Favorite Chris Cornell memory?

mcgruff10mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 27,739
edited May 2017 in The Porch
Post some cool stories here:

I've got three in no specific order.
1994: backpacking through the new mexican desert for two weeks and I only could bring a few cassettes with my walkman.  One of those tapes was super unknown by sound garden.  At one point all 12 in the group were singing spoon man out loud in the middle of nowhere lol.  

last year at msg as temple of the dog.  chris brought it that night.  I was amazed at his voice, it sounded so good.

Another favorite memory was traveling through wyoming, montana, idaho and colorado in 93.  Again lots of cassette tapes but birth ritual and seasons from the singles soundtrack were played over and over and over again. Chris's voice was intense.
I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
Post edited by mcgruff10 on
«134

Comments

  • CPR7CPR7 Stade de France, July 10, 2016 Posts: 361
    During his solo tour in 2015 a generous 10C member hooked me up with amazing seats to his show at Massey Hall. During the show in between songs people were blurting out song requests so as a light hearted/half serious joke I yelled out Jesus Christ Pose. Chris kind of chuckled in disbelief and said "Umm No". He than said he would play it if the cellist that was touring with him (I can't remember his name) knew how to play that he would play it. The next song the cellist came out to do Chris said "We got him" and busted into the opening riff of JCP. I lost my marbles. It was the highlight of the night for me. I'm still rattled with this tragedy. This has hit me pretty hard. Much harder than Scott Weiland Layne and Kurt. 
  • SVRDhand13SVRDhand13 NYC Posts: 25,719
    I was at the third audioslave show ever which was cool

    Audioslave absolutely destroying MSG in 2005

    PJ20 ToTD sets were a great surprise 

    ToTD at MSG was one of the best shows I ever saw 

    severed hand thirteen

    2006: Gorge 7/23 2008: Hartford 6/27 Beacon 7/1 2009: Spectrum 10/30-31
    2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
    2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
    2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
    2017: RRHoF 4/7   2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4   2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18 
    2022: MSG 9/11  2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17

    LOOKING FOR TIX TO MSG NIGHT 2
  • NWOntarioNWOntario Toronto Posts: 823
    Geez...first time seeing him solo, first time seeing Soundgarden when I barely let myself dream it'd ever happen, all three Songbook shows I saw, PJ20...and yet in many ways it's still sitting in my friend's bedroom listening to "Black Hole Sun" on a loop and thinking, "Who the FUCK sings that way?"
    Minneapolis 1998 | Jones Beach I & II, Montreal, and Toronto 2000 | Buffalo, State College, Toronto, Montreal and Hershey 2003 | Boston I & II 2004 | Thunder Bay, Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto 2005 | Toronto I & II 2006 | The Vic and Lollapalooza 2007 | Calgary and Toronto 2009 | PJ20 I & II, Toronto I & II, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton 2011 | London, Chicago, Spokane, Calgary, Vancouver and Seattle 2013 | Ottawa and Toronto I & II 2016 | Chicago I & II 2018 | Ottawa, Hamilton and Toronto 2022
  • JimmyVJimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 18,810
    The Pearl Jam Twenty documentary. He was so open and fun to listen to. His interview made up some of the best parts of that film.

    Only saw him live once. Soundgarden played the Orpheum in Boston back in 2013. Wish I could say I enjoyed it more than I did. My fault. We had been watching football and bar hopping all day. By showtime I was spent.

    Always figured I would get another chance...
    ___________________________________________

    "...I changed by not changing at all..."
  • SJD3232SJD3232 Posts: 2,200
    edited May 2017
    I waited outside in the sleet/snow for 8 hours to try and catch him going in the back door of a small venue in Delaware called the Grand Opera House only to find out he cancelled the show.  On my way to the car I found out that I was put on the family list to see him in AC at the Borgata and I got his setlist.

    in 2015, at the same venue in Delaware, I took the poster I bought at the AC show, and waited outside again all day.  When he was almost there a big crowd developed and everyone was blocked off by security and I thought I was screwed.  Right before he arrived, one of the security guys said "everyone back, except for you..he knows about you".  He walked by with his sunglasses on at 8 PM, 30 minutes before show time, stopped, said hi, thanked me, and signed my poster.  This meant the fucking world to me and I'd wait again if I had the opportunity. The poster is my prized possession and is proudly displayed in my house.

    TOTD at the MSG was absolutely amazing.

