The band will release Know Hope, via Rise Records on March 26. You will be able to pre-order the album via the Rise Records online store soon.

Track Listing: 01. BURN VICTIMS / 02. SMOKE AND MIRRORS / 03. LEARNED BEHAVIOR / 04. LIVING BREATHING SOMETHING / 05. STRANGE COMFORT / 06. IN LIGHT IN ME / 07. SILVER LINING / 08. STEADFAST / 09. HOLE HEARTED / 10. SAVIORSELF / 11. HAVE.WILL / 12. NEVER ENDERS

Even into their early thirties, Tegan and Sara remain incredibly in-tune with hormone-high tribulations of teens and twenty-something's today. Or At the very least, mindful of that demographic which makes up their fan base; catering to heart-on-their-sleeve teenagers and post-emo young adults. Their empathy for this stage of life begs the question; does the fervency of these emotions subside into our thirties? Listening to Tegan and Sara singing through, “Guilty As Charged” and “I Was A Fool,” I’ll take their answer to be a definitive, ‘nope’.

A major qualm taken with the album is its lack of ambiguity, with straightforward lyrics/track titles that are as subtle as a bludgeon to the head. Testaments to this are, “I Couldn’t Be Your Friend” and, “How Come You Don’t Want Me” (shoots readers a knowing look). On the other hand, this was an intentional move by the sisters, who were simultaneously striving for a sense of earnestness. Though with a heavy hand, their mark appears to have been met, enabling previous qualms to more or less melt into the equation after multiple rotations. 

The record produces kitschy ballads and move busters that are as at home in streamer filled gymnasiums as they are in locked bedroom interiors. Its what makes the experience of tracks like Heartthrob’s “Now I’m All Messed Up” sweepingly dramatic, akin to that of Air Supply or Wilson Philips. 

Emblematic of the album as a whole is “Drove Me Wild,” with its disco-esque, polarizing spectrums of love. The song jumps from ubiquitous fragments of memory, ‘When I picture you / I think of your smile / And it drives me wild,’ to emotively heightened, refrain heavy demise, ‘You put the brakes on this / And it drove me / And it drove me / And it drove me wild.’ Here, Tegan and Sara recall these instances as high-octane surges induced by passion, infuriation, and mundane moments respectively, as only real love tends to do. 

The duo also does well to pull accusatory finger pointing inwards, with “Shock To Your System,” calling out petulant feelings of self-doubt after heartbreak. The pair are particularly talented in their ability fill the shoes of their audience, relating “I know that shock to your system / Knocked your heart out of sync.” In turn, the twins prescribe the remedy needed in the form of some TLC, with lyrics, “Pull yourself out of it.”  

Though they have developed an affinity for more shimmering beats, the core of their songwriting remains the same ol’ Tegan and Sara we know of, “Where Did The Good Go.” An example of this is, “Goodbye, Goodbye.” As a film, this track could be a sequel to The Con’s “Nineteen,” set seven years later with contributing cinematography by Robyn, and directorial credits by Cyndi Lauper. The song also serves as an opportunity to oblige my new favourite craze, ‘cry-dancing’. For those unfamiliar, it is essentially dancing in public while sobbing hysterically, which seems incredibly appropriate if set to this album, and not at all pathetic... 

Seriously though, there is a tension in listening to Heartthrob that may deter fans who have moved onto more independent sounds over the band’s 14 year long career span. Its over-accessible lyrical hooks along with new wave pop textures may be too much for some, preventing an investment in the album before they have even begun. However, fans both old and new should be encouraged to give Tegan and Sara’s most recent effort a chance, as the twins have built in plenty to take away, no matter what your associated age group. Be it 16 going on 30, vice versa, or anything in-between.  

