Chris Cornell has been impressing audiences for decades and the Buffalo crowd on November 5th was no exception. Before singing the first note, the singer of Audioslave and Soundgarden fame walked right up to the front row and warmly greeted the eager audience with handshakes and hugs. The tone was set for an intimate evening with the legendary singer.

He started the solo acoustic performance with “Scar on the Sky” and treated the nearly sold out crowd to almost two and a half hours of musical talent spanning over 20 years of his musical career. Stripped down to just a voice and a guitar, Cornell’s raspy voice stood out and with power and emotion. Playing favorite tunes such as “Hunger Strike” and “Sunshower”, Cornell kept the crowds excitement at a high. In between songs, Cornell told stories behind the meaning of each tune. He explained, “Dandelion” was written for his unborn daughter while anticipating her arrival. He also remarked that “Can’t Change Me” was written when he was tired of worrying about others perceptions of him.

Cornell’s performance wasn’t without tribute to old friend Andy Wood from Cornell’s early days with his first band, Mother Love Bone. When a man in the crowd yelled, “Play something for Andy!” Cornell acknowledged his late band mate in playing, the Mother Love Bone song, “Man of Golden Words”.

With a heartfelt thank you to the audience, Cornell closed with a six song encore leaving the crowd on it’s feet in grateful applause.

Setlist: Scar on the Sky, Silence the Voices, You Know My Name, Dandelion, Original Fire, Sunshower, Halfway There, Fell on Black Days, Getaway Car, As Hope and Promise Fade, One, Seasons, The Day I Tried to Live, Two Drink Minimum, Can’t Change Me, When I’m Down, Man of Golden Words, Wooden Jesus, Hunger Strike

Encore: Cleaning My Gun, Doesn’t Remind Me, A Day in the Life, I Am the Highway, Imagine, Black Hole Sun