    Hearing Seasons live is one of my all time favorite concert moments!
    Post edited by SJD3232 on
  • eeriepadaveeeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 40,710
    edited May 2017
    seeing the first Temple of the Dog show in philly last year was awesome!

    The White Stripes were suppose to play in philly in July 2003 but cancelled.  Few days later at Lollapalooza, Auidioslave covered "Seven Nation Army".  He never said why they played it but after the show I was talking with a friend and told him I think they covered it cause of the cancellation.  Did see Audioslave a few months before at the Electric Factory which was pretty awesome.  I think after the second song started (I think it was Set it Off), I may have started a "mosh pit".  Last time i saw them was in '05 in Camden.  Fun show got to hear them cover 3 Soundgarden songs and 3 RATM songs including Sleep Now in the Fire which is my fav song from them.  They also played at least one (maybe two) songs off Revelations which wasn't even out yet.  Unfortunately I can't remember/find out what songs they were.  I want to say Sound of a Gun though.

    Never saw Soundgarden in the 90's but did catch them twice after they got back together.  First show was in 2011 which was cool, although the second time i saw them in 2013 I thought they sounded better.

    Never did see him perform solo which I'm kinda bummed about.
    Post edited by eeriepadave on
    bf959b1f-9b77-457c-baf8-038776f33339_zps8a6a389d.jpg?t=1365722973
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly
  • sheri zonasheri zona Makai Side Posts: 356
    I'm with everyone on the PJ20 appearance. How Ed introduced him gave me shivers.  I just watched it again and cried my face off. 
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbG9CNCettk
    in an underwater nation...near chinamans hat
  • mfc2006mfc2006 HTOWN Posts: 37,368
    I'm with everyone on the PJ20 appearance. How Ed introduced him gave me shivers.  I just watched it again and cried my face off. 
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbG9CNCettk
    same here.
    I LOVE MUSIC.
    www.cluthelee.com
    www.cluthe.com
  • EddieredderEddieredder Posts: 684
    edited May 2017

    Still not sure how this happened, but I won a contest through his fan club, and won a meet and greet with Chris before his last Benaroya solo show. I normally don't get star struck, but this was different, I was meeting my hero. This guy was part of the soundtrack of my youth. I tried to say "Really nice to meet you, I'm a huge fan". It came out as some mumbled mess of words nobody could understand.

    "Looks like we have a drinker" Chris said with a smile.

    After I was able to pull myself together and put together sentences, we talked about how Seattle had evolved. He couldn't have been nicer. I remember him saying he would always remember Seattle like it was in the John Wayne movie McQ. We talked about the classic cars we wanted to own. I remember him saying Seattle would always be home. 

    I've been crying all day.

    Post edited by Eddieredder on
  • CopperTomCopperTom Posts: 2,989
    I saw him solo, Soundgarden and TotD.  TotD was the highlight for me.  I was really hoping to see TotD again.
  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 27,739
    all great stories guys, keep them coming.


    I totally forgot about pj20 night 2...duh lol.
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • djklambakedjklambake PHX, AZ Posts: 2,510
    Remembering Chris... it's hard to type through the tears today... There isn't anywhere else online or in the real world where I can post this where people will understand how crushed I feel today... so thank you, friends, for putting up with this long list of mine...

    My best friend Dennis and I listened to the same mix tape on the bus on the way to school every day. And every day, we listened to My Wave and The Day I Tried To Live without fail. Soundgarden was a massive part of the soundtrack of my life, and will be for as long as I live.

    i feel so so fortunate to have seen a Soundgarden performance in Las Vegas in 2014. Chris' voice always blew me away - but to hear him live and in person was unforgettable. They performed every song I ever wanted them to play that night. It was glorious. We will never again hear a voice like Chris', and that's something I will forever miss.

    I missed a Pearl Jam show in L.A. in 2009. I had just returned from a business trip in Hawaii and I had the opportunity to drive straight to Los Angeles and see PJ the next day - but I was so exhausted. This was the show where Chris came out on stage and sang probably the most unique version of Hunger Strike that I had ever heard. This was the show where Matt, Kim, Ben and Chris huddled backstage and started the gears moving on a Soundgarden reunion. I wasn't there, but I always think of the show I missed that became truly legendary.

    His influence on so many other artists - including Eddie - is incalculable. I can't imagine where he was in his own mind last night to do something so final...

