`Back Home,' Cantrell Delivers An Awesome Mix

----------- Rock review -----------

Jerry Cantrell, Friday at DV8, Seattle. Cantrell also played Saturday at the Showbox.

While Alice in Chains doesn't live here anymore, Jerry Cantrell is alive and well.

With cool, calm charisma and his signature guitar, Cantrell breathed life into some old hits from Alice in Chains ("on hiatus" for two years). And he kicked open the door to his future, with songs from his fine solo album.

Looming tall and thin, blond hair falling well past his shoulders, Cantrell wore a black cowboy hat, black shirt (unbuttoned to his navel) and black leather pants. He may have looked dark, but he had a light, happy-to-be-home attitude, and eschewed Alice in Chains' bleakest material - "Sick Man," "God Smack," et al.

It may not be his strongest aspect, but Cantrell's voice was strong and clear, distinct over a powerful band: Sean Kinney, Alice in Chains' drummer; flawless bass player Nick Rinehart, from Old Lady Litterbug; keyboardist Chris Dowd, from Fishbone; and Queensryche guitarist Chris DeGarmo.

After Cantrell started off with "Devil By His Side," from his new "Boggy Depot" album, the crowd roared at the opening chords of Alice in Chains' "No Excuses." After the early promise, it quickly became a cold cover, ringing hollow without Layne Staley's voice.

Only after a few more songs did the band find a groove, first with a nice version of Cantrell's "Settling Down," then a blitz of

Alice's "Them Bones."

The country-influenced "Between" sounded much richer than it does on Cantrell's album. It also brought up a huge cheer from the crowd, with the line "back home to Seattle."

After "Between," Cantrell's new crew pounded out a devastating "Heaven Beside You." Did Alice in Chains ever play this song better?

The show closed with Cantrell's solo hit "Cut You In," much more powerful here than on the radio, and a sensational Pink Floyd cover.

While Alice in Chains' future may be on the dark side of the moon, Cantrell seems firmly rooted. Mixing past favorites with promising new material, he followed the opening to "Heaven Beside You": "Be what you wanna be."