So, after entering the Cone of Silence for 3 weeks in order to keep myself as surprised and open-minded as possible about the first 2 dates of the Pumpkins return to the “city by the lake,” the Chicago Theatre shows have rolled by, and here I sit, ready to review.

Only, I’m left entirely flummoxed by the whole ordeal.  I could quibble about the song selection, or the performance itself, or Billy’s supposed “rant” Tuesday night, but really, is that remotely any different than any other show in the scheme of things? There’s nothing that was unique about Chicago, and really, that’s probably the main story itself. Chicago shows always used to have an extra jolt of electricity in the air, even if the performance itself was nothing special.  Once upon a time the delivery of the “city by the lake” line would be drowned out by the roar of the crowd, but Tuesday was more of a reserved detachment, more of a “what have you done for me lately?” Tuesday’s crowd was especially lackluster, which may have had a lot to do with Billy’s comments by the end of the night. Felt more like a morgue than a rock show a lot of the time. Wednesday’s energy was better, but there was still something lacking, with the only thing making it uniquely Second City the Cubs/Sox discussion midshow.

There’s always been a little bit of a sense of joint experience, common mindset in shows past, but any goodwill Corgan and co. had engendered coming up through the Windy City has passed. It’s not the fault of the band, or the crowd, but too much time has elapsed, and the sense of ownership and the shared pathos has faded into nostalgia. We may both be from the same city, but we’re no longer from the same place.

Read the rest of this entry »

Friend of HU carapatricia has posted a number of YouTube videos of the recent Chicago shows. Included is this one, a bit of Chicago sports themed banter leading into Disarm from the “White Crosses” show at the Chicago Theatre.

Billy first predicts a victory in the Super Bowl for the Bears in 2012 thanks to Mike Ditka returning to the field. But not one to disappoint the assembled fans with strictly positive thoughts, Billy went on to blame his beloved Cubs disappointing post-season performance on Eddie Vedder’s bitterly ironically titled Cubs anthem “All the Way”, which debuted in September before the Cubs’ season collapsed.

If, if, if the Cubs did have a chance this last year that just passed, fucking Eddie Vedder killed that shit dead. Last I checked, Eddie ain’t living here. Eddie ain’t living here to write a song about my fucking team.

Personally, I blame Vedder’s turning “Wrigley” into three syllables to fit the song’s meter.

Never one to let an opportunity to display his hubris pass him by, Billy also boasted he could write a better Cubs-themed song than the longstanding “Go Cubs Go”, which was penned by the late Chicago folk artist Steve Goodman during the equally disappointing 1984 Cubs season. HU anxiously awaits Billy’s Cubs song and we also eagerly await Billy’s thoughts on the Bulls’ chances in the upcoming NBA season during the shows at the Auditorium Theater. Vinny Del Negro: hero or zero?

Poor setlist choices, awful-sounding music, and confounding sartorial decisions mixed with heavy doses of audience mockery: These are the reports we’ve been getting about the Smashing Pumpkins‘ “20th Anniversary Tour”, and guesses at Billy Corgan’s motivations can only confuse and infuriate.

That would be Pitchfork’s Dave Maher, hyperlinking his way into an hilariously intense fury at Billy Corgan instead of walking down the street to cover the Chicago Theatre shows. After (maybe) watching a YouTube clip and (probably) reading the Rolling Stone and Fluxblog concert reviews, Maher denounced the tour as a “shitshow” (what?), claimed that Corgan had “lashed out at his band’s fans” with an “outburst”, called Zeitgeist “mediocre”, said the band was “meandering into formless noise jams”, accused Corgan of “ruining people’s nostalgic fondness” for the Pumpkins, said Corgan was “cashing in”, and called Corgan “crazy”.

Can you explain this, Dave? Why all the anger?

Personally, I don’t buy that this intentional audience befuddling is some kind of pure pursuit of an artistic muse. It seems like the flailing around of an artist who has declined and is unwilling to face that truth even when his own fans proclaim it so by their reactions to his art.