    We all can get down, and there are a lot of us who know the sadness, who know the depression, and have not yet let it get the best of us. We all get bad days, and we all get worse days. Sometimes it's minute to minute. I get that. I really do. No matter how bad it gets, live for the next day. Live for your friends. Live for your family. Live for the moments you've not yet experienced. Live for the people you have not yet met. You are needed here so much more than you could ever fathom. If you need help, please talk to someone. It's ok if you need help - we all do. There's nothing wrong with reaching out. Please take care of yourselves, friends. Theres a lot of love here. We need you.

    We are going to miss you so much, Chris. A big part of us died with you, today. You never knew me, but you were there for me when I needed you. Thank you so much, Chris. We miss you.
    6/27/98 - East Troy, WI
    6/29/06 - Milwaukee, WI
    9/25/11 - Vancouver, BC
    11/4/12 - (Eddie Vedder) Phoenix, AZ
    11/1/13 - New Orleans, LA
    11/19/13 - Phoenix, AZ
    11/21/13 - San Diego, CA
    10/12/14 - Austin, TX
    10/22/14 - Denver, CO
    8/22/16 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley 2)
  • kasedougkasedoug The Golden State Posts: 2,888
    My brother and I won a meet & greet opportunity with Chris from the Higher Truth album pre-order. It was brief but he couldn't have been nicer. I had also seen him the previous night on the tour, so I complimented him on that show and told him how we were really looking forward to this opportunity and that night's show. He was really appreciative and thanked us for coming. It was such a great night.

    I was a little too young to see Soundgarden back in the 90s, so I was incredibly excited when they reformed and toured back in 2011. Having already seen him numerous times solo and previously with Audioslave, it was amazing to see Soundgarden back together and cranking on all cylinders. Ended up seeing SG 10 times since then, and after witnessing the TOTD reunion at PJ20, was so excited when their tour was announced last summer. Was incredibly lucky to snag Seattle tickets in the pre-sale, and it was a dream come true to finally get up there for a show. Trip was a long time coming and couldn't have been a better experience. 
  • iwasatpj20iwasatpj20 Rockford, IL Posts: 3,291
    During the last run of Higher Truth solo shows, I got a chance to see Chris play in my former hometown, Peoria, IL.  Great show and lots of energy.

    RIP Chris
    2000 - Chicago, IL
    2003 - Champaign, IL
    2006 - Chicago, IL 1 & 2
    2007 - Chicago, IL Lollapalooza
    2009 - Chicago, IL 1 & 2
    2010 - St. Louis, MO
    2011 - East Troy, WI 1 & 2 (PJ20 Destination Weekend)
    2012 - Atlanta, GA, Missoula, MT
    2013 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field), Dallas, TX, Oklahoma City, OK
    2014 - St. Louis, MO, Tulsa, OK, Moline, IL (No Code, IL), Saint Paul, MN, Milwaukee, WI (Yield, WI)
    2016 - Greenville, SC (Vs, SC), Raleigh, NC, Columbia, SC, Boston, MA (Fenway Park 1), Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field 1 & 2)
    2018 - Seattle, WA (Safeco Field 2), Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field 1 & 2), Boston, MA (Fenway Park 2)
    2020 - Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO, Oklahoma City, OK, Phoenix, AZ, ??
    2022 - Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO, Oklahoma City, OK, Phoenix, AZ, Las Vegas, NV
    2023 - St. Paul, MN 2, Fort Worth, TX 2, Austin, TX 1, and Austin, TX 2
    2024 - Portland, OR and Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field 1 & 2)


    2012 - Temple of the Dog East Troy, WI (PJ20 Destination Weekend)
    2014 - Soundgarden Tinley Park, IL (with Nine Inch Nails)
    2014 - Alice in Chains Davenport, IA
    2016 - Chris Cornell Solo Madison, WI and Peoria, IL (official hometown show)
    2016 - Temple of the Dog San Francisco, CA (both shows)
    2017 - Soundgarden Dallas (cancelled) RIP Chris Cornell
    2018 - Smashing Pumpkins Chicago, IL (first show)
    2019 - Alice in Chains Milwaukee, WI
    2022 - Jerry Cantrell Chicago, IL
    2023 - Jerry Cantrell Milwaukee, WI

    RIP Andrew Wood, Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, and Chris Cornell

    RIP Mom (may your star shine the brightest in the sky, our family loves and misses you very much, we'll meet again)

  • jerseyjammer1jerseyjammer1 Posts: 245
    A few years ago I got to meet him at an in-store at Vintage Vinyl in Jersey.  I got a pic and he signed the Songbook album. He seemed reserved although I got a laugh out of him when I asked when Soundgarden would be touring with Pearl Jam.  He responded saying "You never know!".

