Dream Theater Show Us How NOT to Honor Chris Cornell’s Legacy
Dream Theater have never been a "cool" band. Really, calling them a "good" band might even be a stretch for most people. But between the obnoxiously complicated time signatures, soft boy solos that make Rush sound hard and a real keen ear for self-complications, not many people have ever called DT a "dumb" band. That is, until the band recently decided to honor the late Chris Cornell by playing a cover of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun." Looking past the fact that covering a band's most popular song is totally corny, singer James LaBrie completely fucks up the song, realizing he forgot the entirety of the second verse before the keyboard guy stalls for time.
Here's the thing: No one is being forced to do a Soundgarden cover. Despite the recent conversation about Cornell's legacy, it's totally OK to not be a fan of Soundgarden or his work. But if you're going to go up onstage and try to honor somebody's memory, the least you can do is remember the words to one of the biggest rock songs of the past 20-plus years, instead of coming across like an opportunistic carny trying to get an emotional rise out of the crowd.