Chris Cornell Reaches "Higher Truth" at Orpheum Theatre
Chris Cornell, the veteran rock vocalist from Soundgarden and Audioslave, played the Orpheum Theatre for the Vancouver stop of his Acoustic Higher Truth tour on Sept 30. The namesake album, Higher Truth, was released mere days before the tour kicked off, which kind of explained my complete lack of awareness regarding it. A quick Google search reveals it’s his first solo album of new material since his somewhat strange collaboration with hiphop producer Timbaland back in 2009 (not counting 2011’s live album), and I have to say, the new material fits him so much better. The acoustical stylings paired perfectly with the denim and plaid outfit he was wearing, and with many in the crowd matching that style, it felt like the 90’s again.
Strolling onstage just before 9:00 to a standing ovation, Chris Cornell mentions his new album, but reassures everyone that he won’t kill us with it, because he’s “not an asshole”, drawing appreciative laughs from the crowd. I was glad that I decided to skip the labyrinthine beer line that formed between the end of opener Hemming’s set and the start of Cornell’s, because that would have meant missing his entrance along with the first few songs.
He played a marathon two and a half hour set that spanned his near thirty year career, and one remarkable thing about Chris Cornell is that he seems ageless. I mean, maybe it’s hard to see the wrinkles from the 13th row, but I swear he looks and sounds no different from his songs and videos from the 90s and early aughts, although that can’t possibly be true.
Much of the night was just Chris and a guitar, and it was awesome. The stripped down acoustic aesthetic put the focus squarely on his voice, and he proved time and time again why he’s considered one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time. There is very little difference, if at all, between his recorded versions and live versions. He seems like the type of artist to go into the studio and basically one-take everything, with no editing at all; he sounds that good live.
He did everything from fan faves, to deep album cuts that I’d never heard of, to a few unexpected covers. There was a little something for all of his fans, regardless of how or when you were introduced to him, whether it be from Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, or his solo work. They all got some shine. He also did some covers, and I really wanted to hear his version of “Billie Jean”, but no luck. Instead, I was surprised by a cover of Sinead O’Connor/Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”, along with John Lennon (“Imagine”) and Bob Dylan. For his cover of “The Times They are A-Changing” he strapped on a harmonica, which up to that point, I had no idea he could play.
Chris Cornell was also occasionally joined onstage by Bryan Gibson, who played the mandolin and cello. “Fell on Black Days” and “Black Hole Sun” were just a couple standouts with this arrangement, with the heavy riffs at the end of the latter song being expertly pulled off on the cello’s rumblings.
All that being said, my favourite songs of the night were “Hunger Strike”, “Rusty Cage”, and “Like a Stone”. Especially “Hunger Strike”.
He said we were the perfect crowd for our ability to shut up when he played, and lose our minds the second he stopped. Between every song, he was bombarded by a plethora of requests, and he actually played one of them; Audioslave’s “Getaway Car”. It was a bit of a singalong moment, especially during the “ooh ooh’s” in the chorus.
The Orpheum’s acoustics is perfect for this kind of show, and the crowd of a few thousand hung off every note and breath. Chris Cornell said that the border between his hometown of Seattle and Vancouver didn’t mean anything to him; that he’s Pacific Northwest, just like us, and it’s the best place in the world. And judging by all the love and standing ovations he got that night, the feeling was mutual.
Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone.
