Randy "The Unit" Johnson Turns Pro Again For Soundgarden!

Randy Johnson, left; Chris Cornell, right, just in case a few of you really have been living under a rock for 20 years.

From SPIN Magazine:

"BIG UNIT, BIG SHOW"

"Photographers working the pit for Soundgarden's comeback set at the recent Lollapalooza festival in Chicago were joined by a very special, if unexpected guest: Baseball legend Randy Johnson, aka "the Big Unit," a veteran of 22 seasons in the big leagues, with 302 career victories, five Cy Young Awards as the game's best pitcher, and a World Series ring with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.

"Soundgarden, old pals of Johnson's from his days pitching for the Seattle Mariners in the late-'80s and '90s, invited the 6'10" hurler to hang out with them at Lollapalooza, and Johnson brought along his camera gear to document the band's big night.

"Here, Johnson shares his favorite shots from the gig, and tells SPIN.com about how he met Soundgarden—SPIN's current cover stars—back in 1989 and ended up in their Lolla entourage this year."

Interview by Peter Gaston

The 46 year-old catches some air...

Chris Cornell. Yes, he's singing "Jesus Christ Pose"

[Nancy:]

I've been dying to see what Randy's pics looked like. He filmed the Vic show, partly in front of us--while I was thinking, "They couldn't have hired a shorter videographer?" and one of my companions was saying, "Hey, that guy looks just like Randy Johnson!" to which we rolled our eyes. Oops. Sorry, Arthur. Randy also took some GREAT shots at Lolla for Spin Magazine. My favorite is actually one of Matt:

My personal drumming inspiration, Matt Cameron, last seen signing my Lolla Mag in 1996 at a gas station outside of the Gorge at George in WA. The pen he used had a pic of a little Siamese cat taped to it. Luckily, he didn't notice.

SPIN: "Johnson was stoked to share his photos with the band, after Lollapalooza. "Everybody in the Soundgarden camp has liked them," Johnson says. "I sent them to Kim, and he sent them to [drummer] Matt [Cameron] and [bassist] Ben [Shepherd]. And they all liked the shots. I think it was maybe something more than what they expected, which is a compliment to me."

Cameron might even use some of the shots for an upcoming drum endorsement, Johnson said."

Kim Thayil

BACK IN 1989...

"... Randy Johnson got traded from the Montreal Expos to the Seattle Mariners, right around the time the Emerald City was giving birth to some of the '90s biggest bands, including Soundgarden.

"'I listened to all types of music, and obviously when I got to Seattle I was very much aware of the music scene there,' Johnson recalls. 'And Kim [Thayil, Soundgarden's guitarist, pictured above] is a very familiar face with the black beard. I saw him on the big screen in the KingDome where we were playing a baseball game that night, so I figured he must be a baseball fan.'"

Kim Thayil on left, Ben Shepherd on right. Our "team" was down in front of Ben and had a blast with him!

"'I made my way to a Soundgarden concert that year while the baseball season was still going. And I met their manager at the time, whoever that was [This is a hysterical pot-shot if you know the history of Chris or the band--Nancy], and I just explained who I was,' Johnson says.

"'My name's Randy Johnson and I play for the Seattle Mariners. I saw Kim Thayil on the Jumbotron and I'd like to invite him to come down to the ballpark and take some batting practice if he wants.'

"'I left my number, and within a couple of days he got back to me and I arranged him and, actually he brought Ben Shepherd, the bass player, down with him to the dome, and they took batting practice and had a good time.'"

"REUNITED"

"After retiring from baseball in 2009, just after notching his 300th career win as a pitcher—a milestone only 23 other players have achieved—Johnson returned to Seattle at the start of the 2010 season to be honored by his former team. It just so happened that Soundgarden was about to end their retirement at the exact same time.

"'Kim had asked me to come down to a studio where they were rehearsing,' says Johnson. 'And this was several days before they did that unannounced first show of theirs at the Showbox in Seattle. Unfortunately, the day before they played that show, I had to leave to go to Japan, so I wasn't able to make it, but I watched them rehearse one night in Seattle and got caught up with all them, told them all good luck.'

"'Kim told me shortly after that visit that they were going to be doing Lollapalooza and headlining, and I told him that I'd like to come,' Johnson says. 'My schedule worked out great—I flew from Baltimore to Chicago the morning of the Lollapalooza show, hooked up with Kim and his girlfriend, put my suitcase down, and drove over to the venue with those guys and hung out, said hi to a lot of people, and then took pictures.'"

Bravo, Baseball Legend!!

Read more!

Hottest Act of 2010--We Salute You!