Top Tracks: “Drove Me Wild”, “Shock To Your System”, “Goodbye, Goodbye”

- by Michael Natale

Yeah Yeah Yeahs 
Mosquito – April 16, 2013
Indie / Alternative / Rock 
Similar Artists: The Kills, Metric, Arcade Fire 

Karen O and her band of misfits return to music, with a retro attitude to boot. “The album is extremely lo-fi” Karen says, “We had a shitty drum machine, a shitty sampled keyboard, tons of delay on the vocals. There's a real tone, character, and style to it.” The teaser trailer for the new album brings back the defiance of their 2003 debut, Fever to Tell. As of yet they have not released any of the new material besides what can be heard in the trailer (likely title track “Mosquito”), but fear not Karen assures us, “There's a song about alien invasion-- [makes alien noise]. And the title track, "Mosquito", is literally about mosquitos.” So we have that to look forward to. 

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been remarkably talented in their ability to transition from brash stomping tracks “Date With A Night”, “Tick,” and “Rockers to Swallow,” to softer ballads “Hysteric”, “Skeletons,” and ever popular “Maps.” It is no wonder fans of the band are overjoyed at their announcement of a new album. Especially in light of working with producer James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem for what Miss O refers to as, “a fun, spooky song” called "Nitrous Batcave." This will be the band’s fourth studio disc, marking a 10-year longevity. The wait has been an experience atop pins and needles for most of us.

Haim 
TBA – 2013 
R&B / Soul / Pop / Electronic
Similar Artists: Fleetwood Mac / Jessie Ware / Patti Smith

Oh Haim, to quote Hannah Horvath, “when I think of you, a Coldplay song plays in my heart,” or rather, one of the band’s own delightful hits. The three sisters, Este, Alana and Danielle Haim of California have been making music for some time in different forms, but began releasing it in 2012 as, Haim. Many comparisons have been made to that of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac as the band’s influences are Lindsey Buckingham, ’70s feel-good music, ’80s synths, and more contemporary R&B like TLC and Destiny’s Child. 

Their short discography consists of soulful Ep, Forever, and single, “Don’t Save Me” (of which Cyril Hahn pulls out a beautiful remix) with its B-side “Send Me Down.” Despite a currently gaunt oeuvre, the band took the #1 spot on BBC’s Sound of 2013 and has supported bands Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Ke$ha, Mumford & Sons, and The XX on recent tours. Danielle Haim has also been tapped to play guitar for Jenny Lewis, and collaborate with Major Lazer and Childish Gambino. Pulling from classic Americana and a ‘girl next door’ style that bleeds genuinely into their music, Haim make an appealing shoulder to lean on after scorn. Just take a listen to “Better Off” and you will know just what I mean. 

Unknown Mortal Orchestra 
II – February 2, 2013
Alternative / Folk / Psychedelic / Lo-Fi
Similar Artists: Modest Mouse, Mac Demarco, Tame Impala

This three-piece of lo-fi rockers emerged in 2010 from the ever-popular website built on dreams of indie stardom, Bandcamp, featured track “Ffunny Ffriends” off their self-titled debut album. Clanging reverb and coarse vocals dominate their aesthetic, acting as a befitting backdrop to any beatnik hangout. Think a cross between MGMT and Tame Impala, minus the trippy synths. 

After touring with Grizzy Bear, the band released a 7” with new single “Swim & Sleep (Like A Shark)” from upcoming sophomore album, II. Recently, they played with Weezer in New Zealand, soon to be joined by ’80s inspired, Wampire, and fellow psychedelic folk-rockers, Foxygen on the North American stretch of their international tour. Catch them live or grab their record for an evening of ‘chill’ friends and hallucinogenic substances. 

Upcoming Toronto Show: March 4th @ Wrongbar 

Solange
TBA - Early 2013
R&B / Pop / Soul / Hip Hop
Similar Artists: Beyoncé, Jesse Ware, Miguel

Solange Knowles has had a bit of a slow start on her climb to the top, but 2013 should see the singer-songwriter/actress making strides. Coming from the Knowles family has its ups and its downs in dealing with controlling manger/father Mathew, and idealized superstar sister, Beyoncé. Because of this, Knowles has done a lot of soul searching for her own music. After her debut album Solo Star (2003) released under Columbia Records (owned by Sony Music), and second album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (2008) appeared under Interscope-Geffen-A&M (Owned by Universal), Solange ventured to a new home for her forthcoming album at indie label, Terrible Records, founded by Grizzly Bear istrumentalist/producer, Chris Taylor. 

