Anxious fans clad in grungy Pearl Jam, Audioslave, Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog t-shirts from yesteryear skipped out on the big UB football game on Tuesday night to see a music legend perform at UB's Center For the Arts.
Chris Cornell, an icon of the '90s Seattle grunge scene, played a solo performance to a sold-out audience. It was his first time back in the Queen City in 14 years.
Cornell's history as front man makes him one of the most respected and well-known musicians of his generation, and, now, he is travelling the country performing a solo act with familiar success. His current tour is the first time in 16 years U.S. fans have heard acoustic arrangements of the songs he has from his whole career with several bands.
For every ticket sold on the tour, a dollar will be donated to The Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation, which provides aid to vulnerable children. A portion of the profits will also go to Childhaven's Creative Music Therapy Program Expansion.
Fans were itching to see the rock legend perform from the moment they filed into the CFA.
"I want to see his sweat," said Brad Romans, of Detroit, Mich. The 27-year-old was happy to be seated so close to the stage because he has been a fan of Cornell for over a decade.
When Romans was a freshman in college, "Outshined" by Soundgarden was his anthem when he drove to school every day.
"I love his voice and he has some of the best rock pipes I have ever heard," Romans said.
Before Cornell took the stage, fans sat through on opening set from American folk-rock artist Bhi Bhiman.
Bhiman played for an hour, getting the crowd warmed up with his rhythmic acoustic skills.
"I need everyone now to whistle this tune so I can play this song," Bhiman said, asking the crowd for help. He started to whistle the keyboard tune from "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits. Soon enough, the audience joined in.
Although Bhiman did a good job getting the audience excited, the applause he got was nothing compared to the energy buzzing in the crowd from fans waiting to see Cornell.
Then, the lights went out in the theater.
Middle-aged men with scraggly beards and leather jackets started to scream and holler for Cornell like teenage girls squealing for Justin Bieber to come out on stage.
Cornell slowly walked onto the stage, waving to all of his fans whose excitement finally burst into a massive applause.
"Buffalo, New York," Cornell yelled to the crowd.
Another burst of screaming and excitement erupted from the audience.
Cornell joked with the crowd, telling them he felt like Charlie Brown after his wife dressed him up in a puffy jacket to prepare him for the "traitorous weather of Buffalo."
"Isn't there a football game here tonight?" Cornell asked his fans.
"I'd rather be here," yelled a fan from the dark abyss of the audience. Cornell smiled and thanked him, grabbing his guitar to start the show.
He asked everyone to close his or her eyes and imagine a peaceful place. With the simple and smooth strum of his acoustic guitar, Cornell started to play "Scar On the Sky" from the album Carry On.
He continued to perform a slew of songs from his former bands' albums, including gems like "You Know My Name," "Like a Stone" and "Doesn't Remind Me." He also played a cover of "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles.
After a two-hour-and-15 minute performance, Cornell ran off behind the curtain. Audience members got on their feet clapping and shouting for his return, which brought a full five-minute ovation.
Cornell reappeared riding a red bicycle with streamers coming out of the handlebars. The crowd erupted with laughter.
"I figured I'd bring this and ride up to Toronto for the night," Cornell shouted.
The bike became an important piece for his next song as Cornell began to play "I am the Highway."
Cornell closed out the show with "Black Hole Sun," which is perhaps Audioslave's most well-known song.
"That was fantastic," said Jesse Bower, 19, of Armonk, N.Y.
This was Bower's first time going to one of Cornell's performances and he loved it; he couldn't think of anything that could have made the show any better than what it was.
"I've seen him play with all those bands like Audioslave and Soundgarden, and I'm actually almost speechless about it - completely blown away," said Anthony Botting, 27, of Niagara Falls.
Cornell continues his tour in Europe on Nov. 10 in Switzerland.
email: arts@ubspectrum.com