You may be on to something there… Read the rest of this entry »

The surefire hit today pulls down the most outlandish of comparisons from Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald music critic Jeff Pizek:

“A Song for a Son” started on a “Stairway to Heaven” track before swelling upon to a well-developed crescendo - a signature Pumpkins move also displayed Wednesday during “Soma” and “I of the Mourning.”

How much longer can this go on before the song is tossed into the same memory hole where past pop gems such as “Let Me Give the World to You” (total performances: 22), “Chrysanthemum” (4), and “Glorious” (5) rest in silence? Or have things changed, and in the future our bleeping culture will get the chance to embrace a studio version?

Below: This is an illegal video, and I am one of many who don’t care (YouTube)

In wrapping up his review of the Smashing Pumpkins’ “White Crosses” show at Chicago Theatre for the Sun-Times News Group’s PioneerLocal.com, Tony Solano writes about the two-night stand something very similar to what I say whenever I try to express how I feel about the band generally:

Overall, each individual show was solid but not life-changing. Yet the experience of both shows combined was beyond awesome and very special. The music was great…the band rocked, they slowed it down, they were angry, they were sensitive. There was drama, angst, laughs and a lot of weird tension because we never really knew what direction Corgan was going to go in next. And of course, it provided plenty to talk about. The only other time I’ve had so much to write about from a concert is when I’ve gone to music festivals. For as much controversy as there was surrounding these two shows, I could not have asked for a better or more unique experience.

Appearing on YouTube today is some very dark fan-shot video from a Q&A session with Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan prior to the group’s recent “White Crosses” concert in Boston. (Linking to fan-conducted and -filmed interviews isn’t our #1 choice for most ethical blogging behavior, but sometimes newsworthiness trumps.) If you’re wondering what’s up with the band’s attitude on this tour, here Corgan — speaking while seated next to drummer Jimmy Chamberlin — spells it out:

fan: …integrity as you like strive forward and you know, the need to be creative, how do you, what do draw upon to keep the faith in your own musical output? Your songwriting, your endeavors, how do you keep faith in it, you know, before you get an audience feedback or before you can stamp it out…

Billy Corgan: I would say at this point our faith in our audience has never been lower. We are literally…

fan: I mean your music, not your audience…

BC: No, you have to understand, we’re still making music for people to listen to.

fan: Right.

BC: When we were younger we very much looked to the audience to give us a sense of who we were and what we wanted to do, and then we kind of worked with it and against it. And I think now we’ve become extremely insular. We’re really not listening to anybody anymore. Because, it’s not like we look around and see a tremendous amount of good music and we feel left out of something. We feel like we’re sort of on our own little island, standing for the things that we grew up with: you know, good playing, good singing, good songs. And we feel like somehow that’s working against us in the general culture, which is kind of…to us it’s mind-boggling. That’s like saying, that’s like saying a Major League hitter is better, he’s better if he hits .200 than .300. But that’s the world we live in. It’s a .200-hitting world. You write one weak fucking song that everybody likes, you’re better than a band that’s an excellent band that has a legacy and a history.

fan: So at the end of the day what do you tell yourself to keep going, that you are making good music?

BC: That history shows that cultures have a hard time appreciating certain artists in certain times because they don’t fit the cultural perspective. And you can see it in painting, you can see it in film. We all go to the Best Buy and there’s a film, it’s like, it was totally overlooked and nobody thought it was good at the time and now it’s become like a classic. Well, we think of ourselves as a classic band, and it doesn’t matter if we keep getting overlooked — at some point somebody is going to turn around and realize we’ve just done more better than other people, and we’ll be, we’re willing to be measured on that. But we cannot ride with the culture of this time because this is absolutely the shittiest culture I’ve ever lived in.

[fans laugh, there is a shout of “Amen!” and another of “I agree.”]

BC: The amount of mediocrity is frightening. I lived through disco, I’m old enough to remember disco. [fans laugh] This is worse than disco. This is worse than disco, and that’s nobody’s fault. We’re all sort of in the same boat. So, when you ask a question like that, I mean, you’re looking at the inspiration. We just turn to each other. If he thinks it’s good, and I think it’s good, it really doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. And we’ve reached that point with each other, where we’re secure in our belief in what we do that if, I mean, you know, bad review, bad fan, bad…you know, whatever — it doesn’t matter anymore. I mean, it doesn’t feel good, but it doesn’t really change anything.