With an alternative-synth influence, Solange released 7-track EP, True (2012) in advance of her currently untitled third studio album to be released this year. Solange’s inherent affections for pop remain intact on True while layering variations of hazy atmosphereics and writhing below-surface tones. “This is a dance record,” Solange admits, “but the lyrics can get pretty dark at times.” Her words evidently point to breakout tracks, “Losing You” and “Some Things Never Seem To Fucking Work” –Amern, Solange. We hear you loud and clear.

Upcoming Toronto Show: Feb 22nd @ The Danforth music Hall (Avd. Tickets SOLD OUT)

MGMT
Self titled – TBA
Electronic / Psychedelic / Experimental / Alternative  
Similar Artists: Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend, Youth Lagoon

The American psych-rock band made huge waves back in 2007 with their first spaced-out album, Oracular Sectacular. Highly acclaimed, the record featured songs “Electric Feel”, “Time to Pretend,” and “Kids” which appeared on various commercial media including hit British TV show Skins. Following this was Congratulations in 2010, which made less of a splash in the pop mainstream, but was met with moderately positive reviews nonetheless.

Remaining tight-lipped in regards to current material, the band have mentioned their third album will be a self titled release, which usually means a kind of re-worked direction, however none has been alluded to. At a concert in Bogotá, Colombia, March 30th 2012, audiences were treated to the debuting of new song “Alien Days,” the first impression of the upcoming disc, yet no official studio recorded version has been released as of yet. 

Look out for MGMT either to inadvertently renew a course for popular media of which they loathe, or continue experimenting with sounds unfit for the masses that will make alternative culture squee.   

Lady Gaga 
ARTPOP – Before Spring 2013
Electronic / Pop / Dance
Similar Artists: Ke$ha, Robyn, Marina & the Diamonds 

Will 2013 be a year of Gaga? Artpop will be Gaga’s fourth studio release since her debut, The Fame in 2008. Her concert tour Born This Way Ball may be coming to a close March 23rd in Mexico, but get ready to be inundated with projects from the pop superstar spanning music, film, and interactive media in its wake. Gaga has expressed interest in dividing Artpop into two volumes released six months apart, “Sort of thinking that VOL.1 should have all the commercial songs, and then save the experimental material [for Vol. 2].” Also on the horizon is an interactive application containing the new album, videos for every song, interactive chats, games, fashion updates, and more. Then there are Gaga’s films; one by acclaimed art photographer of the stars, Terry Richardson, and the other, Machete Kills, a feature film directed by Robert Rodriguez.

Artpop sees a return collaboration of producers RedOne and Dj White Shadow, as well as newcomers Zedd, and 18-year-old French electro house buzz-producer, Maedon. In regards to what she will be exploring on the new disc, Gaga commented, “I'm fascinated with the decay of the blonde pop icon and how culture loves to build and give birth to fantasies and then destroy them and what that means.” Already having re-appropriated Maddona’s “Express Yourself” and Whiney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” what nostalgic reimagining of classics will Artpop cash in on? My bet is “Rumors” by Lindsay Lohan. Look forward to this and more news of a single in the coming months. Until then, posted below is a song called “Princess Die” Gaga performed on her recent tour, stating it may appear on the album. 

Upcoming Toronto Shows: February 8th & 9th @ The Air Canada Centre

Sky Ferreira  
I’m Not Alright – TBA
Pop / Electronic / Indie / Dance
Similar Artists: Blondie, Charli XCX, Marina & the Diamonds

Sky Ferreira is the singer/songwriter/model/actress who has been attempting to upstart a music career since she was discovered on MySpace covering Miike Snow’s “Animal” in 2009. Her past highlights have been a friendship with Michael Jackson at a young age, and drinking buddy in Katy Perry while Ferreira was still just 17. Her first EP As If! (2011) mingled the most hated aspects of pop music; vapid themes and label forced direction. This has not stopped Ferreira however. 