Chris Cornell at the beginning of the Lollapalooza set, Aug 8, 2010.

Chris Cornell at the end of the Lollapalooza set, Aug 8, 2010. Can you spot the differences?

'Twas a hot motherfucker out there Sunday night...

Read more!

Soundgarden in SPIN--"Full Access"

Photo by Francesco Carrozzini

Soundgarden: Alive in the Superunknown By David Peisner

This is one of the best in-depth articles I've seen in a long time. Extensive quotes from Ben, who's been having shit for luck; Kim, who likes to sleep as much as I do; Matt, who confirms his loyalties to Pearl Jam; Chris, who speaks the least but, as usual, speaks honestly; and surprisingly, Susan Silver, Cornell's ex-wife and ex-manager.

The most interesting part was that Cornell's January 1 tweet:

"The 12-year break is over and school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!" was actually misinterpreted as a reunion announcement for the band.

"As Thayil tells me later, 'We're not the Knights of the Soundtable, that was our fan club. We were just re-upping it with the new website. But the rumors generated offers. The demand was overwhelming. I wouldn't say we acquiesced, but we kind of warmed to the idea.'"

And thank God for that.


Cornell and Matt with SG at Lollapalooza

As far as this fan is concerned, I'm grateful for anything that comes along, and most certainly for the once-in-a-lifetime moments, from the rail at Lollapalooza, where Laurie and I played with a very outgoing Ben Shepherd from the stage above--to the intimate (and slightly bone-crushing) gig at the 1400-seat Vic Theatre, also in Chicago.

Anything else is just icing on the cake. Read more!

August 8, 2010. No Words

Except these: Click for full-screen image.

Read more!

Why my head is still spinning...

Chris Cornell at The Vic in Chicago 8/05

Photos by Stephanie Munoz, fellow rail warrior!

Couple from Lollapalooza after the break. Still on the rail, but further away, obviously.

Lolla...

Read more!

If a picture is worth a 1000 words

Nancy and Laurie on the rail, Arthur and Steph 2nd row.
Lollapalooza on Sunday, waiting for Soundgarden!!

Then consider this a 1000-word post. Back at work, trying to recover and eventually put words to the experience-- if that is possible. I've never felt to alive as I did these past 5 days. Love my Cornell/Soundgarden friends!!!



Wait for it... Read more!

The Luckiest Slovenian

I've already e-mailed this photographer, Ross Halfin, to see if he'll be in Chicago next week. I hope to God he is. He is the best there is.

Mind Riot

I was slipping through the cracks of a stolen jewel
I was tightrope walking in two ton shoes
Now somebody is talking about a third world war
And the police said this was normal control
And the candle was burning yesterday
Like somebody's best friend died
And I've been caught in a mind riot
I was crying from my eye teeth and bleeding from my soul
And I sharpened my wits on a dead man's skull
I built an elevator from his bones
Had to climb to the top floor just to stamp out the coals
And the candle was burning yesterday
Like somebody's best friend died
And I've been caught in a mind riot
I'm tied within
I'm luck's last match struck
In the pouring down wind

****************************


Cornell at the Showbox with SG, April 16, 2010

Something funny happened on the way to work Friday. You could say it was a 72 hour commute, because that's how long it took to get there. Tuesday, July 27 was the day that Soundgarden World (SG's official website) announced that SG would be playing an intimate show at The Vic in Chicago on the Thursday preceding their Lollapalooza appearance on August 8, effectively turning the world of every SG/Chris Cornell fan upside-down. Nearly every Slovenian within hearing range was challenged to register for this private show, and I'm fairly certain each and every one of them did. (See previous post for excruciating details.)


Ginger Ale, whom, by the way, Slash finds adorable ;)

As Friday morning approached in 2-3 hour increments (my pit bull got diarrhea--even she couldn't handle the pressure) my anxiety climbed higher and higher. I had some serious sleep meds on board, and while they did make it a little hard to navigate my tall and narrow stairs with a 75 lb dog trying to get out the front door in time, they certainly weren't keeping me asleep. All I could think about was 10 a.m.

I could have clocked in around 3 a.m., but I waited until my usual Friday time of 9 a.m. I had windows open all over my computer by then: Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and Soundgarden World forums. Every fan with a working outlet was plugged into this event.

And so we waited. I must have gotten a dozen messages spread over all the media forms asking "Did you hear yet?" as if the first thing I wouldn't do was post it in every fucking place I could find.

