SoulShine

Layne before Unplugged. 30 years ago today.

30 years ago today.
April 10, 1996

Alice in Chains recorded their MTV Unplugged set at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Majestic Theatre in New York.The show was aired on May 28th of the same year

Lights are dimmed but everything’s clearly visible. Long, white candles dress the scenery in shaking shadows. The sense of anticipation is so tangible that almost felt physically. Then, on the stage of Brooklyn Academy of Music, here they come; long-haired, tall musicians. Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, Scott Olson, Sean Kinney. At the end, the vocalist Layne Staley — with pink hair, dark shades and a shy smile. With no welcoming or warning, Alice in Chains starts their legendary concert, Unplugged.

Alice in Chains Unplugged is a beautiful, musical-theatrical show; the characters know their roles perfectly well; with some moments of natural improvisation, spicing up the songs (loved by the crowd!). The scenery is perfectly synchronized with the atmosphere around; not showing off too much but highlighting what needs to be discovered and experienced. Above all, the performance is a unique music feast.

Starting with the first song, though, Alice in Chains don’t merely squeak out a show. They blow everyone’s expectations out of the water. The intimate venue shines a light on the reunited group’s dynamic, camaraderie, and sense of humor. The stripped-down format allows the songwriting and musicianship to take center stage, as it did on their largely acoustic EPs Sap, from 1992, and Jar of Flies. Unplugged is a natural fit. Staley and the band—Cantrell, Inez, and Kinney, plus Scott Olson, the rhythm guitarist for the evening—deliver one stellar song after another.

📸 Frank Micelotta

March 28, 1994: "The Division Bell" the fourteenth studio album by Pink Floyd is released.

Happy birthday to Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

Happy birthday to the one and only David Gilmour.

Do it!!!!

Happy heavenly birthday to George Harrison of the Beatles.
✌️🫶🤘