As If! embodied Cher Horowitz down to its ’90s style album art (circa Ferreira’s Calvin Kelin days) and infectious attitude track “Haters Anonymous,” that could have scored Clueless. Ghost (2012), on the other hand, marked the artist taking control of her sound. Stripping away heavy amounts of erratic electro-pop, we are privy to more genuine efforts “Everything is Embarrassing” and “Sad Dream,” while maintaining a more structured version of her previous aesthetic in “Lost In My Bedroom.” 

Both EPs had help from producer Greg Kurstin (Tegan and Sara, Dragonette, Ke$ha), but likely Ferreira would thank the impact of lead singer Shirley Manson of Garbage and mult-instrumentalist/producer Ariel Rechtshaid (We Are Scientists, Vampire Weekend, Charli XCX) for the latest record’s success. Meandering through various genres, Ferreira’s troubled journey to find her own sensibility has working for her. Changing the title of the debut album title from, Wild at Heart to I’m Not Alright, could be a sign of just that. 

Upcoming Toronto Show: March 27th @ Wrongbar 

Doldrums 
Lesser Evil – February 26, 2013 
Electronic / Noise / Post-Rock / Psychedelic / Experimental 
Similar Artists: Grimes, Crystal Castles, Born Gold

Doldrums, the experimental project of Montreal-based musician Airick Woodhead, has been described as the male version of Vancouver outfit Grimes, likely due to their similarly textured aesthetic and the pair being friends. With an off beat mixture of psychedelic sonics inspired by EDM, noise-rock, and science fiction (you read me right, science fiction), Doldrums has received buzz across the board from esteemed machines NME, Brooklyn Vegan, Pitchfork, and The Grid, positioned as a band to watch. 

Describing the sound as ‘chaotic’ would be an understatement in some cases like popular tracks, “I’m Homesick Sittin’ Up Here In My Satellite” and “Jump Up,” yet this only serves the upbeat ecstasy as opposed to diminishing it. With two EPs under his belt, the world is eagerly awaiting what crazy bananas Woodhead will greet us with next for his debut album.      

Toronto Show: February 15th @ The Black Box Theatre (The Great Hall)

Bleached 
Ride Your Heart – April 2, 2013 
Garage Rock / Punk / Pop / Metalcore
Similar Artists: FIDLAR, Best Coast, Vivian Girls 

Though not much has been seen or heard from of the sister-duo, Jessica and Jennifer Calvin since the release of their 7”, “Searching Through The Past” in 2011, the band has slated for the release of their debut album to come out this April. The news came via a recent new track, “Next Stop” having dropped with details of the forthcoming release on the cover art.

Bleached appear to be another aloof, ‘too cool for school’ tumblr trend fit for a re-blog, but when it comes to playing live, their grit is fierce and commanding. Which basically means I guess that they have earned their image, though, they seem quite well mannered. See their performance of, “No Friend of Mine” at Toronto’s Silver Dollar last year at NXNE 2012 for further convincing.

Upcoming Toronto Show: April 25th @ The Silver Dollar

Vampire Weekend
TBA – May 7, 2013
Indie / Pop / Alternative
Similar Artists: Two Door Cinema Club, Passion Pit, MGMT

Note to everyone who may have googled “Vampire Weekend + New Album” this week, it will not be titled Lemon Sounds, as deceptively spread around the Internet. The flurry of fake info made a round after the band released via their website that their third full-length studio LP (LP3) had been completed. A clue to the title is in the bottom left corner where cursive letters, MVOTC (or MVOFC) can be seen. 

