The three surviving members of Soundgarden reunited on Saturday night (December 14th) to perform at the SMooCH benefit concert to raise money for Seattle Children’s Hospital. Guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron, and bassist Ben Shepherd were fronted by singer Shaina Shepherd for the six-song set at the Showbox, with Duff McKagan joining in on a couple of tunes.
The Soundgarden members’ performance was only announced 10 days ago, as they joined a lineup that already included McKagan, Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch, and Sebadoh (first show in five years). They were billed as Nudedragons (an anagram of Soundgarden).
The six-song performance was mostly comprised of tunes from Soundgarden’s early releases, including “Flower” and “Beyond the Wheel” from debut album Ultramega OK; “Hunted Down” from the Screaming Life EP; Badmotoringer‘s “Outshined”; and Superunknown‘s “Kickstand,” featuring additional vocals from McKagan. The Guns N’ Roses bassist also stuck around for the final song of the set, a cover of the MC5 classic “Kick Out the Jams.”
The last time all three surviving members of Soundgarden performed together is when they made a surprise appearance at Brandi Carlile’s concert at the Gorge Amphitheatre in 2021, where they played “Black Hole Sun” and “Searching With My Good Eye Closed.”
Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell tragically took his own life in May 2017. Thayil, Cameron, and Shepherd also performed together at a 2019 tribute to the late singer.
Watch fan-filmed footage of the Nudedragons (aka Soundgarden) set at the SMooCH benefit show below. Donations to the Seattle Children’s Hospital can be made at this location.
Setlist:
Hunted Down (w/ Shaina Shepherd)
Outshined (w/ Shaina Shepherd)
Flower (w/ Shaina Shepherd)
Beyond the Wheel (w/ Shaina Shepherd)
Kickstand (w/ Shaina Shepherd and Duff McKagan)
Kick Out the Jams (MC5 cover w/ Shaina Shepherd and Duff McKagan)
