By Brian Ives
So, yeah, it was a rough night for Seattle. Their Seahawks choked a bit toward the end of Super Bowl XLIX in a heartbreaking loss.
But for Seattle music fans, the weekend wasn’t a total loss. In fact, Friday night (Jan. 30) saw a one-off concert at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall that was one for the ages.
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Surviving Mad Season members Mike McCready (also of Pearl Jam) and Barrett Martin (formerly of Screaming Trees, currently of Walking Papers) performed the music of their former supergroup with a little help from their friends. Soundgarden‘s Chris Cornell filled in for the late Alice In Chains singer Layne Staley, and ex-Guns N Roses (and current Walking Papers) bassist Duff McKagan filled in for the late John Baker Saunders.
It was the centerpiece of a show that could have been titled “A Symphonic Tribute to the Seattle Scene.” According to the Seattle Times, the show began original classical music tributes to Kurt Cobain and Pearl Jam. After that, McCready debuted a classical piece, “Waking the Horizon,” joined by Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron.
But the main event took place after that, as the ad hoc Mad Season reunion, backed by the Seattle Symphony, dove into “River of Deceit,” “I Don’t Know Anything” and “Long Gone Day.” After that, the symphony left but the show continued with guest singer Kim Virant (formerly of the band Lazy Susan) singing “Wake Up,” and then McKagan and Martin’s Walking Papers bandmate Jeff Angell joined for “Lifeless Dead.” The two guest singers then duetted on “I’m Above.”
After that, McCready was joined by Cornell, Cameron and two more Pearl Jam members, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, for a Temple of the Dog mini-set of “Call Me a Dog” and “Reach Down.”
Finally, McCready, Martin and McKagan, joined by Alice In Chains drummer Sean Kinney, performed one more Mad Season song, “All Alone,” accompanied by Staley’s pre-recorded vocals.
By all accounts, the show was a stellar tribute to late Seattle musicians Staley, Cobain and Mother Love Bone singer Andy Wood. No word on if the show was recorded in an official manner for future release.
