So bring on the Soundgarden reunion tour already.

No disrespect to Chris Cornell’s new band, which was outstanding during a monster 2 ½ hour set Wednesday night at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre. But hearing all those Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog numbers that Cornell packed into his set was enough to make this gen-xer go thrifting for flannel. You know, right after I drop by Buzzard’s Records to replace that “Singles” cassette I haven’t seen in forever. (“Seasons” from the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's shot-in-Seattle film served as a breathtaking encore highlight.)

Not that Wednesday’s show was just a grunge nostalgiafest. Like a gen-x Paul Rodgers, Cornell's solo show was an overview of his stints in multiple chart-topping bands – also Audioslave and grunge super-group Temple of the Dog – with some solo material sprinkled in for good measure. And early numbers reflected what he's been up to lately.

“Silence the Voices” and “No Such Thing” came from his newest solo album, “Carry On,” while “Original Fire” is an upbeat Audioslave song that showcased his robust, soulful wail – the last hit he enjoyed during his union with the Rage Against the Machine guys. (Cornell walked away earlier this year, and his band mates are back playing shows with Rage mouthpiece Zack de la Rocha.)

While those first three songs were nice enough, the party really got started with the first Soundgarden selections, the nihilistic “Let Me Drown” and “Outshined,” one of the greatest stoner metal anthems ever. Period. There is no debating this.

"The first time that song was played live was at the Central Tavern,” said Cornell by way of explaining that song's local roots. “I wasn’t old enough to drink back then.”

I’d heard rumors that Eddie Vedder had been spotted on the premises. So I felt a twinge of extra excitement with the first notes of “Hunger Strike,” a Cornell-Vedder duet from the 1990 Temple of the Dog album. But there would be no surprise cameo from Pearl Jam’s leader. Instead, Cornell brought out his adorable toddlers – his boy dressed in a funny "Black Hole Son" shirt – to help out with that crowd pleasing number.

And while I could be reading into comments he made a short while later, it didn’t seem to indicate he's about to get back together with any of his old bands when he declared that Audioslave song “What You Are” was about “moving on to greener pastures. Everyone deserves to be happy.”

Soon after, the singer was left alone to play a somewhat indulgent but still satisfying acoustic set. As well received as it was, I could have done without Cornell's dreary revamp of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” (Ironic remakes are a bit passé by now, anyway, don't you think?) “Fell On Black Days” was a nice rebound, followed by “Finally Forever,” a song dedicated to his wife he had originally written for their wedding.

Later, after James Bond theme song “You Know My Name,” Cornell described how the melody for one of his biggest hits had come to him while driving home from Woodinville on I-405 in 1994. “When I got home, I whistled it into a dictaphone so I wouldn’t forget it,” he said. “But I didn’t forget it.” It was the Beatles-esque "Black Hold Sun," Soundgarden’s biggest smash.

And as well as that number went over, Cornell had the crowd worked up into a fist-pumping, crowd surfing frenzy with follow up “Jesus Christ Pose,” the last song before the band took a quick bow.

It returned soon after for one of the most satisfying encores I’ve ever seen, “Burden in My Hand,” the aforementioned "Seasons," Temple's "Say Hello to Heaven" and an epic rendition of "Slaves and Bulldozers" that morphed into a meandering, psychedelic take on "Fourth of July" and then Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" for the big finale.

“This is maybe the best Seattle show ever,” Cornell said at one point during that encore. Yup, sounds about right.

But seriously, Chris, about that Soundgarden reunion. From your Audioslave buddies who went back to Rage Against the Machine to one of your inspirations, Led Zeppelin, all the cool kids are getting their old bands back together.

The Soundgarden guys are all still around (granted Matt Cameron is pretty busy playing drums for Pearl Jam.) And if David Lee Roth and the Van Halen Brothers can squash their beef, surely you guys can sort out whatever has kept you apart. Right?

Well, whatever. Just don't take as long as the Police to get back together, if you don't mind.