We didn't hear until after 11 a.m., if I remember clearly (and I don't). Someone on SGW posted that they had just won. I immediately refreshed my e-mail and found myself looking at a message from SGW:

Dear Soundgarden Winner,

Yesssss!!! You have successfully won the drawing for a chance to purchase a pair of tickets to Soundgarden's show at the Vic Theatre on Thursday, August 5th. Please read and follow the steps below to make your ticket purchase: fine print, blah, blah, blur...

FUCK.

Checked FB to see if any friends had won. Quiet.
Checked Twitter to see if any friends had won. Quiet.
Checked SGW again--still just one, someone I didn't know.

How long was I supposed to wait to announce what might not be happening for my friends?

Then one of them saw the SGW winner and asked if ANYONE had heard anything, positive or negative. I was in shock--what if this was a mistake? Why was I the only one getting good (or any) news? I began to dread coming clean.

After a solid 5 minutes of reading and re-reading my message, I was pretty convinced it was indeed the Golden Ticket in the last Wonka Bar. I had to say it. So I said it--I even all-capped it. If you're going to win, win big.

Facebook: I FUCKING WON!!!
Twitter: I FUCKING WON!!!
E-mail: I FUCKING WON!!!

And the posts, tweets and e-mails starting pouring in. Needless to say, right about this time was when work started getting busy, so I was juggling insane joy, pressing guilt and a full on Mind Riot as I struggled to take orders without my voice breaking, or without shouting to whomever was on the other end: I FUCKING WON!!!

The e-mails brought it home. Two or three more winners popped up in the SGW forum, but no one in our circle. I began to feel sick. I faked my way through one more call and turned the ringer off. I let the tears flow--happy mixed with sad, denial mixed with acceptance. I was the one. I was the only one. It wasn't supposed to happen that way.

I rushed to Twitter and started abusing my privileges with Cornell and Toni, his mother-in-law. There must be a mistake, I typed, Laurie and Steph didn't get a message. What happened? I asked. Don't you know them as well as your own crew? How could this happen? And finally, I remembered to thank them.

I went back to SGW and there was the death knell:

All of the winners have been notified. Thank you to everyone for entering.

I posted this, and felt a quiet fall over Cyberspace. I felt everyone fall away until I was standing in a cloud of black with nothing all around me. I felt completely alone. A party of one is no party at all. If it wasn't for my sister texting me her exuberance, I felt more like I had just been kicked off the island than voted in. Solemnly, shaking, I clicked on the magic link, entered my password, and purchased two tickets for $100--for a million dollar show.

Thankfully, work ends early for me Fridays, and I had an excuse to get out of my office, away from the computer and all the disappointment I was reading in the silence there.

I am still adjusting to this new role as The Vic Spokesperson for our large group. I was instructed to videotape, photograph and write down EVERYTHING. I started to get a little worried. I can't even remember setlists once I'm leaving a venue. With good luck came tremendous responsibility--to transmit everyone's joy at the SG reunion, and to remember every single detail to share it with them afterwards.

Today I took steps to make sure I don't let them down. I found another winner, a videographer based in LA, and sent an e-mail asking if he'd be handling that part. I e-mailed famous rock photographer Ross Halfin to see if he would be there--as he had been at so many pivotal shows for them and for other enormous bands. I bought a small black notebook to write down songs and comments as they happened during the show, and immediately pictured myself dropping the damn thing just out of reach over the rail, unable to regain it until it the show was over and my brain was fried. I can picture myself now with a string tied to my shorts so I don't lose my notebook. Whatever works. I am willing to do whatever it takes to bring what I experience inside the walls of the Vic outside to my waiting friends. And I'm so thankful they'll still be waiting for me.

We have a fantastic Sunday ahead of us!!


Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell at the Showbox April 16 in Seattle

I am one lucky Slovenian.

Read more!

Seeing Double--Revised

Addendum: It has been rightfully brought to my attention (by Twitterer @inamusic)that my analogy to Germany's Love Parade, in which 21 people have now died in a preventable stampede, was inappropriate and disrespectful of the lives of both the victims, their families, and friends. I regret choosing those words and will be the first to admit that I don't always choose wisely. My deepest condolences again to all those affected in the tragedy in Berlin.
_________________________________________________________


We were all seeing double today

We all thought that wondering whether or not Soundgarden would play Lollapalooza was the biggest tease we would endure this summer, but the boys had more up theirs sleeves than that.

First, the impromptu April 16 Nudedragons concert at the Showbox in Seattle, their first official reunion gig, in which you had to be annointed by the Holy Mary to get tickets. Time between rumor and ticket availabilty was less than 24 hours. It sold out in less than 4 minutes. Reviewer Annastasia Gallaher suggested there could not have been more than 1000 patrons--all of whom waited three agonizing hours for the SG set to start. Their wait was worth every minute, as the unannointed later learned through several leaked videos. (Her review here.) Then the Lolla tease for a few months--which night???

