Formed in Seattle, Wash., in 1984, Soundgarden was at the forefront of the grunge scene, pioneers of a style and a movement that changed the music scene forever. On Feb. 1, Soundgarden brought their King Animal tour to Milwaukee and proved why they have been able to survive for decades, while never being duplicated. The entire vibe of the show was one that reflected Soundgarden’s style of giving a great show without overdoing the production. From their decision to not have an opening band to picking up production locally, Soundgarden kept it about the music. Moments before they took the stage, I watched from the photo pit as the crew changed out the set list, giving me the feeling that the band played to the vibe of the day, versus the stale, same songs same order, that a lot of bands get stuck into. From the first note, it was clear that Chris Cornell was enjoying the time on stage, not even letting the single digit temperatures outside ruin the moment. Listening to the show it was apparent that the years have made some of the songs harder to perform live vocally, but in the big picture, that’s what is great about Soundgarden. The energy they bring and the songs themselves, make the show as good as it is. It’s not some polished, contrived, cookie-cutter show with no emotion. Watch for Soundgarden on tour this summer in support of King Animal, you won’t be disappointed.
Soundgarden Tour dates
Feb. 6-Portland, Ore.
Feb. 7-Seattle, Wash.
Feb. 8-Seattle, Wash.
Feb. 10-Vancouver, BC
Feb. 12-Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 13-Oakland, Calif.
Feb. 15-Los Angeles, Calif.
Feb. 16-Los Angeles, Calif.
Feb. 17-Los Angeles, Calif.
Soundgarden on Facebook
All photos copyright Paul Weber (See the rest of the photos from the show at www.weberv2.com)
