What is the greatest opening track of all time? There are plenty of contenders, but to me the obvious answer is Them Bones. It’s the musical equivalent of a punch in the face. It comes out of nowhere and leaves you in shock. Coincidentally, Dirt also has one of the greatest closers of all time in Would? and is one of the best albums ever recorded. Although Alice in chains never ascended to the same height as Nirvana or Pearl jam, it’s safe to say that their music was the most intense of the grunge era and is just as good today as it was back then.

So, where do we start? I think we have to talk about Layne Staley. In an era of frontmen including Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder, it is pretty remarkable that Layne Staley managed to be cooler than all of them combined. I’ve sung Chris’s praises before, and I’m a fan of all of them, so I’m by no means denigrating them. But Layne’s voice almost literally cut through the air with both power and vulnerability.

That being said, I think the unsung hero of Alice in chains is Jerry Cantrell. What made the band truly unique was Jerry’s ability to perfectly complement Layne’s voice, creating a haunting combination of voices unmatched in heavy music. Their harmonies are unmistakably Alice in chains, and the same can not be said for many other artists.

When Layne died, William DuVall had the daunting task of filling his shoes. Fans were predictably outraged. It made me realize that people treat bands like the house they grew up in. They basically assume that their old room will be left untouched and kept in its exact state like a museum exhibit once they move out. However, the reality is that your parents will turn your room into a study whether you like it or not, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I, on the other hand, have moved on, and I think that Alice in chains have released some of their best music in the DuVall era, which is reflected in my setlist. That in no way detracts from my adoration of Layne. So, for once, we can have our cake and eat it too. And a delicious cake it is.

Please enjoy what I would consider to be the perfect setlist for a concert by Alice in chains. The last three tracks are the encore.