Baby Bad-asses

That was settled after a few rounds of Jeopardy with Perry Farrell's crew, but then the SG crew threw the heaviest wrench ever into the Badmotorfinger tension brewing around the world.

Any Soundgarden news is good news, don't get me wrong, but Cornell-Land was in HYSTERIA today if Facebook, Twitter and e-mail accounts are any indication. Details emerged like wildfire once the first e-mail from Soundgarden World came out this morning, then the heart-wrenching speculation took over.

To the great majority of those going to Lollapalooza next week, the decision whether to buy a 3-Day Pass before we knew what day SG would play was bad enough. (What the hell do we do with a Lady Gaga ticket? Many wondered.) Passes are several hundred dollars each, as will be the bottled water, I'm sure. These days we have ONE Lolla, not a tour, so wherever you are in the world, the cost of getting to Chicago--not a cheap destination for anyone--was another major deciding factor.

But we relented and made our ticket purchases, then plane, train or automobile plans. Housing. It added up very fast, so we looked at each purchase as something separate, discrete, in order that we could deny that we were, in fact, spending anywhere from $500-1000 or more to see one band--granted, The Band--but one band. We're not kids anymore--most of us have them, in fact--and this is mortgage/braces/car payment money. This was a very big deal.

So this unexpected e-mail shows up in our sleepy boxes this morning that Blows Up Our Outside World. Another show. What?? How?? Where??

How to tell what colors are on sale at the hardware store...

The location is The Vic in Chicago, a venue which is quite possibly the most garishly decorated theater I have ever seen--and I've seen a few--that holds a mere 1300 rabid fans. You register for a drawing which, if you win, gives you the chance to buy one pair (and only one pair) of tickets.

Experienced music stalkers know the full value of the "small venue." It is something that those of us who continued to follow Chris Cornell through the various stages of his solo career came to treasure above all else. No tiny panorama of a tiny stage 1/2 mile away accessed only via binoculars or Jumbotrons--no, here you were in the front row, every time, no exception, watching Chris' fingers trip lovingly over his acoustic guitar, wishing you could reach over and tie those boots you were sure he would trip on, holding hands with the man over this song or that, and finally, if you were really lucky, making your way backstage with a few others to stutter your "thank you"s to the band, and the Man. You would never forget the color of his eyes.

Following the e-mail was pure chaos. Hundreds of thousands of fans jammed the lines to register for the chance to buy a pair of tickets. The drawing would not be announced until Friday, July 30, at which point you spent the last money you did not have for a show you had no way to get to, as nearly everyone fell into two camps: a) Those with plans already set for Chicago, nearly all landing after the newly-announced show, or b) Those who had accepted that they could not afford Lollapalooza and everything it entailed, but who were now tempted once again with a one-off concert in the middle of the week, not associated with Perry Farrell's money-making machine.

Anew, agonizing decisions to make. Travel plans to change for expensive fees, new travel plans for those who had passed first time around, work/kid/life conflicts that you thought you'd settled already brought up again.

Did anyone think of saying no? Of not registering? I can say that I thought of it. Closed the pop-up window twice when I couldn't get in due to traffic, thinking, I cannot pull this off too, not on top of the Biggest Circus of the Summer. But in the end, I relented, half-laughing as everyone did at the disclaimer that "if you live in Slovenia and really, really, really want to go, but there's no frickin' way you're flying all the way to Chicago for the show, don't make it harder for someone who can attend by putting in a request." What did SG have against Slovenians, anyway?

I think it is safe to say that if anyone examined the GNP percentage just for today, a distinct drop would be uncovered. Hundreds of thousands of Cornell/SG fans lost the ability to complete a full sentence by 10 a.m. CST, much less actually retain enough focus to work. I am amazed that FB and Twitter traffic over this news did not crash Wall Street itself.

In the end, exhausted by possibilities, the fans ran out of steam, and heart rates once again resumed their normal rates. But I can guarantee you that we should all be braced for a re-run of today's emotional hurricane around the same time Friday morning, when the winners are notified. E-mails will fly faster than Midwest mosquitoes, and $130,000 (plus convenience fees) will be collectively spent in the space of a few short minutes.

Who will join "Vic's 1300 Club?"

All we can do is wait.

Read more!

Reconciliation

Chris Cornell on the cover of Louder Than Love

Every year gives us new challenges. Some we bring on ourselves as New Year's resolutions, while others jump out of nowhere. Sometimes it is a combination of both.

