that was?

Chris Cornell sounded good, but there are certain songs I don't think he can sing anymore. In particular I was hoping for Heretic and Loud Love, which didn't happen. Overall though he didn't really seem to have to re-arrange much. I think Natalie thought he sounded more limited than I did.

Here's the setlist courtesy of some kind soul at setlist.fm

Here are some photos I took from about 1/4 mile away way out in the top quarter of Sec. 8. I have many, they all look pretty much the same:

Coheed and Cambria:

Soundgarden:

Angry Bassist:

Searching With My Good Eye Closed
Spoonman
Room a Thousand Years Wide
Let Me Drown
Jesus Christ Pose
Blow Up the Outside World
The Day I Tried to Live
My Wave
Fell on Black Days
Ugly Truth
Hunted Down
Outshined
Rusty Cage
Burden in My Hand
Black Hole Sun
Superunknown
4th of July

Encore:
Beyond the Wheel
Big Dumb Sex
Like Suicide
Face Pollution
Slaves & Bulldozers