    damn
  • Chris1401Chris1401 Posts: 354
    Was lucky enough to see soundgarden and a mini TOTD reunion at the 2014 Bridge School concert and saw the TOTD show at the forum last year. Amazing talent, gone too soon
  • Hairy DaneHairy Dane Denmark Posts: 205
    I remember seeing him last year on his 'Higher Truth' tour in Denmark. Epic show(s).
    Then on may 17th last year, I was on holiday in Rome, when a couple passed me, the guy looked down at my Pearl Jam t-shirt, smirked a bit, looked at me and nodded ... 8.97 nanoseconds later I said to my friend: I'm pretty sure that was Chris Cornell, who just passed us.
    So we ran after the couple and catching up to them, I stuttered: Excuse me, but are you Chris Cornell? Then the man said in the soothest of voices: ... Yeah! And I was blown away. I shook his hand and thanked him for the tunes, the shows and told him how much I loved his rendition of 'One' with Metallica's lyrics.
    I remember how well he smelled, and how his (beautiful) wife kept looking at him with such pride ... 
    Afterwards there were so many things I wanted to tell him and ask him. I remember we kept our eyes out for him for the rest of the trip, but alas.
    Then one year and one day this happens ... 
    Have fun, walk hard and stay alive.
  • pearljam1809pearljam1809 Posts: 863
    Saw him last December, on one of the last shows of the Higher Truth Tour, a little girl was in the attendance, first row, absolutely exited to be there (she was with her parents, I guess both big Chris Cornell fans). She sort of interacted with Chris the whole show and by the end he gave her one of his vinyls, the ones he use to close the show. 
    I can´t believe there will be no more memories of him on stage, so so sad.


  • MK88178MK88178 Chicago Posts: 483
    edited May 2017
    Heavy heart all day. I have a few stories. The first one is from the higher truth tour. My sister has always wanted to see him perform solo. She is just enamored by his solo performances. (Maybe bc he is on the Mr Rushmore of rock vocalists). One tour after another something came up where she couldn't go the last of which was my wedding. Taking her to Chris' show and having that moment with her.  What a solo show he puts on.

    Pj20. I remember the buzz that weekend about just maybe a totd  reunion. Then there were sightings, then Jesus walked out on stage. The chills and excitement I had.  Say hello 2 heaven still haunts me from that weekend. What a killer show.

    Totd at the garden!!! War pigs!!!

    Taking my nephew to see soundgarden. I'm just rocking out and he didn't care a lick but he loved nin. Someday he will appreciate me taking him. He just doesn't know it yet.


  • MR162772MR162772 Posts: 6
    See soundgarden for first time in 93 when Chris just shave his head 
  • radarradar Posts: 767
    2016 solo tour in Europe. Chris played in some fabulous places - like antic Roman amphitheatre in Plovdiv or Wiener Konzerthaus in Austria. The latter is one of those great venues meaning a lot in history of classical music. Chris made some jokes that he found in his wardrobe some inscriptions or graffitis like "I was here - Richard Wagner" and All those heroes of classical music. He was not sure this was the right place for him. It was Chris. You're instant Classic 
  • SomethingCreativeSomethingCreative Kazoo, MI Posts: 3,346
    My first band towards the end of highscool... To get pumped for shows, we would always blast loud love in the singer's mom's minivan filled to the brim with gear.  good fucking times.
    "Well, I think this band is incapable of sucking."
    -my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .
  • doomponydoompony Wellington, NZ Posts: 4,497
    My cousin and I used to watch the silly car scenes in motorvision over and over.

    Favourite memory would be seeing him on the Songbook tour in Wellington and hearing Sunshower live.  And again on the Higher Truth tour with the amazing cellist on Fell On Black Days.
  • goldrushgoldrush everybody knows this is nowhere Posts: 7,258
    I was lucky enough to see Chris solo at Sydney Opera house a few years ago as well. I can't put that show into words right now, it's just too emotional to think about.

    Sorry if this turns into a bit of a ramble, it's taking a while to write this and I'm just trying to get words out. I saw Soundgarden at the Reading Festival in 95. I've posted about this show a few times over the years but I still say that it was one of the all-time greatest festival line ups for me. So many of my favourite bands at the time in one place. Soundgarden were the penultimate band on the Sunday night - they played after Mudhoney and Pavement, and right before Neil Young and Pearl Jam (the last of the Mirrorball shows)


     
    There was a power failure during Pavement's set. Some of the band took to jousting with drumsticks to keep us/themselves entertained while we waited for SG and then NeilJam. To be honest, it wasn't the best SG show. I remember it starting with Searching With My Good Eye Closed, then everyone going fucking mental when "Let Me Drown" was followed by Spoonman so early in the set. After that it was kind of flat; there was little energy from the crowd after Spoonman and I think the band could feel that. It was strange, almost like they didn't want to be there at times. This was also the first (and I think only?) time they ever played Kristi live. Of course we didn't know that at the time (it was only years later when I got hold of a bootleg that I realised that the song nobody had heard before was a one off) but it was a bit of a set killer at a festival.

