New Posts and Playlists
New Music from The Pass, Secret Cities, City Light...Singer and Songwriter Spotlight Series Vol. V - Ic...
Best New Releases of the Week, Part II: Twin Tiger...
Best New Releases of the Week, Part I: Rogue Wave,...
Best Rarely Heard Songs of 2009, Vol. IV: Barzin, ...
Feetz to Da Beatz, Vol. I - Bands That Get You Dan...
2010 Releases You Might Have Missed: Boy Eats Drum...
Disbanded: Band Break-Ups, Vol. I: New Faces, The ...
Best New Releases of the Week: Fang Island, Shout ...
San Francisco's Noise Pop 2010 Festival Guide: Art...
Dig The Music Archives
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
- September 2008
- October 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- April 2009
- May 2009
- June 2009
- July 2009
- August 2009
- September 2009
- October 2009
- November 2009
- December 2009
- January 2010
- February 2010
- March 2010
Recent Comments
threadogg //
10:25 PM Kissel //
9:17 AM
SANTA CRUZ, CA - Last night Billy Corgan and "Friends" (as one local reporter called it) rocked the historic Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium (1769). As expected, the show was sold out with rockers ranging in age from teens to guys in their 50s. Remember, The Smashing Pumpkins will be two decades old next year. Rock on older rockers!
The younger rockers are likely to be fans of Corgan's newer music, such as the popular YouTube music video "Tarantula." (watch video)
Many fans, including myself, were somewhat let down by the show. For $35 (scalped tickets went as high as $120), you'd expect to see The Smashing Pumpkins. But we only got half a pumpkin, singer/songwriter Billy Corgan (who I happened to pass on the street two hours before the show) and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.
Original Pumpkin guitarist James Iha and bassist D'Arcy Wretzky left The Smashing Pumpkins in 2001 to launch Scratchie Records, a division of Mercury Records, which is thankfully not one of the major labels. Nevertheless, since that day, and until there is an actual "reunion", The Smashing Pumpkins cease to exist in my opinion.
Nevertheless, the filler, or substitute, members performing with Corgan were good, but it was definitely was missing that magic of the days when The Smashing Pumpkins were on top.
The show was almost painful at times to watch because the band didn't really seem to gel together on stage; it felt like they were just going through the motions. It was like that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that says "hey, these people really don't want to be here."
In fact, I could have not bought a ticket and sat outside on the auditorium lawn and listened to it just fine. Arggg. I had already seen Corgan on the street. But people like me will pay extra in order to not miss a chance to see "The Smashing Pumpkins," or even a half of Pumpkin.
Anyways, the show was alright. Corgan, dressed in all white, was not at his best vocally, but he definitely sounds better in a smaller hall than say an outdoor arena (as he himself has bitched about in the past).
There was no real highlight of the show, at some points the light show was better than the music. Absent was the 'wow' factor of days of old when The Smashing Pumpkins captivated masses of thousands of fans at big concert venues with their electrifying, epic-like music, light shows and stage presence.
As for the Santa Cruz gig, Corgan interacted with the audience a few times and bragged that "their" new album is No. 2 in US and No.1 in Canada. He then raised his hands and pointed towards the crowd as a beam of light reflected off his shiny head and said "it's because of you guys. We love you."
Awesome Billy, but who exactly are "we"?
My disappointment may come off strong, but I'm much more interested to see the original three Pumpkins reunite and go on tour.
For that tour, you bet I'm setting the mail alerts on TicketMaster. Since next year is the 20th anniversary of the bands beginning, I think it would be ultimate if Dary and Ian jumped back in to the fray with Billy and announced a real reunion tour.
The band is book to co-headline the Virgin Festival in Baltimore next week.
Labels: Alternative Rock, Billy Corgan, Grunge, Indie Rock Concerts, Indie Rock Songs, Music Video, The Smashing Pumpkins
8:10 PM
July 29, 2007
2 Comments
Vote Songs on Hypem MP3 Policy
Submit Your Music Get the IRC Feed IRC on WeAreHunted
Submit Your Music Get the IRC Feed IRC on WeAreHunted
Older Posts
