Thanks to indybug for the photo - see more here
Chris's second Toronto show on this tour coincided with his 43rd birthday and as the Toronto Sun noted, he played a "knockout show". To celebrate, the crew came on during Chris's acoustic set with a strawberry-decorated chocolate birthday cake iced with the words "Happy 43 CC". Chris also unwrapped some of his presents onstage and got a birthday kiss from opening act Juliette Lewis.
Let Me Drown - Outshined - Show Me How To Live - No Such Thing - Arms Around Your Love - Hunger Strike - say hello 2 heaven - what you are - Can't Change Me - Fell On Black Days - Billy Jean - Like A Stone - Scar on the Sky - Doesn't Remind Me - Rusty Cage - Cochise - Burden In My Hand - Be Yourself - Wave Goodbye - Jesus Christ Pose - You Know My Name - Black Hole Sun
By Ryan R.
As most of you probably know by now, this show was on Chris' 43rd birthday, something which he acknowledged a couple of times during the show and also was brought some gifts from fans (including a scented candle, which Chris said something to the effect of: "This is not from a dude...."). Chris seemed genuinely surprised and thanked the people who had brought the gifts.
A couple of times during the show, Chris referenced the show they did earlier in the year here in Toronto at the Phoenix. Before Hunger Strike, he asks the crowd "which one did we play last time, Hunger Strike or Say Hello?" He starts getting answers from the crowd in front and finally goes, "ah fuck it, we'll play both" and proceeds to do so.
Thanks to Felverick for the photo - see more here
After about 8 songs (It might have been immediately after Arms Around Your Love), the rest of the band headed off stage, an acoustic guitar was brought out to Chris, (which he said was a birthday present) and he proceeded to do a 5 song solo acoustic set and sounded absolutely incredible. Chris asked for the audience to sing part of the chorus for Like a Stone, which was met with a huge response. Once he finished the song, he joked "Shit, you guys are good. And loud.... Maybe you should start a band."
Thanks to Felverick for the photo - see more here
In the middle of Doesn't Remind Me, the band, the road crew and the opening act, Juliette Lewis and the Licks appeared on stage, with a cake, taking pictures and having fun. Chris blew out the candle(s) on the cake and immediately went back to the chorus as Juliette gave him a kiss on the cheek. The band returned to finish the song with Chris and proceeded to rip through another 10 or so songs.
Juliette gives Chris a birthday kiss. Thanks to Felverick for the photo - see more here
Before starting the encore, Chris joked "we're gonna play all fuckin night until the cops come and shut us down," and then go into You Know My Name, which was followed by Black Hole Sun to close the show. During the song, Chris was passed a photograph, which he held up for everyone to see and then signed an autograph for a fan in the front row. As the song ended, the band gathered in the center of the stage, ripped the strings off of Yogi's guitar and took a bow together. Also during BHS, Yogi was flicking his guitar picks into the crowd, was getting thrown a new one, taking one strum with it and flinging it out immediately.
The crowd at Massey Hall was loud (considering the small size of the venue) and very energetic. The crowd was quite diverse, from teenagers and twenty-somethings to couples in their 50's. A large portion of the crowd knew most, if not all of the songs and was responsive to some of the lesser known and newer tracks.
The show was fantastic, something that transcends words and had to be experienced. Chris was really into the show and crowd. His voice sounded fantastic and his band is a strong group of artists. They played hard, fast, loud, loose (not in a sloppy way, but, relaxed, comfortable and energetically) and was almost as if they had something to prove.
Thanks to indybug for the photo - see more here
Thanks to Felverick for the photo - see more here
Also, Chris played for almost a straight two hours. Other than the usual equipment changes for the band members and a 45 second encore break (which had the crowd starting out loud and going to an almost deafining roar), Chris was on stage for the entire two hours. He didn't say a lot during the show, and even when he did, it was only for 30 seconds in most cases. The show was dominated by older tracks from Chris' previous bands and the few new tracks gel with the older songs well. The show had a good mixture of Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog and his solo work.
by felverick
I had an awesome friend to go to the meet and greet with, and she let me know Chris was going to be at The Edge radio station. So as I'm getting into Toronto I had to fight with my mp3 player to get a strong signal and see what was happening. I heard nothing about Chris until like 10 minutes before he was to go on. I got to the radio station pretty much just as he showed up. I cheered for him and expected that to be it. The station let us all in and listen to the interview. The concert hadn't even started and I'm already with in 10 feet of CC, it was unreal!
After the interview he was signing stuff and he was awesome enough to sign my copy of EM (carry on is already signed). To top it off I got a really awesome picture with him.
thanks to Felverick for the photo - see more here
The show itself was unbelievable. It was awesome that he switched up the setlist the second time around but still kept a lot of the Soundgarden staples I heard in April. Wave Goodbye was a particular shock, I LOVE that song as I'm a Jeff Buckley addict.
After the show was the meet and greet. Security was surprisingly nice. Had no problems and I got to have a short conversation with Chris. I told him it was my birthday a couple days back and he wished me a happy birthday and asked if I was 43 too.