    But... this still counts as one of my favourite Chris Cornell memories because he was part of one of the greatest weekends of my life and nothing can ever change that. 18 years old, just finished school, with a bunch of friends at a festival far from home. 5 or 6 tents in a circle around a camp fire, with 24 packs of beer for seats, drinking and singing until the sun came back up. We were completely free, at a turning point in our lives. Some of them went to university a month or so later, there are 1 or 2 that I haven't seen since because life just got in the way. Sadly one is no longer with us - a good friend that died alone in the same way that Chris just did.
     
    There were so many great frontmen/women at that festival to soundtrack this time of our lives. Shannon Hoon, Neil Young, Beck, Billy Corgan, a fairly nervous Dave Grohl at an early Foos show, even Courtney Love at her messiest was entertaining. And Chris Cornell was like a fucking god to me in 95. Even though I was a bit disappointed in the set, it was still an experience I'll always have. It was hard to take your eyes off him; he just had something else, even amongst all of the other singers on that bill that weekend. 

    Rest in peace Chris.
    “Do not postpone happiness”
    (Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)

    “Put yer good money on the sunrise”
    (Tim Rogers)
  • brainofebrainofe Posts: 263
    I want to share this video I took at a Chris Cornell concert back in 2009. I believe he was on tour promoting his solo album, "Scream." But anyway, in the video Chris notices a little girl caught up in the pit, so he stops the show to make sure she's okay and brings her to safety. This just goes to show what a good person he was and how much the world is going to miss him.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqKTZSXlbx0&feature=youtu.be  
    Down in the hole, Jesus tries to crack a smile beneath another shovel load.
  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 30,587
    The way he interacted with the crowd on his solo show...and made sure to point out the kids and speak directly to them. 
    The humanity of a superstar -- and as JimmyV mentioned, this came through so strongly during the PJ20 movie.
    Some people are more "real" than others -- and everything I saw showing CC displayed a very true person.

    Sometimes reality is a real fucking kick to the nuts.



    So sorry for his family.
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • veddey29veddey29 Posts: 16
    I got to see Chris Cornell on the Songbook tour in Ann Arbor.  Me and a friend went and were sitting a few rows back and we had a 3rd friend that was close to the stage.  That friend wanted to have Chris sign his album and was holding it up for him to see.  Chris stopped the show and invited him up to the stage to sign the album.  I don't know how many if any, other artists would do something like that.  That was the coolest thing I have ever seen at a concert.  Already had a lot of respect for Chris Cornell, that just solidified it even more!  What a great artist and kind man.
    chicago 03, grand rapids 04, cleveland 06, detroit 06, chicago 09, nobelsville 10, detroit 14, greenville 16, chicago 16
  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 27,739
    veddey29 said:
    I got to see Chris Cornell on the Songbook tour in Ann Arbor.  Me and a friend went and were sitting a few rows back and we had a 3rd friend that was close to the stage.  That friend wanted to have Chris sign his album and was holding it up for him to see.  Chris stopped the show and invited him up to the stage to sign the album.  I don't know how many if any, other artists would do something like that.  That was the coolest thing I have ever seen at a concert.  Already had a lot of respect for Chris Cornell, that just solidified it even more!  What a great artist and kind man.
    That is one awesome story!

    i never really noticed how tall Chris was until i saw him standing next to ed at pj20! Lol
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • mace1229mace1229 Posts: 8,956
    I've blamed Chris solo show for catching pneumonia. Saw a solo show (think it was 2011) in LA. Showed up in shorts and t-shirt and didnt realize it was outside until I got there. Being late April/early May in LA still didnt think much of it, until the sun went down. Froze the entire show, but was so worth it. His son came on stage just to hang out for a few songs. He didnt sing or anything, he just wanted to stand next to his dad and watch him play. Was pretty fun to just see how he wanted to be with his dad.
    2 days later I had 104 fever and pneumonia....still totally worth it!
Sign In or Register to comment.