One of the most exhilarating songs in Soundgarden’s discography is the 1991 cut “Rusty Cage” from Badmotorfinger. The song still exhibited the bands earlier Sub Pop rawness while offering alternative rock fans a glimpse into the melodicism that would catapult the band to platinum records.
Tonight as part of the massive I Am The Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell event at The Forum in Inglewood, Josh Homme took the stage to offer his take on the track. Much like the bluesy version that Johnny Cash recorded for his 1996 record Unchained, Homme slows the pace way down, giving it more of a dirge-like quality. Check out videos of the performance below:
Josh Homme – Rusty Cage pic.twitter.com/P2bJpJ3iry
— Alternative Nation (@AltNationNet) January 17, 2019
El sonido de la guitarra lo pone Josh Homme de @qotsa en el tributo a @chriscornell Radioacktiva en Los Angeles @karensalazarc #Rockactividad #IAmTheHighWay pic.twitter.com/HTdztUpHqt
— Radioacktiva (@Radioacktiva_) January 17, 2019
For comparison’s sake, here’s the original. After that, the cover of by Johnny Cash: