Favorite Chris Cornell memory?

MR162772

See soundgarden for first time in 93 when Chris just shave his head 

radar

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 

SomethingCreative

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.

doompony

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.

goldrush

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.

brainofe

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  

F Me In The Brain

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.

veddey29

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.

mcgruff10

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

mace1229

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!

lolobugg

Soundgarden- Lollapalooza 1996 New Orleans

Chris and Ben making fun of all the drunk chicks that were flashing their tits. "Mailman" was so fucking heavy that I could feel the air in my lungs moving with the beat.

Chris Cornell- Atlanta 1999

awesome solo show with the band Eleven backing Chris. got to hear Seasons and Sunshower. amazing even though we spent a hour after the show changing a blown tire and riding back 3 1/2 hours on a spare donut.

Audioslave- Lollapalooza 2003 Atlanta

not a fave of mine, but I remember Tom Morello having issues with his guitar. Chris breaks out his acoustic and plays a Syd Barrett cover.

Chris Cornell- Asheville 2011

My first time hearing my favorite TOTD song live- "call me a dog" and his wonderful cover of "Imagine". He made fun of a fan in a SG t-shirt that requested "Billy Jean" and "MIND RIOT" was fucking amazing.

Temple of the Dog- PJ20 2011  NIGHTS 1 & 2

I can't add anything that hasn't already been said. Night 2 we were on the 2nd row to see the historic reunion. I remember being so pissed off about people complaining on the message boards. YOU COMPLAINERs HAVE NO IDEA HOW AWESOME AND HISTORIC this was!!!!! go read up on your PJ history!!

Temple of the Dog- Philly 2016 NIGHT 1

I am a lucky one to see this most historic of shows. I never set down the whole show. you can see my ugly face rocking out on the front row of the balcony. one of the best times I have ever had at a concert. Met Chris, Mike and Stone outside after the show. got their autographs. Chris just waded out in the street with no security and was surrounded by the fans. so fucking cool to autograph everyone's poster.

 Thanks to @Empty Glass for the heads up on the ticket presale.

Soundgarden- Tuscaloosa 2017

4 rows back in the pit right between Chris and Ben. Such a wonderful setlist. My friend drove 7 1/2 hours to met up with us and then turned around and drove back without any sleep. He is the biggest SG fan. We all remarked on how Chris was more talkative than usual and joking with the crowd. Chris said they had never been to Alabama before but they would definitely be coming back.........

 just never saw this coming............

Loujoe

saw SG at city gardens Trenton NJ back in late 80's--also caught them at the Ritz NYC.  it was in this order Faith No More & Soundgarden both supporting Voi Vod.  Sure some of you guys caught that tour. CC screamed his lungs out...I was like damn that dude has a unique way of singing. During one song, at city gardens, he climbed on the ceiling and slammed his Doc's into it. fiberglass and drop ceiling everywhere. never really followed them from there, but was in awe of the passion within that band.

Went to PJ twenty movie screening in Toronto. A few rows behind us Chris Cornell was sitting there. I had to go talk to him about that show, he said he remembered that and was kind enough to genuinely appreciate and listen to my story. I really did not want to bother him too long, but as I was retreating back to my seat he reached his hand out to me.  We shook hands and I went back to my seat, thrilled to have that moment in my mind.

Best to everyone

Force Of Nature

Posted this on Facebook:

I saw Chris Cornell at the Royal Albert Hall last year. Half way through he was talking and mentioned what an honour it was to play for his musical hero. Then the spotlight went directly on me and i was surprised I had such an impact on his life. Then it turned out Jimmy Page was sitting in the seat directly behind me. That made more sense.

This is the first celebrity death that has hit me hard.

