Suffice to say, the Smashing Pumpkins helped define a generation. Front man Billy Corgan and his band bypassed the confines of the '90s grunge label, playing a key role in sculpting an offbeat faction of lost hipsters guided by the abiding light of alternative rock.
The Pumpkins hold a dear place in Aftermath's heart. Having first seen the band in 1994, we followed them along their every tumultuous step, even traveling to Chicago to attend what was then promised as the band's intimate, final, "Farewell" show.
Any Houstonians remember when the band stopped by Soundwaves for a meet-and-greet in 2000? We do. In fact, we arrived the night before, snagging one of the first spots in line and ultimately crying like a blundering schoolgirl upon meeting the band.
Fast-forward through Corgan's short-lived pop outfit Zwan, his 2004 solo effort and his full-page newspaper ad requesting the reunion of his original band. As we all know, former guitarist James Iha and bassist D'Arcy Wretsky declined.
Corgan's drumming co-pilot Jimmy Chamberlin stood loyally by the singer's side until last year, when the duo parted ways. Since then, Corgan has found proper replacements in bassist Nicole Fiorentino, guitarist Jeff Schroeder and 20-year-old drummer Mike Byrne - who, until joining the band, worked at a McDonald's.
Corgan and "The Pumpkins" began their set with a new song, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope's "The Fellowship," although the blinding light spectacle made it nearly impossible to even make out the band. As the quartet spilled into Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness single "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," our eyes better adjusted, taking in the sparkly windmills soaring above the band.
Lost Highway rarity "Eye" was a welcome detour, shifting from its original electronic vibe to an ominous space-rock tune.
When Schroeder jokingly called Siamese Dream an album "about getting high," Corgan swiftly countered with, "Siamese Dream was about getting high? No, it was about getting low, actually," he laughed.
In a jovial storytelling mood, Corgan reminisced about a girl from Houston he once dated, from whom he evidently first learned about the drug Lithium.
"I want to dedicate this song to her," Corgan said, before playing the opening notes to easily the band's most celebrated song, "Today," which sounded identical to the live versions we'd heard so many times and so many years before.
All Pumpkins albums were represented, with the disappointing exception of 1991 debut Gish. Nearly making up for that was "Drown," a 1992 track from the Singles soundtrack, its dreamy breakdown a welcome addition to the otherwise radio-friendly set list.
