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Chris Cornell tour a ‘surreal’ experience for musician Bhi Bhiman

What: Chris Cornell with Bhi Bhiman When: Tuesday, 8 p.m. Where: Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria Tickets: Sold out (a small number of holds will be released one hour before showtime.
Bhi Bhiman 2.jpg
Bhi Bhiman makes no apologies for being “all over the map” musically.

What: Chris Cornell with Bhi Bhiman

When: Tuesday, 8 p.m.

Where: Farquhar Auditorium, University of Victoria

Tickets: Sold out (a small number of holds will be released one hour before showtime. They will be available at the UVic Ticket Centre only)

 

Many thousands of kilometres separate Seattle from St. Louis, Mo. It’s a distance that would take nearly two days to travel by car, yet the gap felt inconsequential for Missouri-bred singer-songwriter Bhi Bhiman, whose favourite music growing up was that of seminal Seattle acts Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.

He was especially attached to the latter group, heavier and sludgier than its counterparts but equally melodic. “Soundgarden was such a big influence on me when I was teenager, in terms of playing guitar,” Bhiman said. “I liked Nirvana and Pearl Jam, but I like Soundgarden the best.”

Bhiman admitted to feeling somewhat anxious Tuesday as he chatted from San Diego, where — hours later — he would be on stage as the opening act for Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell.

It marked the first date of a six-week tour with Cornell, and Bhiman, 31, could scarcely believe his situation. “It’s an honour for sure, and surreal,” Bhiman said. “I haven’t seen him yet, so I’ll believe it when I see it. This could all be a hoax.”

He first met Cornell last year, when both were appearing on the popular U.K. show Later with Jools Holland. Soundgarden was touring at the time in support of its comeback album, King Animal, but news was afoot that Cornell would be going back out on another Songbook solo acoustic tour, similar to the one which brought the Seattle legend to a sold-out Royal Theatre in 2011.

Bhiman later received a call from Cornell’s management asking him to be the opener on the run of Songbook dates, which he graciously accepted. The two performers are appearing Tuesday at the University of Victoria’s Farquhar Auditorium, tickets to which sold out 45 minutes after going on sale in early August.

Though it would appear he simply fell into the tour of his life, there’s plenty of evidence to support Cornell’s faith in Bhiman.

His second record, last year’s Bhiman, is a showcase for his spectacular, pitch-shifting voice, a versatile instrument that has captivated audiences ever since Bhiman moved to Santa Cruz, Calif., from St. Louis more than a decade ago.

He got his feet wet on the touring circuit with rock group Hippie Grenade after moving to San Francisco in 2002.

He eventually went solo in 2008, after having his fill of Black Sabbath and AC/DC riffs. At this point, he discovered his voice, having played only guitar up to that point in is career.

Bhiman developed his musical palette while growing up in the suburbs outside of St. Louis, a rich musical community that considers country, rap and rock ’n’ roll equal partners. “Musically I’m all over the place. Anything that has good guitar in it, I like. Rockabilly, blues, anything.”

Missouri served as a key component in his musical development, but he doesn’t downplay the role San Francisco had on his solo career, either, especially hall-of-famers like Santana, CCR and Sly and the Family Stone. He’s a mixed bag in terms of musical influence, and Bhiman is aware that a St. Louis native born to Sri Lankan parents makes for an unlikely singer-songwriter whose biggest hero is Bob Dylan.

He makes no apologies for being all over the map — “I’m stateless and nationless, in my thinking at least,” he said — and credits his roots for making him open to any and all ideas.

“St. Louis is purely flyover country for most people, but that’s not how I see it at all. There’s definitely a richness to where I come from.

“It has its problems as well. But it’s a microcosm — all the problems and the good things about America all in one. I bring a Midwestern perspective to my music that I take pride in.”

Being raised without the pressure of needing to be considered cool, Bhiman listened to everything as a teen.

He has since paid tribute to his influences with a new cover-song EP, Substitute Teacher, which sees Bhiman tackle songs by Talking Heads, Dire Straits, The Police, Tom Petty and AC/DC.

The biggest curveball on the EP is Bhiman’s version of Rainbow in the Dark, a gem from late heavy metal maestro Ronnie James Dio. In Bhiman’s hands, the up-tempo rocker becomes a plaintive acoustic ballad.

The end result surprised even Bhiman, a longtime Dio fan. “The song is really beautiful, but the original doesn’t really showcase how heartfelt the lyrics are. In my interpretation, the emotion of the lyrics are first and foremost. It’s not about rocking. It’s about the singing, mostly.”

mdevlin@timescolonist.com