The preppy four-piece Afro-popers have been on everyone’s radar with their self titled debut release in 2008 and equally strong second effort, Contra in 2010. Having been referred to once upon a time as, “the Whitest band ever” by backlash critics for their image as rich, privileged, Ivy Leaguers (all having met while at Colombia University), while appropriating sounds associated with African pop music and reggaeton, as if they were musical imperialists, the band has come to promote an inclusionary philosophy; separating the songs from the people who sing them. It is no doubt that the band will continue integrating African influences as well as other genres in their upcoming album, continuing to traverse issues of class and society, while poking fun of their critics. 

Now while that is all well and great, I wish they would have given up some more advanced tracks besides “Arms,” which has been taken down from streaming sites everywhere. Come on, we need a Lemon-Sounds-Party! Until then, the following is VW’s official video for, “Giving Up The Gun.”    

That is it for Part 2. Catch the last 10 albums of our 30 Highly Anticipated Albums of 2013 list in Part 3, coming next week! 

- by Michael Natale

As a feeling of embrace and excitement travels through your body you feel like you’re unstoppable. The surge of anticipation builds to see three legendary bands, playing a venue not many people have really been to. This, tangled with the new-found knowledge that your favorite local bands are playing your favorite venue, you become so confident that you are, in fact, completely unstoppable that you want to take your chances and test it out. 

This Tuesday night in Toronto featured your favorite punk openers The Menzingers, the band that sold as many tickets as their headliner, La Dispute, and the legendary Hot Water Music that even members of Alexisonfire joined the crowd. 

One of the most fundamental points that made this night stand out from the beginning is the venue itself.  The venue was equipped with a massive open area one and a half times the size of the Opera House and a balcony/mezzanine section easily ten times that of The Opera House. Though the front of the venue gets extremely packed between bands, there is no real lack of space. If you’re ever questioning whether or not to go to a show, if it’s at The Danforth Music Hall, the choice is obvious.

The Menzingers hit the stage first with energy that makes your three year old on a sugar high look half-asleep. Powering through their ten song set-list, the band got the small crowd warmed up for the acts to follow. The sound was incredible, having a flawless performance and maintaining your image became a fundamental theme for this night, and The Menzingers started it off the right way.  Though the moments between songs seemed as though they were playing against a time set bomb and just had to end their set as quickly as possible. A lot of fans didn’t see this as a bad thing, seeing as a large majority of the crowd was full of younger teens - looking like they would fit in at an Asking Alexandria show rather than this one – they came for La Dispute and La Dispute only. 

La Dispute had to live up to the hype, which wasn’t hard for the talented five-piece post-hardcore group to pull off. After all, they just had to do what they did best. Jordan Dreyer (Vocals) is that kid in your creative writing class who shares only one of his poems all semester, reads it in a broken raspy voice, and ends it with says ‘it’s awful, I’m sorry.’ When the band got into a song, he dominated the stage. He took over, and became a poetic god over sweaty teenagers for the duration of nine songs. Playing an incredible set from start to finish – with possibly the exception of the static and the overall cut-out of the microphone - La Dispute came, told their stories, and conquered. The band closed their set with the crowd favorite “King Park,” and played it in a way that first time viewers could only dream off. 

Keeping the energy going after La Dispute was a challenge, but Hot Water Music stepped up to it perfectly. It very much seemed as though half the crowd left right after La Dispute played their set, but the leaving crowd was counteracted by another huge wave of people there to see Hot Water Music. Hot Water Music is music with a beard. Think about your favorite punk song and imagine that song grew enough facial hair to put the collective efforts of movember to shame. Hot Water Music is a band that lets the music speak for itself. The band played 18 songs in total, with a two song encore that the crowd demanded; Hot Water Music truly swept everyone off their angsty - bearded punk feet. Don’t worry; they didn’t get the fans denim jackets dirty. The encore consisted of “One Step to Slip” and “It’s hard to know” which ended their perfect set, well, perfectly.  They sound better live than they do recorded, so if you’ve never listened to the band before, well just listen to them.

