Show Reviews

For the uninitiated, a Cloud Cult show is a thing of beauty: the music takes on a surprisingly aggressive, almost frenetic energy, complemented by both video show and live painters, the entire package an engaging event.  Their recent gig at Seattle’s Neumo’s was no different, with the six-piece group providing an appreciative crowd with music from their most recent album, The Meaning of 8, as well as from its predecessor, Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus.

You gotta wonder how many guys have admitted – “I’d give my left nut to sing like Chris Cornell.” The former Soundgarden/Audio Slave front-man holds a Rock-God voice that ranks up with Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, Axl Rose and Roger Daltrey. Touring in support of his forthcoming second solo CD, Carry On ( June 5), Cornell played an intimate show at the Celebrity Theater, comprised of songs from three bands, two solo albums and a few special rarities.

Seattle band The X-Ray Eyes put on a solid show recently at Chop Suey, adroitly playing songs that were clearly familiar to the audience while still making time for newer material. Their sound grounded solidly in straight-ahead rock with just a tinge of folk, the three-piece act put on a polished show.