(Thanks to HU blogger Andrew for transcribing this!)

At the very end of last night’s first “Black Sunshine” hometown show, the Smashing Pumpkins singer said this:

This doesn’t speak to everyone, but many of you — we don’t know what the fuck you want from us… Last I checked we were an “alternative” band. “Alternative” means different than what everyone else is doing, including those reunion bands that go out and just play the old songs. So, for those of you we disappointed, we’re sorry; we hope you give us another chance. For those of you that love us, we will report to torture [ed. of course] you for twenty more years, at least. God bless.

(Video taken by HU reader Cara!)

From an email sent out by the soundboard-recording distributors:

LiveSmashingPumpkins.com purchase of the 11/16/08 Connecticut show. We regret to inform you that due to technical difficulties, we will not be able to release this show. We welcome you to choose any other show on the tour as a replacement. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Listen live to WLS here.

2:09pm CT: Hosts and callers are making so-hilarious jokes about a proposal for a gays-only high school in Chicago. (The Pumpkins have yet to appear or be mentioned.)

2:30pm: The hosts are now bantering about an upcoming Chicago performance to be given by…Richard Marx. Somehow this leads into the first mention that the Smashing Pumpkins will be joining them a little later in the show. (Probably around 3:30pm CT.)

3:13pm: So far, fans of “Soul Train” host Don Cornelius have been given more to chew on than we have been.

3:27pm: TV newsman Ron Magers is exiting, with the rockers about to claim their seats in the studio. If you’ve been waiting to tune in, do so now!

3:40pm: An unspecified “mistake” has been made, and as a result the band members are in the “green room” and are “refusing” to enter? The hosts are making light of whatever the situation is…

3:43pm: Roe Conn says, “I’m going to go talk to the Smashing Pumpkins and see if I can convince them…” and then trails off and returns to filling time with a discussion of some unrelated t-shirt deal and, then, the stock market.

3:47pm: “We’ll come right back with your Pumpkins after this.” Cue commercials.

3:52pm: “The Smashing Pumpkins are hiding. They stormed out of the green room…and are refusing to go on before [other guest] Ben Vereen. There was an argument that broke out between the Pumpkins and Ben Vereen. I don’t know what to do about this.” Haha… (Conn is saying this all in good humor, so it’s hard to know what parts or how much of it to take seriously.)

4:01pm: “Billy Corgan in the building! Jimmy Chamberlin also…” but first the news.

4:08pm: They at last kick off the interview with the classic clip of Corgan talking to Homer Simpson, and then the sounds of “Tarantula”. The hosts joke with Jimmy about his playing air-drums to the song.

4:10pm: Billy says his first concert was Asia at the Auditorium Theatre, at age 14, in the “crazy top tier” of seats.

4:13pm: Billy recounts a recent stunt in Tampa, where the band pretended to end the show before an “unwelcome” Billy Sr. came on stage to plug in and blues-rock out.

4:17pm: The hosts lurch from grilling Jimmy about women to asking Billy about his appearance on “Bozo: 40 Years of Fun!”. That’s some local flavor. Billy recounts a story about seeing his favorite Bozo (Bob Bell) on his 11th birthday. Apparently, during the Grand March exit, his tender pre-pubescent ears heard curse words out of the famous clown’s mouth. Jimmy cackles.

4:22pm: Roe Conn pimps the new DVD, asking if it’s available on the website (uh, yes) and promoting the shows this week in Chicago. Presumably, it’s time for the Pumpkins to head to soundcheck for their show tonight.

4:24pm: The clip of Homer Simpson plays: “I’llll miss you Pumpkins.” Show’s over, folks.

4:29pm: …though the hosts did come back after the commercial still talking about the band, spinning “Tribute to Johnny” (!) as transition music and with Conn saying that those who miss James and D’Arcy should “get over it”. Now I will close the streaming-audio player. Blog’s over, folks!

Netphoria user myosis takes If All Goes Wrong down a few notches by contrasting it with the Smashing Pumpkins’ previous long-playing video release:

Similarities:
-both have the same typefont

Differences:
-Vieuphoria has a dysfunctional band
-If All Goes Wrong has a somewhat mature band

-Vieuphoria has people my age playing gigs, looking like they are actually independent and full of personality and genuine emotion
-If All Goes Wrong has people my age looking like they are on American Idol or some other reality TV

-Vieuphoria has twisted humour from the band
-If All Goes Wrong has silent movie mocks with no real point, featuring only the lead singer

-Vieuphoria has fans saying stupid things for the sake of being silly
-If All Goes Wrong has fans saying stupid things but they mean them

While other Chicago music writers (including friend and rival Greg Kot at the Chicago Tribune) have weighed in this morning with first-night reviews ranging from negative to worshipful, Jim DeRogatis has clearly been the most interested of the bunch in the return of the Smashing Pumpkins — and with a followup blog post this morning, he’s the most interesting as well.

The veteran analyst dives in where others have feared or failed to tread, putting out perhaps the most plausible explanation of this tour that anyone (fan or critic) has yet offered. His entire post is a must-read, but here is the center of it:

[M]y guess is that night one links up with night two (”White Crosses”) to form a two-part story arc tracing, I dunno, his band’s journey from hard-rocking, optimistic early days (it all began with “Everybody Clap Your Hands,” remember, and “Siva” came early on, too) through painful darkness and turbulent destruction (”Superchrist”/”United States”) to his beloved band being reduced to a mere automated facsimile of a superstar rock group (”Heavy Metal Machine”). As a result, the musicians turn bitter and angry and decide to punish their fans with the most extreme noise and tweeness they can deliver (”Set the Controls,” followed by the kazoos).

Then things move toward the white light again (”White Crosses”) and the artistes find their spiritual center and Pumpkins Mach II prevail at the end of night two. Or something like that.

Why, if almost everyone has hated this tortured routine on earlier tour stops, does Corgan persist with it? The man has never been anything less than 100-percent committed (and some say that he should BE committed) to his grand conceptual conceits, even when no one understands or likes them.

The full podcast panel comes back renewed and revived to talk about the 20th anniversary tour. Next week as promised we will discuss the If All Goes Wrong DVD.

Listen to the whole show (1:11:57)

(download)(iTunes)

This week’s topics:

Panelists
-Chris, Jason, Jill, and Andrew

Tour Roundup
-Jason saw Black Sunshine and White Crosses in Washington, DC. Does he agree with Jill’s assessment that Black Sunshine was the better show? Does Jill still agree with Jill’s assessment that Black Sunshine was the better show? (7:09)

-Jill journeyed to the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville to see a lot of hits and even more jamming. We talk a lot about encores. (15:49)

In-Depth Discussion:
-Unlike the August tour, the press has been less than kind to the Pumpkins this time around. We delve into why, I express my opinion on I Am One Part II, and we devolve into a formless, 60-minute digression in the middle. (39:37)

This Week in Pumpkins Zwan History
-Zwan makes their debut in Pomona, California. (3:53)

Song of the Week
-Everything is Beautiful, November 18th, 2008

At the end of this podcast, Jason puts himself in the mind of his audience and wonders aloud: “Did I pay for this shit?” He is, of course, mocking you, but that will be very much the consensus opinion of the few hundred bitter, heartbroken fans who will stop their mp3 players as if on a death march. Really, how else are people supposed to feel about a one hour and eleven minute show that mostly emphasizes new topics, generally avoids old classics, and includes at least 40 minutes of formless meandering tangents and artless, self-indulgent discussions?

In this edition of the intermittent HU feature, Springfield (Mass.) Republican music writer Donnie Moorhouse does battle with Chicago Sun-Times mainstay Jim DeRogatis over the Smashing Pumpkins’ controversial cover.

Moorhouse, on Sunday night’s performance in Connecticut:

The stretch of “Zero,” “Bodies,” and “Cherub Rock,” almost saved the evening, but Corgan put an exclamation point on the madness with a 25-minute encore of Pink Floyd’s “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” that included a kettle drum performance that was one bucket of paint away from being a Blue Man Group parody.