Hopefully with more and more social media these days it can give people an opportunity to express themselves maybe to strangers when they cant do it to those closest to them. If anything is on your mind, share it, dont bottle it up. Whether its loved ones or strangers, people care

RIP CC

annabellaqueen

PJ20 Night 1: Buzz in the crowd around Alpine and in our section that Cornell had tweeted he was in Chicago and something to the effect, "now what?" I'll always remember the joy on the faces of the guys in the band and the roar the crowd let out when he came out. Dude could wear a hoodie and still look like the definition of what a rockstar should look like ... even though he acted nothing like a rockstar. On the shuttle bus ride home, woman in her 50s behind me keeps repeating, loudly for everyone to hear: "I loved what I was SEEING! I loved what I was SEEING! I mean, Chris CORNELL!!" 

PJ20 Night 2: Older couple, closer to my parents' ages than mine, sitting in the lawn next to us lose their shit when I tell them Cornell performed the night before. They had driven from Iowa. He had once lived in Seattle and said he'd delivered a pizza to the guys from Soundgarden once. "I doubt they remember me," he joked. They were thrilled, stood for the entire show with everyone else. 

Collingswood, NJ, 2013: Kicked myself for missing his last solo tour. I couldn't convince my wife to go on a work night. Found tickets on ticketmaster the night before, buy a single even though money was tight and figure I just need to do this. Then I sliced my leg open BAD when the groceries I was carrying inside busted through a bag and a glass bottle busted on my shit. Happens about two hours before I was gonna leave. Trip to the ER. Stitches. I prop my head up during stitches and ask, I can still drive three hours after your done, right? I could. He sang "Footsteps" ... laughed at someone for requesting "Hotel California" because it was cold and November. Joked how he let his kids pick where they wanted to live and they chose the Northeast, where it's cold. He singled out a young fan with a sign, saying it was nice his dad took him to shows since his dad never did anything like that. He rode out on a tricked out bike a childhood fan had made before the second half of the show. He apologized for his facial expressions in hitting the notes on one song, and joked he didn't have the Botox treatments that Jon Bon Jovi did since Jon's face doesn't even move anymore. (Some fans groaned as the guy from Philly next to me noted, "Does he realize he's in Jersey?") Some fan screamed out "Trouble," and Cornell looked at them and said, "The Cat Stevens 'Trouble'? Weird, but OK." And he played it, perfect. He sang a song accompanied by the vinyl pressing of a pianist (Natasha Schneider) who had died in 2008 from cancer. It was the only way he liked to sing it. Every song, even if he said he made ugly faces, looked effortless. And he explained why and how he mashed up U2's music for "One" with Metallica's lyrics from their song of the same name. I was a super fan for life at that point. Checking every tour, buying up albums.

York, PA 2015: Always struck by how much Eddie's solo sets shows reminded me of Cornell's and if Eddie made a decision to fashion them after Cornell's style. We got there early. Wife came with me. Usher walks by tells coworker Chris Cornell wants Faggee yogurt backstage, and he pronounces it like my 75-year-old father would butcher it. Think Chris introduced "Rusty Cage" as a cover tune or "Johnny Cash song" which cracked me up. His cellist was amazing. Someone from the crowd screamed out, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE HERE!" And I couldn't either. I usually have to drive to Philly or DC for shows. He laughed and said something to the effect, "If you can get a job seeing, do it!" So odd, because I heard Eddie say almost the same thing at the Hampton, Va. concert a few months later. Then remarked how loud the room was, and how cool the venue. Wife and I drove home, and she was won over just like I had been two years later. We agreed to see him the next time his solo tour came around. 

May 17, 2017: Driving home from work listening to Cornell and regretting the fact I never heard him perform my favorite song, "Scar upon the sky" at one of his solo shows. But didn't worry too much about it, in the words of the guy sitting next to me at my first Cornell solo show, "He ALWAYS tours." Woke up the next day to my wife telling me the awful news, and shaken by how sad it made me feel when I had never met him or interacted with him personally. Such a great loss. So much pure joy everyone missed out on by not having him in this world anymore. 

HughFreakingDillon

annabellaqueen said:

PJ20 Night 1: Buzz in the crowd around Alpine and in our section that Cornell had tweeted he was in Chicago and something to the effect, "now what?" I'll always remember the joy on the faces of the guys in the band and the roar the crowd let out when he came out. Dude could wear a hoodie and still look like the definition of what a rockstar should look like ... even though he acted nothing like a rockstar. On the shuttle bus ride home, woman in her 50s behind me keeps repeating, loudly for everyone to hear: "I loved what I was SEEING! I loved what I was SEEING! I mean, Chris CORNELL!!" 

PJ20 Night 2: Older couple, closer to my parents' ages than mine, sitting in the lawn next to us lose their shit when I tell them Cornell performed the night before. They had driven from Iowa. He had once lived in Seattle and said he'd delivered a pizza to the guys from Soundgarden once. "I doubt they remember me," he joked. They were thrilled, stood for the entire show with everyone else. 

Collingswood, NJ, 2013: Kicked myself for missing his last solo tour. I couldn't convince my wife to go on a work night. Found tickets on ticketmaster the night before, buy a single even though money was tight and figure I just need to do this. Then I sliced my leg open BAD when the groceries I was carrying inside busted through a bag and a glass bottle busted on my shit. Happens about two hours before I was gonna leave. Trip to the ER. Stitches. I prop my head up during stitches and ask, I can still drive three hours after your done, right? I could. He sang "Footsteps" ... laughed at someone for requesting "Hotel California" because it was cold and November. Joked how he let his kids pick where they wanted to live and they chose the Northeast, where it's cold. He singled out a young fan with a sign, saying it was nice his dad took him to shows since his dad never did anything like that. He rode out on a tricked out bike a childhood fan had made before the second half of the show. He apologized for his facial expressions in hitting the notes on one song, and joked he didn't have the Botox treatments that Jon Bon Jovi did since Jon's face doesn't even move anymore. (Some fans groaned as the guy from Philly next to me noted, "Does he realize he's in Jersey?") Some fan screamed out "Trouble," and Cornell looked at them and said, "The Cat Stevens 'Trouble'? Weird, but OK." And he played it, perfect. He sang a song accompanied by the vinyl pressing of a pianist (Natasha Schneider) who had died in 2008 from cancer. It was the only way he liked to sing it. Every song, even if he said he made ugly faces, looked effortless. And he explained why and how he mashed up U2's music for "One" with Metallica's lyrics from their song of the same name. I was a super fan for life at that point. Checking every tour, buying up albums.

York, PA 2015: Always struck by how much Eddie's solo sets shows reminded me of Cornell's and if Eddie made a decision to fashion them after Cornell's style. We got there early. Wife came with me. Usher walks by tells coworker Chris Cornell wants Faggee yogurt backstage, and he pronounces it like my 75-year-old father would butcher it. Think Chris introduced "Rusty Cage" as a cover tune or "Johnny Cash song" which cracked me up. His cellist was amazing. Someone from the crowd screamed out, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE HERE!" And I couldn't either. I usually have to drive to Philly or DC for shows. He laughed and said something to the effect, "If you can get a job seeing, do it!" So odd, because I heard Eddie say almost the same thing at the Hampton, Va. concert a few months later. Then remarked how loud the room was, and how cool the venue. Wife and I drove home, and she was won over just like I had been two years later. We agreed to see him the next time his solo tour came around. 

May 17, 2017: Driving home from work listening to Cornell and regretting the fact I never heard him perform my favorite song, "Scar upon the sky" at one of his solo shows. But didn't worry too much about it, in the words of the guy sitting next to me at my first Cornell solo show, "He ALWAYS tours." Woke up the next day to my wife telling me the awful news, and shaken by how sad it made me feel when I had never met him or interacted with him personally. Such a great loss. So much pure joy everyone missed out on by not having him in this world anymore. 

love love love these memories. thanks for sharing. 

benbomb3

In 2008 Chris was touring with Linkin Park on the Projekt Revlolution Tour.  I scored some tickets for the Alpine Valley stop and snuck my way into the meet and greet.  I shook his hand and asked 'when is the Temple of the Dog reunion?' to which he laughed and looked up at me and said 'probably never!'.  Little did I know that 3 years later, about 100 yards from where we were standing, that reunion would take place.  It was very surreal for me to see him walk out night 1 and remembering our interaction.

