SoundgardenWorld.com New Yorkers had the opportunity to see Soundgarden play at the very intimate Ed Sullivan Theater as part of the ‘Live on Letterman’ concert series. Soungarden are out in promotion of ‘King Animal,’ their first album in 16 years, and they kicked off the night with new tracks ‘Worse Dreams’ and ‘By Crooked Steps.’ Seven out of the 10 songs they played were off of ‘King Animal’ which gave fans a first listen at hearing the new tunes in a live setting. It took a while for the crowd to warm up, as many were hearing these songs for the first time, but the enthusiasm built pulled out some classics such as ‘Incessant Mace,’ ‘Beyond the Wheel’ and ‘Fell on Black Days.’ Soundgarden sounded flawless as Cornell’s vocal range took our ears to an entirely new level. The serious shredding skills of guitarist Kim Thayil is mind blowing when you see him perform live, and the booming bass of Ben Shepherd and steady beats from drummer Matt Cameron topped it all off. During the performance Cornell, joked that that David Letterman was managing them now. Earlier in the evening, while they were taping their appearance on CBS ‘Late Show,’ host David Letterman told the band after their performance that he’d like to manage the band. Cornell went on to quip that the band is not doing any more small gigs, only Madison Square Garden from now on. That joke didn’t last long, since right after ‘Live on Letterman,’ Cornell did in fact play a “small gig,” for a big cause. Cornell performed a solo set which was a benefit show for Hurricane Sandy victims at Bowery Ballroom. In a surprise, he was joined by his Soundgarden bandmates during that gig. Soundgarden’s takeover of New York City continues tonight (Nov. 13) with a gig at Irving Plaza. Check Out Soundgarden’s ‘Live On Letterman’ Set ‘Live On Letterman’ Set list: 1. Worse Dreams 2. By Crooked Steps 3. Incessant Mace 4. Beyond the Wheel 5. Taree 6. A Thousand Days Before 7. Eyelid’s Mouth 8. Non-State Actor 9. Fell on Black Days 10. Rowing