The Smashing Pumpkins – Barclays Center – December 10, 2012
December 11th, 2012
Tag Archives: Smashing Pumpkins
Get Ready to Rock with the Smashing Pumpkins on Monday
December 7th, 2012Singer-songwriter-guitarist Billy Corgan founded the Smashing Pumpkins in the late ’80s. The Chicago-based band began to achieve mainstream success following the release of Gish, in 1991, and Siamese Dream, in 1993, before becoming one of the biggest bands in the world with 1995’s smash double LP Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Since those heady days, the group has gone through several metamorphoses, settling into the current lineup—Corgan, drummer Mike Byrne, bassist Nicole Fiorentino and guitarist Jeff Schroeder—which released Oceania earlier this year. But make no mistake, the Smashing Pumpkins (above, playing “Cherub Rock” for iheart.com) still deliver a layered, guitar-heavy dose of Goth, metal and dreamy psychedelic rock. And you can see them do it in person on Monday at Barclays Center. (This show has been rescheduled from 10/31, and all tickets for that show will be honored.)
Smashing Pumpkins’ James Iha Plays Late Show at Mercury Lounge
October 4th, 2012James Iha is best known as the guitarist and cofounder of the Smashing Pumpkins. But even back in the ’90s, he’d begun working on other projects, making guest appearances on albums and releasing his solo debut, Let It Come Down. And when the Pumpkins broke up in 2000, Iha remained busy, writing, remixing, producing and recording music. He even found time to join a couple other bands—A Perfect Circle and Tinted Windows—co-own a record label, Scratchie Records, and a recording studio, Stratosphere Sound. But eventually you just knew Iha would put out another solo effort. And that’s exactly what he did. Look to the Sky (stream it below) came out a few weeks ago, and Iha plays a hometown show tomorrow night at Mercury Lounge.
A Smashing Return
October 19th, 2011Smashing Pumpkins – Terminal 5 – October 18, 2011
An early set time of 8:45 p.m. seemed odd for the Smashing Pumpkins, that is, until they began what turned into a muscular two-hour show last night at Terminal 5. The band sounded phenomenal, picking up where they left off at this same venue just over a year ago, the polish possibly a product of them finally hitting their stride with the newer touring lineup behind frontman Billy Corgan. You could hear and even feel each drum hit, heavy bassline and wah-wah-pedaled note that came from Corgan’s guitar, all without it being incoherently loud.
The set was missing many of the band’s big hits, but those are all more than a decade old, so the inclusion of only a few makes sense at this point (especially since newer material has been released in the last few years). And the omission of songs like “1979” didn’t seem to bother much the fans in attendance; most heads didn’t break their gaze focused on the shimmering stage before them, which was decked out in all sorts of flashy and reflective surfaces ranging from a giant, glass-covered fan to a circular LED screen behind drummer Mike Byrne that featured kaleidoscopic imagery throughout most of each song.
There was always something to look at or listen to (even while the band switched instruments between songs there were audio interludes and big-top lights that flashed). Not only has the storied alt-rock band returned to form with their live show, the fans last night showed they were no longer just here for the hits. —Sean O’Kane
SPIN Turns 25
July 23rd, 2010
Next week SPIN magazine celebrates its 25th anniversary with five great shows: the Smashing Pumpkins at Terminal 5 on Monday, the Flaming Lips at Terminal 5 on Tuesday, the Black Keys at Terminal 5 on Wednesday, the National at Terminal 5 on Thursday and Spiritualized at Radio City Music Hall on Friday. And the even better news is that if you don’t have tickets to these shows, you’ll still be able to see them because Spin.com will be streaming them live. So let the SPIN25 celebration begin.
