Thanks to gageagainstthemachine for the photo

The Toronto show came the day after a triumphant live TV session on Canada's MuchMore Music, but there were more surprises to come - Chris treated the crowd to the first performance of Temple of The Dog's tribute to Andy Wood, "Say Hello 2 Heaven" since that legendary appearance at Seattle's Off-Ramp Club on 13 November, 1990.

Spoonman - Original Fire - No Such Thing - Say Hello 2 Heaven - Fell on Black Days - Like a Stone - Outshined - Seasons - All Night Thing - Redemption Song - Can't Change Me - Doesn't Remind Me - Arms Around Your Love - What You Are - Rusty Cage - Black Hole Sun - Billie Jean

By Ike

Just wanted to say that I saw Say Hello 2 Heaven live tonight. This has been played only once before ever, and for me to hear it in my hometown 17 years after it was played for the only time at the Off-Ramp in Seattle is something I never dreamed of. He absolutely nailed the song vocally too - the expression on his face and his screams at the end of "...this one has ended abrupt" and "...there's just one thing left to be said" were spine-tingling. Chris looked and pointed upwards a couple of times during the song - he hasn't forgotten his old roomie, and to be present when he decided to break this song out again after 17 years on the shelf was really moving. In my opinion the whole show was kickass. Chris sounds better vocally than he has in years, and Outshined and Rusty Cage were great. Seasons was beautiful and really well-played. Even if the new album isn't great, it's worth it just to get this guy touring and playing his songs again in small, intimate venues. Check out this tour if you have a chance! (thanks Ike)

by cmac32

"Best show ever!!! Fell on Black Days and Say Hello to Heaven were definitely nice surpises. I don't know why everyone is ragging on the Audioslave songs. What You Are was probably one of my favorite performances of the night. I absolutely love that song and it sounded so good live. I got about a minute of video footage of that song and it sounds absolutely incredible.

The meet and greet was very short and sweet, hey, that rhymes. We didn't have a lot of time, but I made sure I got my words for him in. A couple autographs and a couple of pics and that was it. I was so caught up in it that I didn't even say hello to Vicky. I felt like such an ass. I even shook hands with the entire band but forgot about her.

The band was a very tight unit, they never missed a beat the entire night, the only time they ever looked confused was when Chris mistakenly introduced Arms Around Your Love as All Night Thing, which he had already played solo acoustic. Chris' voice was spot on, he hit every note. Say Hello To Heaven sounded amazing, especially after not being played for 15 years.

There was one point where a drunk guy in the audience, who had been rocking out to every song regardless of how heavy it was, started dancing around in a crazy manner and waving his arms to Can't Change Me. Chris caught sight of him, smiled, and for a moment looked like he was about to laugh. This caused me to laugh hysterically, because if he had broken out laughing it would have been something to see. This made my night.

Overall a solid performance of an amazing catalogue of music." (thanks cmac32)

Thanks to gageagainstthemachine for the photo

by Alison

"The crowd was a little too calm. The one dude who tried to crowd surf to Rusty Cage went nowhere. At the end of the show, Yogi's guitar pick bounced off my head and landed on the floor in front of me. So now I have another one of his picks! (I got one from the MuchMoreMusic event) The Meet & Greet was a little disappointing... probably because there was limited time before the place would be turned into a club. The Meet & Greet consisted of waiting in a line to spend a minute with Chris who was sitting behind a table in the Parlour Room. (thanks Alison)

Thanks to Alison for the photo

by burningflame

And I'm lost behind the words I'll never find... the title really says it all, because honestly, I don't know what to say. I think I figured out tonight why I love music so much. It is all about the connection. I realized that I look around at the crowd more than at the actual stage. I look to see how complete strangers are reacting to the same music that I am hearing. When I see someone extremely into it, a smile comes to my face. I feel as though the crowd completely made this show for me tonight. From the second Chris began singing, "Feel the rhythm with your hands..." the crowd just took over and yelled out the lyrics to every song at the top of their lungs. It was a perfect crowd. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am so picky when it comes to the crowd, but this one, was indeed, full of Chris Cornell fans. From when Adriano and I were scanning the huge line up outside The Phoenix and he said to me, "Laura, it's all balls!", I realized that this show was going to be much different than I imagined it to be. There was moshing and a lot of it! And of course, just like every other concert, we were in the spot right where it opened up!

Picture this: About 10 guys my age, dressed in baggy pants and wearing the Badmotorfinger shirt, with the long dark straight hair, bouncing around into each other for every song. It was like we were back in the early 1990's, but they were my age! The vibe they were letting off was astounding and I couldn't help but feed off of it. Cornell couldn't help but feed off of it, I saw him pointing at that group a few times. But, I did not want to spend the whole concert fearing for my life, so I crept us up infront of the mosh pit without warning! We were unbelievably close and I could see perfectly for most of the show. The crowd...lets just say I was impressed.

Cornell...see, I can't even put it into words. He just sounded absolutely amazing. And I am not just saying that because he's my favourite vocalist. Ask anyone who was there, he was nailing everything, songs that I did not think he could sing anymore. He didn't sound half as good when I saw him with Audioslave like he did tonight. I do not know what happened. I think he made the best decision in his career two years ago when he decided to quit smoking. Since then, he has gained back the range that he had lost along the way. I swear to you, the man can sing live. Anyone who says differently needs to get their ears checked. And there was something different about him tonight...I don't know, he just seemed so comfortable. I think he is loving the fact that he has complete control now. He genuinely seemed to be having a good time on stage! He said, "I am honoured to be playing in front of this crowd tonight - I'm serious." As though to make clear that he was not just saying that, but that he actually meant it. I think Elisa summed it up best by saying, "He's happy. Like, he was actually smiling. A lot." He really was and it was such a nice sight to see.

