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| Billy Corgan, wearing what appears to be a floor-length leopard-skin smoking jacket. |
A semi-reunited Smashing Pumpkins played a sold-out show on Wednesday night in Madison, Wis. Though some of their music (Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness) is untouchable, their reputation as a live band is spotty at best. It was with that question on my mind that I went into the show not quite knowing what to expect.
Two songs into the set, and my question was answered.
The band kicked into “Zero,” and as I and 2,500 fans sang along, I got chills down my spine. The chills weren’t for what was going on at that moment but what The Smashing Pumpkins meant to me during my formative years. It was as if I was back in my parents’ basement in 1996, blasting them through the stereo. Billy Corgan may not write good-timin’ tunes, and my teenage years weren’t exactly good times that I’d like to relive. But the fact that I’m here seeing a band live sing songs that I loved (and still love) from 20 years ago is proof that rock music can save lives.
Across 19 songs and two hours, Billy Corgan played it straight. There were no weird arrangements or half-assed renditions. He sang every word like he meant it. The band, who toured basketball arenas this past summer before playing smaller theaters and clubs this winter, sounded like they had been playing together all along, not as if there was an 18-year hiatus. In seeing this version of the Pumpkins, it was apparent what each member brought to the band. Jimmy Chamberlin’s drumming gives the music a sense of velocity and some muscularity. James Iha’s guitar work lends it some atmosphere. And of course, Corgan’s pop sensibilities makes the songs memorable; his riffs and nasal snarl give the music an edge, and the lyrics are the songs’ beating heart.
Though the songs sounded mostly like their album counterparts, the Pumpkins still had some tricks up their sleeves to keep things interesting. Deep cut “Porcelina of the Vast Oceans” featured an absolutely scorching solo from Corgan that stretched the song past the 10-minute mark. On the aforementioned “Zero,” James Iha’s squelchy, Atari 2600-esque leads gave it some extra texture.
A recent interview with the three reunited Pumpkins said that though whatever happened in the past may well be water under the bridge at this point, they still aren’t (and perhaps never were) best buds. This was on display during the show, as it took until the 10th song before it appeared that Billy actually enjoyed playing in a band with James. (He walked over and did that cliche rock n’ roll thing where they kind of dance around each other while they play guitar.) It was a full 90 minutes before Corgan even said anything to the crowd. To his credit, he did warm up after that, but it was clear he is still an aloof weirdo. (The man changed costumes at least three times, for Chirst’s sake.)
Yet, that can all be forgiven because the music was so consistently excellent. The intensity level was there; even the slower songs sounded menacing. I cannot criticize the set list as it took me a couple of days to realize that they didn’t play every single song I wanted them to play. Even “Heavy Metal Machine” from Machina, an odd choice to end the set if ever there was one, gave the band a chance to stretch out and jam. (Was that a snippet of Black Sabbath that I heard? I think it was!)
Was the tour a cynical cash grab or merely fan service? Who cares? (For the record, it is probably both.) The Smashing Pumpkins delivered hit after hit (and some choice deep cuts) to an adoring crowd that sang and screamed along to every word. It was quite obvious that Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin understood that the music they made together meant a lot of things to a lot of people. The show they performed was worthy of that legacy, and 30 years on, I think both fans and band got what they wanted.
Set list:
Solara*
Zero
Today
Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode cover)
Knights of Malta*
Tonight, Tonight
Dross
Friday I’m In Love (The Cure cover; James Iha vocals)
Disarm
Bullet With Butterfly Wings
Porcelina of the Vast Oceans
Travels*
Cherub Rock
1979
Ava Adore
Heavy Metal Machine
1st Encore
Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)*
Muzzle
2nd Encore
Siva
*denotes song from new album
BONUS CONTENT: BANTER
(James Iha had just mentioned his Packers fans friends and Wisconsin sports in general)
IHA: So, uh, Billy, do you have anything to say about sports?
CORGAN: (COMPLETE SILENCE)
Billy is a big time Cubs fan, so I’d like to think his silence was because he’s still sore about the Brewers knocking the Cubs out of the playoffs. A “Let’s Go Brewers!” chant would have been amazing at that moment.
