Music: Smashing Pumpkins Announce Reunion Tour

[Lost Horizons]

Smashing Pumpkins Announce Reunion Tour

Smashing Pumpkins Announce Reunion Tour

North American tour will feature three-fourths of the band's original lineup—singer/guitarist Billy Corgan, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and guitarist James Iha.

Smashing Pumpkins have announced a reunion tour. The North American trek—dubbed the Shiny and Oh So Bright tour—will be the first in 18 years to feature original members Jimmy Chamberlin on drums and James Iha on guitar.

The massive arena tour will take the group across the United States—with stops in Montreal and Toronto—from mid-July through early September, and will exclusively feature material from the band's first five albums.

“Some 30 years ago, as The Smashing Pumpkins, James Iha and I began a musical journey in the cramped rear bedroom of my father's house," Corgan said in a press release. "And so it's magic to me that we're able to coalesce once more around the incredible Jimmy Chamberlin, to celebrate those songs we've made together."

Notably, the tour will not feature original bassist D'arcy Wretzky, with whom the band has been feuding in the press in the days leading up to the tour's announcement. The band claims that Wretzky turned down an invitation to join the tour, an invitation Wretzky claims was never extended. In any case though, the original members will be joined by longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder, and sport a three-guitar lineup, according to the press release. The band's bassist for the tour has not yet been announced.

“This show and staging will be unlike any we've ever done, and will feature a set unlike any we've ever played," Corgan added. "For if this is a chance at a new beginning, we plan on ushering it in with a real bang.”

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[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Read about this a few days ago.

Without D'arcy it's not a full reunion. Who knows where she is/what she's doing now though.

 

[MXD]

I want to care. I just... can't.

 

[Brodeur]

Corgan at least seems mentally ready to embrace playing a Greatest Hits type set list. In recent years, he seemed resistant to do so. But perhaps he saw how much cash GNR has raked in with their tour and figured it was worth swallowing some of his pride.

I wasn't old enough to attend Pumpkins shows in the early-mid 90s, so this is probably my best chance to catch the closest thing to my ideal set list.

Unfortunately tickets will probably be a little bit harder to get. Talked to a few friends this weekend who are ready to spend large sums of money, but also couldn't name a song off of Gish.

 

[kook10]

I wasn't old enough to attend Pumpkins shows in the early-mid 90s, so this is probably my best chance to catch the closest thing to my ideal set list.

I saw them at the 94 Lollapalooza and they really kicked ass... Their music was a bit sappy then but it still rocked hard. Then Mellon Collie came and made it a big cheese fest.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

I only like a few of their songs. "Zero" in particular.

I've never been able to stand Corgan's vocals for more than a few minutes at a time. Dude has always sounded so nasally IMO. Almost like he's always sung with the world's biggest headcold.

 

[Central PA Hawk Fan]

Crazy, I'm listening to Machina right now as I saw this news. I think I'm gonna go and do a deep dive of their work now.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

I only like a few of their songs. "Zero" in particular.

I've never been able to stand Corgan's vocals for more than a few minutes at a time. Dude has always sounded so nasally IMO. Almost like he's always sung with the world's biggest headcold.

SO much this.

I liked the songs Cherub Rock and Bullet with Butterfly Wings as well. Those and Zero are just about the only thing they did I can stand.

 

[Roo Returns]

Darcy apparently has a shoulder injury which prohibits her from playing bass very much. Still, the whole feud between her and Corgan is very wrestling which is funny considering Corgan owns the NWA name.

As for the music, agree with a few above, I've never really gotten into them on an album basis, have tried but could never listen to a full album. They have many great songs including Quiet which is my favorite. There is something sappy or kinda dreamy for a band that could be so heavy.

I can't explain the phenomenon (sorta nostalgia?) but a band like the Pumpkins who in the 90s I never paid much attention to, when you hear their music now it almost sounds better or fresh or satisfying. Maybe it's because they're not on the cover of every magazine and Zero or Bullet With Butterfly Wings isn't on the radio every hour, maybe because their non singles which are often better are more accessible, or maybe because music nowadays is generally so bad and mainstream rock has been marginalized and kicked to the curb, they're kind of like someone you knew but were never close with, but can get together with and tell war stories or tales with and reminisce about a time when you could wear a graphic tshirt in public and not have people roll their eyes at you, or an album was meant to be a complete piece of art not a series of songs to chop up.

 

[BonMorrison]

I would care more if Billy Corgan wasn't such a wiener that past little while.

 

[beowulf]

I would care more if Billy Corgan wasn't such a wiener that past little while.

Agreed, he seems to have gone all weird for some reason.

 

[Pilky01]

He has always been weird. I'll never forget when he ended the Pumpkins the first time, in like the early 2000's, his position was essentially "we can't have a #1 record anymore because only Britney Spears types get pushed by the industry so therefore I quit".

Didn't he lose a bunch of money recently on pro wrestling? This strikes me as a 'back for more cash' situation.

 

[NyQuil]

I was a huge fan of Pumpkins - got into them with Siamese Dream along with most folks and then went back for Gish and Pisces Iscariot before Mellon Collie.

The first song I heard was Rocket, and it kind of blew my mind at the time, but SD had so much to offer including hard stuff like Quiet and Geek USA, ballads like Soma and Disarm, and more introspective stuff like Mayonnaise and Hummer.

Personally I think Siamese Dream is a masterpiece and should be listened from beginning to end to get the feel of it.

They had a unique sound based around Corgan's high-pitched vocals, the overdubbed guitars and Jimmy Chamberlin's occasionally criminally underrated drumming.

Mellon Collie had some great moments, but almost seemed a little self-indulgent with the two discs and may have been better served to cut it down to one and focus on the highlights.

I'll probably try to get out and see them - as long as Corgan and Jimmy are there, it will sound like the Pumpkins.

 

[beowulf]

He has always been weird. I'll never forget when he ended the Pumpkins the first time, in like the early 2000's, his position was essentially "we can't have a #1 record anymore because only Britney Spears types get pushed by the industry so therefore I quit".

Didn't he lose a bunch of money recently on pro wrestling? This strikes me as a 'back for more cash' situation.

No he has hit another level or weird as he is a big fan of Alex Jones and believes in all kinds of conspiracies now like the swine flu epidemic a few years ago was an Obama government plan to kill people or something along those lines.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

No he has hit another level or weird as he is a big fan of Alex Jones and believes in all kinds of conspiracies now like the swine flu epidemic a few years ago was an Obama government plan to kill people or something along those lines.

Makes sense now why dude dated Courtney Love before Kurt did.

Dude is nuttier than squirrel poop.

 

[NyQuil]

Makes sense now why dude dated Courtney Love before Kurt did.

Dude is nuttier than squirrel poop.

He's also strangely normal at times.

Big Cubs fan, was a bit of a jock as a kid and played baseball.

Huge Rush fan.

 

[beowulf]

He's also strangely normal at times.

Big Cubs fan, was a bit of a jock as a kid and played baseball.

Huge Rush fan.

He does have a history of mental illness, depression and anxiety if I recall, and started an outreach center for others. He indeed seems to be all over the place.

 

[NyQuil]

Jimmy joining the band:

I joined a band where we had a bass player who was a fashionista, a guitar player who was an artist, and Billy [Corgan] was obviously this kind of hippie child wearing a black turtleneck and a medallion with purple hair. When I showed up the audition I think I was wearing a pink t-shirt and rolled up jeans, and some work boots.

I remember D’arcy [Wretzky] and James [Iha] were like, ‘Look, I don’t care how good this guy is, he can’t be in the band.’ (Laughs) But nevertheless, when Billy and I started talking about what we wanted to do, we realized that we could combine that understanding of music and our technical ability to become this juggernaut of poly rhythmic psychedelic rock.”

So I went out and saw the band – Billy, James, and D'arcy – playing at Avalon with a drum machine. Man, did they sound horrible! They were atrocious. But the thing I noticed was that not only were the song structures good, but Billy's voice had a lot of drive to it, like he was dying to succeed. So I ended up driving from work every Wednesday to rehearse with them

He was wearing a pink t-shirt, stonewashed jeans, he had a mullet haircut, and he was driving a 280Z, and had yellow drums. We were sort of looking each other in the eye thinking, 'This ain't gonna happen, this is not the guy.' [But] he'd learned all our songs, as only Jimmy can, off the top of his head, and, within one practice, we were ready to play. It was amazing. We just knew right away. He's that good.

 

[beowulf]

James Iha and Maynard are going to be busy for the next little while. Iha touring with the Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle and Maynard doing shows with APC and Tool.

 

[NyQuil]

I missed a APC concert in Buffalo by days but I've got tickets for the Pumpkins at the Bell Centre.

 

[Supermassive]

He does have a history of mental illness, depression and anxiety if I recall, and started an outreach center for others. He indeed seems to be all over the place.

Which made him a perfect rock star in the 90s. SP were my favorite band in high school, with typical teenage angst, frustration, fury, but also genuine themes of love, hope, peace, tranquility, fantasy in their softer songs.

Always loved listening to SP songs and focusing solely on the drumming. Jimmy was incredibly inventive and original.

Glad to see James is back for this tour. SP isn't fully SP without him. D'Arcy isn't a very happy person nowadays, by the sounds of it.

 

[Brodeur]

Fairly annoyed at Ticketmaster. Tickets went on sale at 9am local time, but I forgot until a little after 10am. The seat map showed that the show was almost sold out. Tried to buy a few seats, but kept getting notified that somebody else bought them. Eventually settled on a pair of less than prime seats.

Checked back a few minutes later, eventually was able to get better set of seats. Figured I could sell my other set to friends who missed out at face value.

Checked back ten minutes later, and suddenly thousands of seats were available. Bought a better set of seats, while being resigned to the fact that I got bamboozled into the other seats.

I should have heeded my own advice about never buying concert tickets this far in advance. I'm like 95% upset with Ticketmaster and 5% upset with myself.