With the news exploding within Washington State, so does the sales of Ultramega OK's album. By April 9, 1981, Sub Pop Inc's staff already tallied some increase in purchases made within the local state. With some increase to nearby states around Washington.
And on that exact day, April 9 and 11, 1981 at Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Amphitheater), Chris Cornell performed his 2nd opener show for Ozzy Osbourne. And at the start of his show, the crowd was initially hesitant but at the end, they were quickly captivated.
The Chicago crowd, known for its loyalty to classic hard rock and metal, was wary of a teenage opener. But by the midpoint of Chris Cornell's set, his raw emotional delivery and explosive screams had the floor crowd leaning forward. "That kid can scream like Plant but cries like he means it," one fan told a local zine. By April 11, he was already being cheered during intros.
As for James, he just enjoyed reaping the rewards from the systems.
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 60%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 9,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $540,000 MONEY BAG!]
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 90%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 9,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $810,000 MONEY BAG!]
'Damn, I am so overpowered, and my power is MONEY!'
He could not contain himself so he treated everyone in the crew to a good restaurant, wasting a good amount of $1,000.
—--------------------------------------NEXT SCENE--------------------------------------------------------
April 13, 14 and 15, 1981 at New York City, New York (Madison Square Garden). The whole team travelled for hours after doing Chicago. And when the show ended, it was an explosive reception, especially by the third night.
It was known that New York crowds were notoriously hard to impress, but Chris Cornell's gritty, soul-drenched voice pierced through. Night one had people clapping cautiously. By the third night, chants of "COR-NELL!" broke out in the front rows. Local press compared his intensity to Jim Morrison and Ian Curtis.
Even Ozzy Osbourne, who watched the crowd energized after Chris Cornell's performance was also upping up his own game and giving it his all.
Again for James, he received three rewards from the system.
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 40%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 18,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $720,000 MONEY BAG!]
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 75%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 18,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $1,350,000 MONEY BAG!]
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 95%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 18,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $1,710,000 MONEY BAG!]
'I am getting numbed to this. But in a good way.' James smirked thinking about how rich he has become just because of the system. He was even questioned by some Sub Pop Inc. staff if he was doing good.
'Time to treat everyone again!'
And so, he spent another $1,000 to the whole group and everyone enjoyed their night before departing to Boston, Massachusetts.
—--------------------------------------NEXT SCENE--------------------------------------------------------
April 17, 1981 at Boston, Massachusetts (Boston Garden). Chris Cornell's opening performance could be summed up as "Wildly Energetic". During the performance, Boston fans responded with a mix of mosh-pit energy and vocal praise. Ultramega OK tracks like All Your Lies and Beyond the Wheel triggered spontaneous crowd movement. One underground journalist called him "the ghost of rock's future, screaming through the fog."
More and more media outlets were already noticing Chris Cornell's fame.
And James kept reaping them rewards on the side.
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 98%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 15,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $1,470,000 MONEY BAG!]
'98%!? Damn, Boston sure has some rock in them in this era, huh?' James wondered.
—--------------------------------------NEXT SCENE--------------------------------------------------------
April 20, 1981 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Spectrum). The whole team arrived in Pennsylvania the day before and did the usual soundchecks. On the night of the show, James, Joseph Kennedy Sr. and Chris Cornell were given a surprising approval from the crowd. Philly's blue-collar audience embraced the authenticity. Fans cheered mid-song after long vocal runs. "This ain't no warm-up act!" one man yelled, earning nods and many raised beers from the pit.
At the end of the show, Chris Cornell and his bandmates were so spent, they immediately went to sleep after a few beers.
James saw these and just smiled at the bunch, he was so used to them drinking, he did not forbid Chris Cornell to not drink, at 16 years old, he knew Chris Cornell went to some dark places before he met him. As long as Chris Cornell does his vocal practices with his hired coach and does proper rests, he would survive the tour.
And as usual, after the show, James received his reward from the system.
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 96%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 18,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $1,728,000 MONEY BAG!]
When he looked at the money bag reward, he just shook his head and thought, 'I wish I had this system in my previous life.' He sighed thinking about it.
—--------------------------------------NEXT SCENE--------------------------------------------------------
April 21 and 22, 1981 at Washington, D.C. (Capital Centre). The whole crew arrived in the morning and went to the stage after breakfast to do soundchecks. When the show began, the crowd were politely observant, but at the end, they were all deeply impressed. The first night was polite applause, but Chris Cornell's stage presence built momentum. The second night saw multiple standing ovations from seated sections. Local critics wrote that "the Capitol heard a new kind of American roar."
After the show, the crew went back to rest, drinking has become quite a habit, but with an exercise bicycle in tow, as well as dumbbells, Chris Cornell was kept to a minimum healthy regimen. Good thing, their CEO Joseph Kennedy Sr, kept on feeding them nutritious meals.
James, on the other hand, was the one who handed over extra money to spend for the crew.
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 51%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 18,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $918,000 MONEY BAG!]
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 89%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 18,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $1,602,000 MONEY BAG!]
—--------------------------------------NEXT SCENE--------------------------------------------------------
April 23, 1981 at Atlanta, Georgia (Atlanta Municipal Auditorium). The show was full of intense curiosity and growing admiration from the crowd. Southern rock fans were intrigued. The stripped-down performance and haunting vocals drew comparisons to a young Gregg Allman fused with Black Sabbath-era darkness. Small groups in the crowd were singing choruses by set's end of the set.
[CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ARTIST'S SUCCESSFUL SHOW!]
[AUDIENCE APPROVAL RATING: 69%]
[AUDIENCE SIZE: 5,000~]
[YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED A $345,000 MONEY BAG!]
'That is still a good reception.' James thought.