Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd, back in the proverbial day.Despite Chris Cornell’s inconclusive, cryptic phrasing, bloggers and online publications (including Billboard.com) have been quick to jump on his tweet as definitive proof that longstanding rumors of a Soundgarden reunion should now be regarded as fact. The cell phone of Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd began blowing up on New Year’s Day with queries, including one from myself. Over cocktails at Hazlewood, the Ballard bar Shepherd co-owns, he was reluctant to be completely transparent about the reunion, but judging by his upbeat mood and sheepish smile, it was pretty evident that there’s something afoot. In this age of proliferating ’90s band reunions, it’s probably just a matter of time before the festival gigs are announced. That said, anything can happen (or rather, not happen). I remain cautiously optimistic.