At the same time, the search for live musicians intensified from the label's side. Joseph Kennedy Sr. coordinated auditions. A local drummer and two guitarists from the underground scene in Aberdeen were brought in. Rehearsals began immediately after the recording sessions. It was three times a week, Chris Cornell stood with his new bandmates under moody lighting, running through setlists.
Photoshoots captured Chris Cornell in his now-polished persona. Fanzines, cassette layouts, and posters were prepared with these visuals. The press kit, complete with a handwritten bio, quotes from the team, and selected lyrics, was printed and packaged.
He also underwent mock radio interviews in a small studio setup created at James's home. He practiced holding conversations, dodging awkward questions, and keeping his cool.
By the second week of November 1980, the team organized a secret showcase gig in a smoky bar in Westport City. The audience was small, mostly fishermen, music scouts, friends of Sub Pop Inc., and select journalists.
As soon as the bar announcer called in the performer of the small stage called "Chris Cornell", the 16 year old Chris Cornell, dressed in his early grunge fashion, stepped in to the middle of the small stage along with the hired guitarists and drummer.
He grabbed the mic and said "Hey. I am Chris. Thanks for showing up."
And then he added, "We have been working on something loud, heavy, and maybe a little weird. Hope you are into it."
After talking, he looked back to his band members and nodded to them.
While communicating with his band members, the audience were in light chatter, beer were clinking, and some were with curiosity in mind.
Then he faced the audience again and said, "This one's called Flower."
The band started with the instrumental part. The first riff kicks in, sharp, melodic, moody. And then he sang the first song. His controlled low vocals caught the audiences off guard.
And by his first scream, the room jolted. Audiences started to freeze mid-sip. The band was so tight, the sound was big, clean and heavy, very good for a bar stage.
After the song, a stunned hush hangs over the room. At the final part of the song, there was a mix of cheers and "what the hell was that?" looks around the bar.
Someone near the back even shouted, "Holy shit! That kid can sing!".
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"Yeah... that was the soft one, in my opinion." Chris Cornell smiled at the audience, who were easily captivated by his first song performance.
And then he continued, "This next one is about being lied to. Or lying to yourself. Either way, it is called All Your Lies."
It was a faster, angrier, more aggressive style of music. His stage presence increased, head turns, pacing, and more screams. Then, the guitarist shredded his guitar playing with no fear. The whole band looked possessed as fuck!
During the performance of the song, audiences' heads start bobbing. Some front-row teens nodded along. An older man muttered, "This is not Led Zeppelin, but damn, it is something.".
One girl near the bar raised a lighter halfway, awkward but she seemed quite supportive of Chris Cornell's performance.
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Skipping the shorter songs like 665 and 667, Chris Cornell continued with the "Beyond the Wheel" song.
A haunting intro surrounded the bar. His falsetto rose like a ghost. The band kept it slow and doomy, just like Black Sabbath's pacing, but more emotional.
The chorus scream sent chills throughout the bar crowd!
Many were with wide-eyed stares. A couple of older rock fans looked at each other, dead serious, "This kid's got pipes!". The room was completely still at the end of the song.
Then Chris Cornell smiled at the audience's quiet reaction, "That song is not about dying. Not exactly. It is about being stuck."
"Next one's called Mood for Trouble. If it fits, wear it." He added.
Then, a slower tempo, eerie groove echoed from the stage throughout the bar. He showed soul and control in his voice. He clutched the mic like a bluesman, eyes closed.
During and after the song, the audience reacted. They were all quiet and in awe. A few people swayed in rhythm as well. The hecklers are gone, either converted or out-smoked by Chris Cornell's voice.
And then, the first real applause swelled at the end, genuine and unforced.
Seeing the reactions inside the bar, James and Joseph Kennedy Sr. smiled at each other knowing that the performance so far was received quite well.
Chris then said after a brief pause, "If you're not sure what we are saying... good.".
"Music is not always about answers. Sometimes it is just the noise you can bleed to." He inhaled and exhaled, then shouted "Let's go!".
After shouting, what came next was a wild, almost punk screaming, it was a chaotic tempo, unrelenting even.
A couple of younger punks near the pool table started moshing lightly making Chris Cornell smile.
And then, a bottle dropped and shattered. Someone yelled, "Let's go!" and started joining the small mosh pit.
The mood shifted, the debut show was becoming a small movement, not a novelty anymore.
After the song finished playing, Chris Cornell played it cool, paced the delivery, but was still intense. He started the song "He Didn't" immediately without introducing it to the small audience in the bar that was already starting to get rowdy.
And so, his vocals shifted between hollow and furious. When the audience heard the new song, more of them pressed forward!
Murmurs around the bar, outside the mosh pit, were already echoing, asking, "What was his name again? Cornell?"
Even the bartender stopped wiping the glasses and started to actually watch the performance of Chris Cornell and his band mates.