Soundgarden -- DAR Constitution Hall - Jan 18 2013

Soundgarden - As heavily as I was into the Seattle scene that this band helped bring about, I could never quite get fully into their music. I was extremely impressed by their clinical and powerful vision, but never warmed to their music enough to induce multiple replays. I never caught them live, and was expecting that the live performance would be a better way to experience them. The classic line-up with Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd are all here, a couple years into their reconstituted band that were dormant for 13 years. They have a backline that is simple and to the point that would look more at home at the Black Cat. They go right to business with their thick rock sound that merges classic to modern, not hitting metal, but adding touches of psyche, blues, and dirge. They mix new songs in with lots of classic songs from all eras of the band even going back to a brilliant "Hunted Down", still a favorite of mine. For me, their music is still a little too cool and clinical to fully absorb me, but I do enjoy their abilities live. Cornell's voice is still the star, although Matt Cameron's drumming stands out as something well above average for even top bands. Bands like Kyuss and Kylesa hit warmer grooves or more psychedelic power than Soundgarden in my estimation. Yet, if you want an intriguing balance of rock sounds, this band still delivers the goods. The light show was interesting with lots of black and white leading into some slight green and purple hues into bolder colors toward the end. This enhanced the absorption of their music as the night wore on. And by the end of the set, I was there, maybe not to the degree I would like, but appreciative of what these guys can do. Live is the best way to experience many bands, but vital with Soundgarden.

 Quote of the Night: Matt Cameron: "Did anyone come to our show at the 9:30 Club in 1987? Kim was there, I was there and the rats were like..." motions with hands 12 to 24 inches (a few did, somehow I missed it, although I did catch a slightly more known Sonic Youth there in 1987).