The first part of the night was over, and it was barely ten thirty. A rush of people tries to get out of the venue, and a handful of them get on the subway and make their ways to Watch Out! Sneaky Dee’s weekly punk, pop-punk, hardcore party. Tonight’s event was played by Cardinal Attack, Constellations, and Sleep When You’re dead.

Unfortunately, Cardinal Attack had played at around 10, overlapping it with Hot Water Music’s set. 

Arriving at Sneaky Dee’s lifts you back up to that near europhic state you felt after HWM. The trip wasn’t the longest, but felt like the mission home from the Sound Academy during a blizzard if Taxi’s didn’t exist. The DJ entirely made up for the fact that Constellations is going on around midnight and you already missed Cardinal Attack. At this point you find out the surprise guest is actually Sleep When You’re Dead, making the night even more exciting than initially expected. The infamous Blind Witness cover of Backstreets Back is the perfect track to transition between the two shows.

The wait wasn’t that long. By 1130 Constellations started playing. After nights like these it’s safe to say Toronto has developed its own genre of hardcore. Full of heavy cymbal smashing and emotionally driven lyrics, the bands new song ‘Coward’ perfectly described what everyone feel s like when they’re stabbed in the back. Enemies of Constellations beware. Between fans jumping on stage, the bands vocalist literally dropping to his knees, and the bands notorious cover of System of a Down’s Chop Suey made this show highly comparable to the one earlier in the night. Closing with “a vision, a dream” Constellations disappoints the crowd by making them listen to pre-recorded music. There’s nothing that can beat giving your biggest fans, and your best friends, mic grabs and the opportunity to sing and scream their heart out, Constellations is an incredible band, and goddamit incredible friends to everyone at the venue that night.

After Constellations the night began to wind down. Sleep When You’re Dead is on next. After allowing the crowd to build up for nearly an hour, they satisfy the needs of the people. It’s 1am when they finally go on. A Crowd forms at the front as if they were lining up for free ice-cream. It’s become a party for anyone who likes anything heavy, and it’s the best party I’ve been to in a long time. With no lack of elbows flying at your face and killer bass hits, all that’s left to say is: “Hardcore dancers rejoice, sleep When You’re Dead is finally on. 

- by Misha Kotok

The deal, financed by Guggenheim Partners, combines the two leading entities for actors, musicians, casting directors and promoters to showcase and discover talent. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Backstage and Sonic bids come from the same heritage of matching artists with opportunities. For more than 50 years, Backstage has been the world's most trusted name in casting, auditions and entertainment-industry opportunities. It helps actors, singers and dancers find opportunities, while connecting casting directors, producers, directors and choreographers with amazing talent.

Sonic bids launched in 2001 as a matchmaking site for emerging bands and music promoters and has grown into a global marketing platform connecting more than 400,000 bands with 30,000 promoters from over 100 countries. Additionally, the company's recently launched Social Music Marketing Til product suite enables brand marketers to reach and engage music fans and consumers using rich, music-oriented content. Sonicbids has many exclusive partnerships with leading industry events, including South By Southwest (SXSW), Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and CMJ Music Marathon.

Combined, the two companies claim 600,000 registered users and 60,000 paying subscribers in a rapidly growing performing arts market. According to a study by RAND, it is estimated that there are 7 million performing artists in the U.S. and approximately 100 million worldwide.

"Sonicbids and Backstage share the same mission of opening doors for the creative community," said Panos Panay, Founder and CEO, Sonicbids. "Joining forces creates amazing synergies and brings the worlds of music, film and social marketing even closer together."

"Our vision is to the fill the void where existing career sites drop off in serving performing artists," said John Amato, Chairman and CEO, Backstage. "This market has great growth potential but has been under-served. We want to step in to become the destination site for performing artists to book opportunities, manage their careers and educate themselves."

"Guggenheim is committed to live events, media and music," said Todd Boehly, President, Guggenheim Partners. "We have seen great success with our brands, including Backstage, and this acquisition is a logical progression."

