On Wednesday night, Mike McCready treated the national anthem as a guitar showcase, and Seattle sports fans received a complete grunge history lesson in the process.
A rendition of the anthem was given by the Pearl Jam guitarist before the NFL Kickoff game featuring the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Lumen Field. It followed a moment of silence held at the venue to mark the thousands of lives lost in the terror attacks 25 years earlier.
The founding member and lead guitarist of Pearl Jam let his instrument carry the weight of the performance. McCready pushed the volume to 11, and his rendition of the anthem was nothing short of extraordinary.
McCready’s Anthem Statement
The anthem performance set the tone for a night that celebrated Seattle’s place in rock history. Grunge was born in Seattle, and it never really left. Wednesday’s game made that clear.
McCready didn’t just play the anthem — he ripped through it with the kind of fretwork that has made him one of rock’s most distinctive guitarists. The performance was a statement, one that would have made Jimi Hendrix smile.
“The Marshall stacks were turned up again at halftime, when another Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Soundgarden, stepped into play.” — Billboard
Soundgarden Returns With Momsen On Vocals
Another Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee came forward during the halftime show. Soundgarden stepped onto the stage, bringing McCready along on guitar while the Pretty Reckless frontwoman Taylor Momsen took over the singing.
The set included a medley of two Soundgarden classics:
- “Outshined”
- “Spoonman”
Since singer Chris Cornell’s death in May 2017, at age 52, Momsen has stepped in to perform with the band on more than one occasion.
The band has a long history with her. Last November, Momsen filled in for Cornell at Soundgarden’s Rock Hall induction, singing their hits “Rusty Cage” and “Black Hole Sun.”. Before that, she had already appeared with them at the “I Am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell” benefit in January 2019, at the Forum in Los Angeles.
Since Cornell’s death, Momsen has filled in for tribute shows and made special appearances, and the halftime performance added another chapter to that ongoing relationship.
A New Soundgarden Album Is Coming
Soundgarden is preparing for a return to performing, and the halftime appearance arrives while the band works on an album that gathers the last set of songs recorded with Cornell.
Matt Cameron, who plays drums for the band, has confirmed that the remaining members are currently working on mixing tracks recorded with producer Terry Date. The record is set to feature eight songs.
The material for the record comes from demos the group’s members started building in 2013 and 2014, then picked back up in 2015 and 2016, prior to their last tour with Cornell in 2017, Cameron explained.
The release serves as both a farewell and a tribute, since these are the final recordings to feature Cornell’s voice.
McCready’s Rock Opera Project
McCready has been busy beyond his NFL appearances. The guitarist has been steadily working on a rock opera tribute to his band’s 1990s grunge heyday with his multimedia project Farewell to Seasons.
Next month, the project will release deluxe editions alongside a Platinum graphic novel package, and both will arrive with a soundtrack containing new and original songs made by McCready.
The graphic novel aspect gives Farewell to Seasons a story-driven dimension beyond its musical content, turning it into a distinct creative endeavor for McCready.
For quite some while now, this undertaking has been under construction as a mark of respect toward the period that shaped his career. It was the grunge movement of the 1990s that placed Seattle on the musical map, with McCready continuing to serve as one of its most prominent representatives.
The Seahawks Win The Night
The ball did not disappoint. The Seahawks came away with a narrow victory against the Patriots during the NFL Kickoff, winning 13-10 at home.
Seattle fans got it all on the night: a stirring rendition of the national anthem, a throwback halftime show, and an opening-week triumph for the league’s reigning champions. The Patriots, meanwhile, left town with a loss in the season’s first weekend of action.
The Pregame Concert
The night began even earlier with a pregame event. The Seahawks hosted a Salute 250 Kickoff Concert featuring Luke Bryan, which took place three hours before kick-off.
Country music became part of what the audience was offered during the show.
The combination of Bryan’s set, McCready’s anthem and the Soundgarden halftime show made for a full evening of music around the football game itself. Seattle’s reputation as a music city was on full display.
Seattle’s Musical Legacy Lives On
Wednesday’s events underscored the lasting influence of the grunge movement that emerged from Seattle in the early 1990s. The city birthed some of rock’s most important bands, and their music continues to resonate.
Both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden came from the Seattle scene and became internationally famous. Their ongoing work — McCready’s solo projects, Soundgarden’s upcoming record — preserves that legacy.
Momsen’s appearance as a guest singer shows how far this music reaches across generations. A younger artist taking over for Cornell proves these songs keep resonating with fresh listeners.
Wednesday night served as a reminder for Seattle fans of what their city has produced for music, while the rest of the country got a lesson in that history through two powerful performances and a hometown victory.
The Seahawks’ 13-10 victory was the final word on the field. But the music was the story of the night.
Source: billboard.com
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