It is weird that I loved this concert so much because he barely played any songs I wanted to hear! He completely snubbed Euphoria Morning (like I knew he would), but did a half acoustic/full band version of Can't Change Me which sounded so good. His whole acoustic set was beautiful as usual. When Chris Cornell actually records a proper acoustic album, it will be one of the best days of my life. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he does, one day, do it.

There were so many nice moments during the show. The whole crowd singing the, "ooo ooo oooo's" during Fell on Black Days, to singing a whole chorus of Like A Stone which I thought the crowd just absolutely nailed! To being one of the few people who actually knew his new songs! Seasons - not many people knew it, but he sang it so well, I was in shock about how good it sounded, exceeded my expectations for sure. Chris introducing his new song as, "All Night Thing" and the whole band looking at him like, "What the fuck!?" and everyone in the crowd was confused because they already played it! And then he realized his mistake and came back to the microphone all embarrassed and had to look down at the setlist to remember the name of the new song being, Arms Around Your Love.

Oh, a funny moment during Can't Change Me. There was this guy in front of me who was throwing his arms around in the air doing actions to the lyrics of the song and just looked ridiculous! Chris saw him doing this and smirked and almost burst out laughing! Danielle and I (and a few people around us who caught Chris' reaction) all died laughing! Imagine if Chris actually started laughing at him? It would have been priceless. The intensity of Rusty Cage. My dear lord, Danielle and I got lost in the mosh pit after we helped this guy off the floor from crowd surfing! Once I got out, I had to go back in to pull Danielle out because we lost each other. It was insane but fun none the less! He ended with a full band version of "Billie Jean" which seemed odd to me because it really just left you wanting more. But, I guess that's what he wants you to feel like at the end, right? I didn't think I would actually say this, but the full band version of it is actually better than the acoustic version. His voice in it just has such a soulful/bluesy sound, it is worth buying his new album just for that song. But, the absolute highlight of the night for me was when Chris said, "We're going to play a song I haven't played in 15 years..." and then the intro to Say Hello 2 Heaven begins and I literally start jumping up and down yelling! I'm pretty sure Danielle thought I was insane. The song that started it all for Temple of the Dog. I could not believe my ears. He absolutely nailed it. Those high notes in it...he actually hit them and I was in shock. First time played in 15 years and I was there. Man, do I ever feel honoured, a moment I will never forget. (thanks burningflame)

burningflame with Chris at the Meet & Greet, Toronto (thanks burningflame)

Gageagainstthemachine with Chris & Vicky at the Meet & Greet, Toronto (thanks Gage)

His Own Sound Garden

...Cornell Is the Total Performer Package

by Jane Stevenson, Toronto Sun, April 2007

Chris Cornell is proof there is a musical life beyond two successful and respected rock bands -- Soundgarden and Audioslave.

Of course, it helps that the 42-year-old Cornell has so many things going for him:

• He possesses one of the best and most soulful voices in rock and roll;
• His wail is legendary;
• He has an undeniably charismatic and sexy stage presence fuelled by his dark good looks;
• And he is also a talented songwriter, capable of delivering both thundering hard rock anthems and quieter singer-songwriter tunes.

Cornell's what I like to call The Total Package.

And nowhere was that more evident than during his 85-minute sold-out solo show at The Phoenix Saturday night, ostensibly to promote his second solo album, Carry On, which doesn't come out until June 5.

Certainly, that new disc was represented by such tunes as the first single, No Such Thing, Arms Around Your Love, and his surprising, slowed-down cover of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, which closed the show.

But it was primarily songs from Cornell's days with Soundgarden --the beloved group that emerged from Seattle's so-called grunge scene of the early '90s along with Nirvana and Pearl Jam --that whipped the crowd into a frenzied clapalong or singalong on more than one occasion.

Opening with Spoonman, Cornell and his tight-sounding four-piece band (including Edmontonian Peter Thorn on guitar), continued the Soundgarden catalogue with such standouts as Fell On Black Days, Outshined, Rusty Cage and Black Hole Sun.

Audioslave, the band that saw Cornell hook up with three Rage Against The Machine members after his first 1999 solo album, Euphoria Morning (represented on Saturday night by Can't Change Me) was also in the mix with such tunes as Like a Stone.

Cornell announced in Febuary that he was splitting from Audioslave due to personal and musical differences, and truthfully he seems about as happy as he's ever been.

Now a father of two young children with second wife Vicky, and alcohol abuse behind him, he's never seemed more relaxed or comfortable on stage.

There was even a stripped-down section in the middle of the show featuring Cornell's Singles soundtrack song, Seasons, before he took the stage alone, playing acoustic guitar for three tunes including a cover of Bob Marley's Redemption Song.

Cornell also genuinely seemed excited about the response he was getting as a solo act and frequently smiled, pounded is chest or engaged the crowd, asking at one point for the house lights to be brought up so he could get a better look at everyone.

When spotlights instead shone over the audience, Cornell joked: "We're not landing a plane."

From Toronto Sun Media April 2007

(links may not be permanent)

Say Hello 2 Heaven (thanks Kyla0415)

Spoonman (thanks Gage)

Redemption Song (thanks Gage)

Original Fire (thanks Gage)

Doesn't Remind Me (thanks destructogirl84)

Can't Change Me (thanks destructogirl84)

Billie Jean (thanks destructogirl84)

Thanks to gageagainstthemachine for the photo

Chris Cornell Fan Page © Clare O'Brien 2007