Superunknown, A Tribute to the Legacy of Chris Cornell out of Philly, makes their return to Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe on Saturday, Jan. 25, for another winter concert from the esteemed band.
Photo Credit — Submitted
Superunknown covers all eras of Chris Cornell, playing the music of Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog while performing across the East Coast and the world.
Photo Credit — Submitted
JIM THORPE – Superunknown mesmerizes audiences in NEPA once again with their stirring renditions of Chris Cornell classics. The tribute band out of Philadelphia returns for a winter performance at Mauch Chunk Opera House on Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.
“We play there every year around this time,” said vocalist and guitarist Jason Reed in a phone interview with The Weekender. “I think this is our fourth time back there.”
During the show, the critically acclaimed rockers will perform all eras of Chris Cornell’s too-short career from Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog. Tickets for the show are available on the Mauch Chunk Opera House website.
Last year, Superunknown appropriately learned the entire “Superunknown” album from Soundgarden in honor of the record’s 30th anniversary. Throughout 2024 they played the album in full, so for this 2025 winter concert they’ll dive deeper into striking songs from their namesake album, as well as explore hits from Audioslave and the other eras of Soundgarden. There will be something for every fan of the music!
Vocalist and guitarist Jason Reed uncannily delivers Cornell’s trademark howling vocals that will send you back to the peak of grunge. Superunknown comprises such talented artists as Louis Graff on guitar, Tom Laskas on bass, Ron DiSilvestro on drums, and Pete Hefley on guitar.
Jason Reed has been making music for 40 years and started when he was 12. He launched Superunknown as a solo project to honor Chris Cornell in 2018 and the vision progressed into a full band in 2019.
“I was a big fan back in the 90s, in the big grunge explosion of the early 90s,” said Jason Reed.
When Cornell passed away in 2017, Reed was in an original band and they had a gig coming up in Westchester, PA.
“I wanted to put a song in the set to pay tribute to Chris since he was one of my biggest inspirations,” he said.
He picked “Cochise” to perform and later, watching the video of himself singing, he couldn’t help but notice how much they sounded just like Audioslave. He already knew a lot of Chris Cornell’s material, so about a year after the late great frontman’s passing, Reed got the idea to form a solo acoustic band. When it was well-received in 2018, it became a full band based out of the Philadelphia area.
Superunknown performs songs from throughout the discography of Audioslave, Soundgarden, and Temple of the Dog. Superunknown appeals to the superfans who really know the deeper cuts of Soundgarden’s music in addition to the casual fans by including favorites like “Black Hole Sun,” “Spoonman,” “I Am the Highway,” “Like a Stone,” and more.
This tribute band quickly became popular and has been playing for the last six years up and down the East Coast.
Superunknown also tours overseas with Armed Forces Entertainment to play for member of US armed forces deployed around the world. Jason Reed is a veteran himself, so this experience providing live music to our troops has been extra rewarding.
“For me that’s a lot of fun to go back to the places I served 20 years ago,” said Reed. “It’s a unique opportunity; we love doing it.”
Superunknown also works hard to support mental health advocacy and suicide prevention. Chris Cornell died of suicide in 2017, so this has become a meaningful cause for the band and remains at the core of everything they do.
To continue spreading a positive message, Reed wrote an original song at the end of 2024 that reflects what lies at the heart of this band. This will be Superunknown’s first original single and the release will be announced in coming weeks, so stay tuned on the radio and online for updates.
Reed is really looking forward to putting out this new single. He’s excited for their fans to hear some original material that upholds the memory of Chris Cornell and Soundgarden in a whole new way.
Come out on Saturday night to hear all your Chris Cornell favorites recreated live by Jason Reed and Superunknown. Mauch Chunk Opera House is one of Reed’s favorite venues to play and the whole band looks forward to putting on another unforgettable winter concert in the historic town of Jim Thorpe.
