Soundgarden at the Los Angeles Forum on July 22, 2011
As fans drove to The Forum located in Los Angeles, California, people roamed the roads, holding up Soundgarden t-shirts. “10 dollars! 10 dollars! What size you need” the men trying to make some quick cash, asked. Traffic to the Forum was minimal until fans were only hundreds of feet from the entrance; that’s when it became a stand still. Fans poured into the parking lot, slowly, but surely.
Openers, “The Mars Volta” being a sort of new band which formed in 2001, brought a good alternative rock and jazz feel to the Forum. As the band finished their short set, many people left their seats to do all sorts of things; from buying shirts, drinks, using the bathroom, or getting food.
Outside the Forum a lot was still going on. At the Soundgarden VIP entrance area, stars flooded to support their friends of Soundgarden. There were paparazzi snapping photos and interviewing any one they could, all from different magazines or shows. The stars included actors, actresses and even some bands. The bands included members of Alice and Chains, members of Muse and many others. Actors were seen standing around, talking and smoking in the casual environment including actors from movie “W.E.”
Minutes before Soundgarden was scheduled to perform, the movie stars and band members made their way to their VIP seats located on the right side of the stage. Soundgarden performed a 21 song set, not including their four encore songs. The band performed the majority of their songs from album ” Superunknown” but also from their other albums including “Badmotorfinger”, “Louder Than Love”, “Down on the Upside”, “Ultramega OK”, “Screaming Life”, and “Telephantasm”
Singer Chris Cornell entertained the audience and throughout the night, told different stories. He told the audience that they would be one of the last bands to perform at the Forum because it is going to be sold soon. If that is true, it’s a good thing Soundgarden would be one of the last bands to perform there since they bring so much energy and are a band people will remember for a long time.