I did not formally write down any resolutions (easier to "bend" them that way) but I did make some. Weight and health are up there, of course, but I feel I have a jump on both of those going vegetarian (and cutting back on dairy) as well as a fair amount of weight lost due to the stresses of November and December. I'd just like to keep those both rolling. Writing is also way up there, but that is as daunting as ever.

I noticed several friends on Facebook have decided to cut back on swearing. That made the devil in me laugh, as it never even crossed my mind how I still swear like a drunken welder. So fuck that one. I think the hope of my ever turning into something "ladylike" is quite extinguished, so let's not waste any effort there. As Bette Midler would say, "Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke." Or a little profanity.

As for the angel in me (there actually is a small one) I am still determined to find a way to keep helping The Brooke as well as raising awareness (my own, if nothing else) on many other issues, among them women's rights in SO many areas of the world as listed with no blinders in the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. On the American front I have renewed my pledge to help eliminate CAFOs (confined animal factory operations)--or at least convince one or two people that they actually do exist. I am signing on with the Humane Society to help them with that, as they are doing good work in that area.

So what obstacles to charity could there possibly be? Well, money is a big one. Still waiting for B of A's verdict on my mortgage adjustment, and from what I have read EVERYwhere, they let people have the three month reduction then pull the carpet out from under you, cancel the deal, and demand the difference for the three months back immediately. I am bracing for that, and will deal with it when it happens. So there may be a drafty 90 year-old Colonial on the market this spring. I sincerely hope not, since I haven't seen a house sell in Columbus in my neighborhood in two years. If I actually thought it would sell, I would be that bothered about it.

A less typical obstacle came in the form of what a rock music lover would herald as absolutely and unequivacally fantastic news as 2010 arrived: Soundgarden has reunited after 12 years of being apart. (Insert multiple OMG!!!s here.) I last saw them 14 years ago on their last Lollapalooza tour. The show was at the Gorge at George outside of Seattle. Cornell's voice was shot, the set was barely an hour, and my companion and I were about a mile from the stage--but it was Soundgarden.

Since I can never just enjoy good news for what it is, I immediately had three major misgivings upon hearing this joyous news. Misgiving #1--I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed the small, personal venues that Chris Cornell has been playing as a solo artist for the last decade. There is no thrill like resting your elbows on the stage as Chris bends down to serenade you. None. Not even meeting him afterwards, where he and the band go through the motions of yet another boring (for them) Meet & Greet can match the adrenaline rush of connecting with him during a performance.

Now that he and the boys are together again, there is very little likelihood of resting my elbows (comfortably, anyway) on the stage. No, we're going to go back to guard rails 6 feet or more from Cornell's boots, body guards everywhere, and backstage passes are going to be at a fucking premium. So I will treasure my memories of basking in Cornell's spittle and wait until the boys get tired of each other again.

Then there is Misgiving #2. Ticket prices. Not that Cornell was cheap, but again, you got a whole lotta bang for your buck. Now picture minimum $100/day tickets for Coachella (where water is at least $4/bottle), not to mention airline tix to LA if you happen to live in the Midwest. I can't justify it, no matter how I look at it. Even following Foo Fighters to three states in 2008 I was able to do by car and with work-related gift certificates for hotels. So I will have to grit my teeth to nubbins as I watch my SG cohorts follow the boys wherever they go--short of overseas (even they have their limits ;o). Envy will drip from me like sweat at Coachella.

Misgiving #3 is that I can't reconcile spending any penny I raise to see SG when that money--if indeed it could be raised--should go to the charities I say I am so loyal to. How many concerts do Congolese refugees enjoy every year? Let's make it less drastic--how many concerts does the average Egyptian get to each year? OK--still too stiff a comparison. How many movies does the average Egyptian woman go to each year? Not the Westernized woman with money and status--the rural woman who spends all day taking care of children, livestock and crops. You get the point.

So, still being your average self-centered, privileged American, my idea is a band aid for the conscience: Whatever I spend on a musical outing, I must spend an equal amount on one of my charities. If I can't raise enough to cover both--I don't go.

And right out of the gate Rickie Lee Jones decides to stop by our intimate Barrymore Theatre on February 23. $35 (plus fees) for my soft-hearted icon, and $35 (plus fees) to The Brooke. No market for selling guinea pigs anymore, so I'll have to come up with something else. At least I didn't have to START with facing a Soundgarden arena show. I'm going to need a little time to work up to that.

And we'll just see how it goes from there. Read more!