Chris Cornell / Juliette And The Licks
By Nathan Blaney
Monday. Aug 06, 3:08 PM
live at Starland Ballroom (Sayreville, NJ) July 25th, 2007.

This was a pairing of artists that I'd certainly have never thought of putting together! But surprisingly, it worked. Different sound, different vibe, but both great. Juliette And The Licks were the openers and put on a great performance. Frontwoman Juliette Lewis wasn't quite as wild as I'd seen her in the past, but I think the same can be said for the material on The Licks’ new album, Four on the Floor. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, either. It was still an energetic, sweat soaked set, but more polished and refined than I expected. The crowd definitely enjoyed the band, although I do think that the majority were only really familiar with the single “Got Love to Kill,” cuz it wasn't until that point in the set that heads were moving and people started singing along. And speaking of the crowd, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the audience was decidedly more "mature" than most shows I've been attending. People who were in their 30s during the height of The Grunge Years were all there with kids in tow. Sort of the reverse of what one typically sees these days: parents escorting their 12 year-olds to some concert that they're dreading.

Chris Cornell was up next, and he was as good as ever. He performed a mix of tunes from his career and proved that, in spite of how accomplished his cohorts have been over the years, it’s really Chris and his voice that makes the band. It’s hard to say much more about this show: if you're into Soundgarden or Temple Of The Dog, you REALLY shouldn't miss an opportunity to see Chris. Just do it. You can thank me later.
www.chriscornell.com
www.julietteandthelicks.com

Nathan Blaney

Got something constructive to say? By all means, rant away. Gonna blab about something unrelated and/or talk shit? Don't expect your comment to stick around.