Staind Reunion and Tributes to Chris Cornell + Chester Bennington Highlight Aaron Lewis’ Charity Show
When Aaron Lewis announced his 6th annual charity golf tournament and concert, fans knew it was going to be a special weekend with collaborative performances highlighting the bill. Those in attendance were treated to a myriad of extra surprises, which included tributes to Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell, as well as a Staind reunion, as the full band took the stage together for the first time since November 2014.
The concert, held at Look Park in Florence, Mass., to benefit the It Takes a Community foundation, was billed as "Aaron Lewis and Friends" with scheduled appearances from Lewis' Staind bandmate Mike Mushok, along with Adam Gontier (who was absent and replaced by Godsmack's Sully Erna at the last minute) and Slipknot / Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor. As reported by MassLive, the Staind frontman began the show with a solo country set and also performed with his daughter Zoe. An acoustic set by Taylor and his Stone Sour bandmate Christian Martucci followed.
With Gontier not on hand, Lewis turned to Sully Erna to join him and Mushok as they ran through their own set of rock covers. They proceeded to play songs from 4 Non Blondes and Bob Seger, among others, as well as honor two legendary singers we lost this year: Linkin Park's Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog fame. The three ran through Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike" and, as seen above, the Linkin Park Hybrid Theory hit "Crawling."
When it came time for the encore, fans were treated to a special acoustic encore that saw a full Staind reunion unfold as bassist Johnny April and drummer Sal Giancarelli joined Lewis and Mushok. Their brief but momentous set included "Outside," "Something to Remind You" and, fittingly, "It's Been Awhile."
There's no word on what this means for the immediate future of Staind. Lewis has been active supporting his solo country career, which mostly recently saw him release Sinner in 2016. In January earlier this year, the singer was asked about the status of Staind, to which he responded by saying he could see the band remaining "on hold for a while," reiterating his focus on his solo career. Mushok, meanwhile, is in the band Saint Asonia with Gontier.
See our exclusive photos from the Aaron Lewis and Friends charity show above, along with the tributes to Bennington and Cornell below.
Aaron Lewis and Friends Honor CHester Bennington With "Crawling"
Aaron Lewis and Friends Honor Chris Cornell With "Hunger Strike" Performance
Rockers We've Lost in 2017
10 Unforgettable Chester Bennington Moments