The combined entities will include 70+ employees with offices in New York City, Boston and LA. Backstage is a portfolio company of Guggenheim Partners. The combined company will be headed by Chairman and CEO John Amato, with Panos Panay maintaining his role as leader of Sonic bids.

Bonobo's latest album "The North Borders" is due out on April 1, 2013. Upcoming Toronto show on April 18, 2013 at Danforth Music Hall. Album preorder and tour information available at bonobomusic.com

Hamilton, ON band Illitry describes their music as "the electro-organic music of the snow-covered road, a disjointed electronic sound, mystical, not altogether human, yet undeniably humanizing" and we couldn't agree more. 

No strangers to the livemusicTO stage, we've always been a fan of whatever they're doing. Check out their latest, "Goshen":

So when grunge legend Soundgarden came through town, having ended their twelve-year hiatus in 2010, fans were quick to sell out the January 25th show at The Sound Academy. Taking the words out of our mouths, Soundgarden had been away for too long.

With the venue bursting at the seams, the anticipation within was heightening as fans began cheering every time the house music silenced. The teasing of each passing song un-eased the crowd, and many of ‘I hope they play this song-‘ could be heard. The foreseeable problem of an old band producing and wanting to play new material to a crowd expecting their classics seemed prominent. So when Soundgarden finally took the stage, they solved that problem by playing a lot of music. Starting it off with the fitting new single, Been Away Too Long, the band ripped through a 28 song set, totaling a two and a half hour performance full of old, new, classics, and favourites.

Be it the ‘aged’ audience, the delayed start time, or the new material, surprisingly both performers and crowd members seemed less than enthused during the first song, but the rusty room seemed to be oiled as the quartet followed up with My Wave, and crowd pleasure Spoonman.

On and on the show progressed flawlessly as Soundgarden pumped through hit after hit, most notable being Fell On Black Days, Live to Rise, Black Hole Sun, Rusty Cage, and Outshined.

Contradictory to the beginning of the show, the crowd was up beat and lively by the encore, and the floor was a full out middle-aged dance party.

Evident that Soundgarden was going for quantity with such a full set, they seemed to lack in quality. Don’t get it wrong, the grey in their beards did not affect the talent in their fingers, but they all seemed less than lively on stage.

Lead guitarist Kim Thayil seemed to be confined to an invisible square box on stage and showed little excitement. While Chris gawked around on stage, exuding this aura that he was a rock god (though he is in many eyes), he appeared to be just going through the motions – simply sticking to the script. A step up was bassist Ben Shepherd who showed a little more enthusiasm, and was a little more mobile than Cornell and Thayil across the stage. The only exception was drummer Matt Cameron who was kicking a solid rhythm throughout the night. That being said, these guys are no youthful rockstars, able to jump around the stage and be wild, so their less than rambunctious stage antics may have been substituted with the on-key light show and symmetrical ‘illuminati’ themed projection show.

Hearing Chris Cornell live was all and more than you could imagine it to be.  His voice was so raw and powerful, unbelievably immaculate and definitely undermined on the records. To top off his charm, Cornell rocked a Roots sweater with “Canada” embroidered across the chest.  

Despite putting on a less than dynamic show, Soundgarden still played a phenomenal set, showing that age, and time apart, has not affected their talent or sound. In the end, it was the perfect show for all those who attended, and a welcoming performance from the reunited grunge legend.  It was enjoyable to watch, a pleasure to listen, and a milestone mark to have seen Chris Cornell live.

Be sure to check out the bands latest album, King Animal, which was released November 13th, 2012.

■ by Katlyn Fledderus

In support of the new album, the band will embark on a headlining tour with From Indian Lakes and Sweet Talker this spring. The tour will kick off on March 20 and run through May 3. Tour dates and ticket information will be revealed tomorrow, Jan. 29 exclusively at 81twentythree.com. Pre-orders for Devil will also be available tomorrow.

Conduit available now on iTunes! Listen to official album sampler below: