Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell tours West Coast circuit with Timbaland

Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell is going solo this fall for a West Coast tour, which will also feature performances by acclaimed music producer Timbaland. The 13-date trek kicks off October 17 at Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO, and wraps November 2 at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle, WA.

Timbaland will appear with Cornell on eight dates of the tour, including an October 19 gig at Marquee Theatre in Tempe, AZ, and a Halloween performance at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA, as well as the opening and closing dates. The composer and rapper produced Cornell’s third solo album, “Scream,” which is set for release on November 4.

Verizon Wireless is promoting the joint tour, offering same-day in-store events for each city on the team’s itinerary, where fans can meet the artists and purchase tickets for that night’s concert. The company is also allowing Verizon users with VCAST enabled phones to download a limited edition mobile EPs of the album before its nationwide release. Full details about the Meet and Greets can be found on the official tour Web site.

“Working with an artist like Chris Cornell who is willing and excited to cross genres and find new ways to share his music is exactly why I signed on to be Verizon’s Mobile Producer-in-Residence,” Timbaland in a statement on Cornell’s Web site. “It is only natural that we bring our new music to fans in this unique way and using the latest mobile technology.”

In published interviews, Cornell has stated that Timbaland’s influence can be felt on the new album, making the record “different from anything [he’s] ever done.” Instead of Cornell’s signature grunge-rock sound, the new album is infused with Timbaland’s R&B sensibilities.

“I’ve come from an indie rock world, where, if you have a producer, it’s somebody who’s not a musician, not a songwriter. He’s just someone who twists knobs and can kind of tell you if they think a song is too long or too short or needs to be more aggressive,” Cornell is quoted on his Web site. “Tim’s a songwriter, so I was working with him in collaboration, sort of as if we were in a band.”

“Scream” is the follow-up to 2007’s “Carry On,” which peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on Billboard‘s rock album charts. Reception for “Carry On” and Cornell’s 1999 solo debut “Euphoria Morning” were mixed. However, the debut’s single “Can’t Change Me” earned the musician a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocals and peaked at No. 5 on the mainstream rock charts.

Before hitting the road for his solo shows and jaunt with Timbaland, Cornell will perform at the October 4 “Angelenos Go Green for Obama” benefit in Los Angeles, CA. The zero-waste and carbon-neutral event will feature an appearance by Senator Hillary Clinton. The one-day event benefits the Obama Victory Fund run by Obama for America and the Democratic National Committee.

Chris Cornell itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)

* with Timbaland