August 2, 1981.
Day on the Green #2.
The Oakland Coliseum was baking under the afternoon sun, that kinda heat where your shirt sticks to your back five minutes after you put it on. The air smelled like warm beer and sunscreen, and the crowd was a mess of Kansas t-shirts and UFO denim jackets, classic '81 rock fan chaos.
Nobody really knew yet that Gamma had been swapped out. Nobody expected some 16 year old kid from Seattle to walk out instead. But the rumors had been swirling, some wild shit about a teenage freak who'd opened for Ozzy, a voice like a chainsaw dipped in honey. The fanzines called him "the kid with the golden scream."
Then the lights kicked on.
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With all the Sub Pop Inc staff present backstage, including James. Chris Cornell smiled at them then he and his sessionist band members stormed the front stage and got into their positions and instruments.
First, Chris Cornell started the stage with "Hand of God" from the extended play (EP) Screaming Life/Fopp. It was a slow, thunderous opening. Feedback echoed as Chris Cornell stood alone at the mic, head down. When he sang the first guttural note, half sermon, half scream, the crowd jolted.
Audience reaction was a mix of stunned silence and scattered cheers. A biker in the pit shouted, "What the hell is this?"
Kansas' guitarist backstage also noted, "That voice... it's not human."
The first song ended with a bang and shock!
Quickly, Chris Cornell and his band members started the next song after some short "Hello's" to the crowd.
It was "Beyond the Wheel" from the Ultramega OK album. The band launched into this doom-laden juggernaut. Chris Cornell's high-register wails soared into the upper deck.
The audience's hands were raised up in the air, they were unsure whether to headbang or run, which was quite funny to James when he saw it.
'Damn, this is Chris Cornell with proper training and support in his youth huh? I guess labels before did not know how to tap his latent talent in the 80s. But I will make sure he reach the peak of his vocal prowess in this new timeline.'
As for UFO's drummer, he complained in awe and said "He's a damn banshee. We're following this?"
After the 2nd song, the band paused a bit to have the crowd catch their breaths and then started the 3rd song "Hunted Down" from Screaming Life/Fopp extended play (EP). It was a fast, lean, and mean song. The punk edge sliced through the arena. Teens near the front formed a pit, unofficial, and spontaneous. The security even scrambled to just make sure nothing goes wrong.
One middle-aged Kansas fan even said while in the pitting crowd, "What is this... punk Sabbath?"
As for 38 Special roadie, it noted "He's not just screaming. There's purpose in that madness."
It was far from over, the 4th song followed. It was "All Your Lies" from the Ultramega OK album. Chris Cornell paced like a caged animal, with his fists clenched. The bluesy grit and sarcastic sneering hit hard to the crowd.
The crowd went from mid to loudest response yet. They even went to do chants of "COR-NELL! COR-NELL!" and it erupted!
REO's keyboardist backstage was shocked by the 1st act! He uttered, "Gamma who?"
The 5th song entered, given with less than 30 minutes to perform, Chris Cornell and his sessionist band members started. It was "Tears to Forget" from Screaming Life/Fopp extended play (EP). A more melodic moment, but still rough around the edges. Chris Cornell's voice broke intentionally in the chorus. It was raw, it was vulnerable!
The crowd created a mass of arms crossing folks, while some remained transfixed. An REO fan in her 30s wipes her eyes!
Not waiting for a long pause, Chris Cornell shouted the next song. It was "Nothing to Say" from the Ultramega OK album. It was an emotional apex. A brooding intro that exploded into pure frustration. Chris Cornell climbed a riser mid-song and lets out a howl that silences the entire venue for a second.
Bill Graham, arms folded in a VIP box and uttered a word, "…Damn."
The UFO's vocalist even worriedly said to their manager, "Tell Graham we're not following that unless the lights dim!"
After the set, Chris Cornell thanked the audience and they left the stage. However, after a few moments the crow kept chanting Chris Cornell's name with the addition of the word "Encore".
Bill Graham and the staff of the event had no choice but to allow one more song in before the next act began.
"Tell Joseph that we allow one more song, it's up to Chris Cornell." He told his staff to relay the message from the VIP Box.
When the staff told Joseph Kennedy Sr about Bill Graham's order, He quickly called in Chris Cornell and the band members for one more song. They all agreed with smiles on their faces and went to the stage quickly. The crowd went nuts when they saw Chris Cornell walka back to the mic!
"They gave us 30 minutes. So we're gonna steal one more… just for you." He said into the mic.
He nodded at the band members, and they dove right into the final song. It was the song called "Fopp" a Ohio Players cover song from their Screaming Life/Fopp extended play (EP). Chirs Cornell flipped the funk classic into a thrashed-out, post-punk chaos fest. A final, crowd-loosening number that won even the doubters.
The crowd reactions were amazing! It was a standing ovation from half the bowl while the other half was still processing, but no one was silent.