I was also fortunate to see him solo at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee in 2011.  I have never had my jaw drop so many times during a performance.  His vocals were otherworldly.

Thanks for the music and the memories, Chris.  You will be sorely missed.

theebradness

Seeing them open for Guns N Roses at the Worcester Centrum in 1991. He had on cargo shorts, boots, no shirt, crazy long hair, and just BELTED out the tunes. They played my favorite BMF tune Drawing Flies, ended with Jesus Christ Pose which was ear splitting. A year later at Lolla 92 in Mansfield they covered Cop Killer. I missed seeing them numerous times over the years, kind of pissed about that now. 
The latest news report quotes his wife, sounds like this was an accidental suicide, if that makes sense. So tragic for his wife and kids, and his friends. 

RideTheWave93

goldrush said:

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.

Lovely story man thanks for sharing. My word we get cheated with line ups nowadays, what a fricking line up wow.

High Fidelity 2000

I saw Soundgarden on the NIN co-tour 3 years ago (without Matt Cameron) and it was good but short. I hate co-headlining tours. Only time I got to see them.

Even better than that was when I saw Chris Cornell solo but with a band at the Pearl in Vegas November 2007. AWESOME SHOW. Shortly after Audioslave called it quits. He had this band of young guys with cool haircuts covering all the instruments and sounding like any era of his career. I joked that it was almost like a Grunge-Rock-Revue Show. He covered it all. Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, and solo songs. It was awesome. 2 1/2 hours. The band was great and Chris sounded great. One of my favorite shows I've seen. 

Bulldog88

Had the extreme pleasure of seeing Chris solo at Merriam Theater in Philly 10/15/2015. My husband and I had never witnessed him perform before - we were utterly stunned, from note one. He was effortless and mesmerizing - we were literally on the edge of our seats- we just could not believe what we were hearing\seeing. Neither of us had followed his solo work and we were almost breathless over his abilities. Our point of reference was all of the 90s Soundgarden material and some Audioslave (which is fantastic and I love it, however seeing him solo was something all together different). We were blown away, just incredible (getting chills typing this now!). After the show, my husband and I were discussing the fluidity of his voice- the way it just poured out of him - such talent. We marveled over that and determined we would see him again as soon as we could.

That opportunity presented itself two months later, on 12/17/2015 at a local (Philly) radio station's charity holiday gala. We were in a room of maybe 300 people and about 15 feet away from the stage. Again- the same stunning vocal performance- I was so entranced in that small, intimate room, I nearly forgot anyone else was there but me, my husband and Chris- what an experience!!

Then finally at the Tower Theater on 11/5/2016 for the TOTD reunion tour- what an amazing night. To see the members of PJ (who I have loved since 1992) and Chris (who in my book, possessed an unparalleled voice) I was transported back to my youth - this was amazing...

Each of those experiences was unique and is utterly treasured. I think my most favorite was the very first time at Merriam Theater- we had no idea what we would experience that night, and I am so glad we didn't know how fantastic he really was before we took our seats- it was one of the great surprises of my adult life and I was thrilled to experience it without pretense. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, just wowed to behold it all.

My husband and I feel so, so fortunate to have these experiences - Chris Cornell was such an amazingly talented man, and while I didn't know him personally, he radiated the warmth of a person who is comfortable in their own skin, someone who was a caring soul and a deep thinker. You could get the feeling after listening to him perform, that he was an old friend, someone treasured that you just don't get to enjoy the company of often enough. At least that's what it felt like to me.