Chris at the meet and greet - thanks to Sandrak for the photo
by BlackHoleSun13
Tonight was the greatest show I have ever seen in my life, from the opening chords of Let Me Drown to the closing seconds of Black Hole Sun, it was pure raw energy. He played lots of Soundgarden (Fell on black days, Let me drown, Black hole sun, Burden in my hand, Spoonman, Outshined, Rusty cage, Jesus christ pose) good amount of Audioslave (Cochise, Show me how to live, Be Yourself, Like a stone, What you are, Doesn't remind me) as well as Temple of the Dog's Say Hello 2 heaven and Hunger Strike.
Thanks to indybug for the photo - see more here
The biggest surprise of the night, other than the birthday cake they brought out during his acoustic version of Doesn't remind me, was when he played Wave Goodbye, a song i am happy to say got quit a warm reception from the Toronto crowd, Massey Hall was loud as hell and i would not have had it any other way, even having a good balance of his solo career with the crowd favorites (Scar on the Sky, You Know My Name, Can't Change Me, Wave Goodbye, Arms Around Your Love and an acoustic Billie jean).
Tthe band was on all night, playing some amazing solos (the drum solo was out of this world!) This was a show that i will not soon forget! One of the higlighst of the night for me was watching all of Massey Hall singing, in tune and in time during the chours of a acoustic Like A Stone. THANKS CHRIS!!!
Toronto Sun
Rock hunk delivers: Chris Cornell celebrates his birthday with a knockout show
Chris's birthday cake!! Thanks to indybug for the photo - see more here
Chris Cornell celebrated his 43rd birthday in Toronto last night with yet another killer solo concert, this time at Massey Hall, which was only slightly eclipsed by the incredible warmup show he did at the Phoenix a mere three months ago.
The onetime frontman for Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and Audioslave, is pretty hard to beat in a live setting given the staggering power of his voice, mesmerizing stage presence, smouldering good looks, not to mention an impressive back catalogue or rock classics, irrespective of the fact that he is actually touring in support of his second solo album, Carry On.
Cornell is so cool he barely skipped a beat when his entire band, opening act Juliette and the Licks, and several roadies surprised him with a birthday cake during the solo acoustic portion of his two-hour show.
As he sang Doesn't Remind Me, Cornell paused for only a second to blow out the candles on the cake before continuing to sing and strum his acoustic guitar as his band, including Edmontonian Peter Thorn on guitar, eventually joined in.
Still, earlier in the evening he did acknowledge some gift-bearing fans who brought him everything from soap to flowers.
Much like the Phoenix gig, Soundgarden songs proved to be the standout songs of the evening as they highlighted Cornell's trademark wail: Outshined, Rusty Cage, Fell on Black Days, Spoonman, Burden in My Hand, Jesus Christ Pose, and, the mother of them all, Black Hole Sun.
Coming in a close second were Temple of the Dog's Say Hello to Heaven, Audioslave tracks You Gave Me Life, Like a Stone, Doesn't Remind Me, Cochise, Be Yourself, the Carry On tune No Such Thing, and Can't Change Me and Scar on the Sky from his first solo effort, 1999's Euphoria Morning.
Cornell even offered up You Know my Name, his James Bond theme from Casino Royale, during the encore.
Meanwhile, actress-turned-rock-chick Juliette Lewis of Cape Fear and Natural Born Killers fame brought her rock foursome, Juliette and the Licks, to Toronto after a couple of years of touring in Europe. She delivered a half-hour set most notable for her intense, wild stage presence more than anything else.
She's flexible, as they say.
Dressed in skin-tight shiny black pants with knee pads, Lewis, also decked out in a headband with feathers, moved around the stage impressively even if her scream left little to be desired. It doesn't help when you're opening for one of the best voices in modern rock.
- Jane Stevenson, Toronto Sun
NowToronto
CHRIS CORNELL and JULIETTE LEWIS at Massey Hall
A study in contrasts unfolded to a full house at Massey Hall on Friday, as Juliette Lewis and the Licks tore open the show. Lewis's skin-tight black leather pants and ragged mesh top matched the mood of her jerky, freaky music.
What the wiry frontwoman lacked in vocal prowess she made up for in wild stage presence, and her efficient band supported her Lee Aaron shtick well. Their energy built all the way to the outro, when four of the five members (including Lewis) grabbed drum sticks and furiously pounded to a climax. Still, though Lewis may be a natural born killer, it was just second-degree murder.
Their set was markedly different from the mellow storm that is 43-year-old Chris Cornell. The grunge survivor, celebrating his latest birthday in Toronto, goaded the crowd by proclaiming, "It's each and every one of your responsibilities to rock this motherfucker, cuz it's my birthday," but he moseyed about the stage like he was already hung over.
On Audioslave radio faves and then on Temple of the Dog requests, Cornell's rich and textured vocal tones easily reached the upper regions of the cavernous venue, while the crowd faithfully sung along to much of the material.
A six-song solo acoustic set, including a touching Can't Change Me and an infectious version of Billie Jean, was a definite highlight, while Soundgarden staples helped bring the early 90s back to life. Finally, Cornell begrudgingly unleashed a crowd-rousing Black Hole Sun for the encore, then bowed out gracefully.
Thanks to indybug for the photo - see more here
At 102.1 The Edge before the show - thanks Felverick
Say Hello To Heaven (extract) - thanks Beckilee16
Billie Jean (acoustic) - thanks Beckilee16
Doesn't Remind Me (cakes, kisses and all!) - thanks nfblade
Taking their bows - thanks junooipathan
Chris Cornell Fan Page © Clare O'Brien 2007
