Seattle rock royalty reunited for a cause Saturday night when the surviving members of Soundgarden performed a raucous six-song set under the moniker Nudedragons at the Showbox as part of the 13th annual SMooCH benefit concert.
It was a night those in attendance will forever remember as Shaina Shepherd assertively fronted the powerhouse band with passion, intensity and flair paying respect to the late Chris Cornell while also adding her own stamp on the songs he helped create. It’s rare for the surviving members of Soundgarden — Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd and Kim Thayil — to play together, the last time being at a Brandi Carlile show in 2021. Based off the smiles from each member throughout the 25-minute set it was clear they were enjoying their time together onstage together.
For her part, Shepherd breathed new life into the material while respecting the legacy of Soundgarden. Her vocal prowess was impressive and while nobody can match Cornell’s talents, if she were to take the helm of Nudedragons permanently she’s a more than capable substitution for the golden god of grunge.
The group dug deep into the Soundgarden catalog for their set, starting things off with “Hunted Down” Soundgarden’s first single originally released in 1987. It was followed by “Outshined,” the song during which Shepherd’s star shined the brightest and her vocals soared the highest. “Flower,” the first track off “Ultraomega OK” was next and the heavy drone of “Beyond The Wheel” also made the setlist.
The all-too-brief set ended with the punked-up one-two punch of “Kickstand” from “Superunknown” and a cover of MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams.” Hometown boy Duff McKagan, bassist for Guns N’ Roses, joined the band on guitar and vocals for both songs.
There’s no telling what the future holds for the remaining members of Soundgarden, but fingers crossed Nudedragons featuring Shaina Shepherd is proof of concept there’s demand for Soundgarden’s music to be heard again and that it can be done well without Cornell. But if this was a one-off pairing it was one for the history books that left everyone in attendance wanting more.
McKagan also performed a set of songs as part of the benefit. Earlier in the evening he and his band — drummer Mike Musburger, guitarists Tim DiJulio and Jeff Fielder, and bassist Mike Squires — played a set of McKagan originals and covers of songs by Guns N’ Roses, David Bowie, The Stooges and Johnny Cash.
Nudedragons weren’t the only reunited act on the bill. Before McKagan’s set, Sebadoh played a reunion set of sorts. The band’s 45-minute performance of lo-fi garage rock was the band’s first show together in five years. Also on the bill was Built To Spill frontman Doug Marstch who delivered a solo set.
Prior to the Nudedragons set, KEXP DJ John Richards announced the event raised a total of $2.2 million for uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. You can donate to the cause at the SMooCH website.
Featured image photo credit: Niffer Calderwood