DeRogatis, regarding Tuesday night in Chicago:

On the bright side, the mid-evening acoustic interlude was lovely, and for progressive rock done right, you had to love the cover of Pink Floyd’s “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” which closed the set proper.

Within the hour, the Smashing Pumpkins will appear on stage at the Chicago Theatre for their homecoming show in the City of Big Shoulders. Marking the beginning of their sold out four-night run, tonight’s show should prove interesting; there are already rumors flying of potential “special guests” and plenty of hype.

HU reader Cara graciously offered to liveblog tonight, so we should be receiving regular updates from her. Stay tuned for her reactions!

6:26pm CST - Cara texts: “Having our own preshow dinner at Elephant and Castle on Wabash and Lake Street, just one block from the theater. Place is packed and they are playing the Pumpkins’ Greatest Hits disc start to finish!! Pumpkins energy is palpable!” Funny, HU blogger Pins was also there earlier for happy hour. He should be wrapping up his thoughts about tonight’s show later this week.

7:00pm CST - It looks like the SPMM Flickr page is being regularly updated, complete with the shot of the marquee below. Ahh, I miss you, city by the lake. At least when it’s not winter.

8:53pm CST - We’re nearly an hour into the show and the first update I’ve received is from Pins. “”New York? Didn’t get the first half of the set. Boston? Not so much. You guys are focused; that’s good. Now he’s talking to a girl in the balcony. Literally.” I am assuming that the first part of this text refers to some ongoing confrontational banter Billy is having with the crowd.

8:59pm CST - Pins responded again, stating that the banter’s weird becaue the crowd is kind of dead. Billy’s going on again: “Oh, good quote. ‘Now that we live in a democracy, you can say what you want.’ BTW, when did it become August again?” I think the latter statement is a testament to Pins’ unwavering decision to ignore all coverage of the shows thus far. He’s catching on quickly.

9:08pm CST - HU friend Davin sends a rogue text Jason’s way: “LOL. Billy tried to get a rise…tried to instigate…but nothing but love from Chicago. Now playing: Today.” Looks like the comments have started.

9:30pm CST - Wow, the texts are picking up, this time from Mr. SPMM himself, Paul. “New Heavy Metal Machine breakdown. More like the original song,” he reports. You know, Zach and I both commented about this at the Mohegan Sun show - they seem to be mixing it up a lot.

10:01pm CST - Now this takes the cake. Pins continues his series of texts, presumably about Billy’s ah.. stageside manner. He paraphrases the banter: “When I go home tonight and masturbate to Sarah Palin, bent over that amp right there, I will think of you. [points to crowd]” Oh, lord. Time to back up the HU servers and prepare for the Blogosphere Armageddon, you betcha.

10:05pm CST - My mobile is blowing up. Paul: “This is insane.” And Pins again: “Billy chant by the crowd after he gives the mic to a guy in the crowd.” Say what?! They’re chanting for him? And some dude has the microphone? I feel like I’m hearing a bizarrely retold modern version of Macbeth. Or something.

10:57pm CST - Well, after nearly an hour with no updates, I’m going to assume the show is over and people are on their way home or out for post-show drinks. I know this isn’t a satisfying end to a liveblog, but consider it a nod to that song. You know, HOTS, the set-ending crowd-pleaser.

Chicago Sun-Times rock critic Jim DeRogatis has this evening reposted to his blog several of his past writings regarding the Smashing Pumpkins. This segment of an April 2000 exchange (just prior to two shows in Chicago) with frontman Billy Corgan seems particularly relevant to the current moment:

[DeRogatis]. Do you feel that you’ve matured?

[Corgan]. Oh, I don’t know. Just when I would think I wouldn’t write about personal stuff anymore, I would turn around and a write a whole album about it. As I’ve always said, if I could have chosen what I wanted to do, I wouldn’t have chosen these things.

[DeRogatis]. There’s that perverse streak. Do you enjoy confounding expectations?

[Corgan]. I enjoy the energy in that. I don’t find comfort energizing. Inside, there must be some sort of thing in me that needs to be contentious.

Though it’s been making the rumor mill rounds, HU can now confirm that the Smashing Pumpkins (or rather, Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin) are scheduled to make an appearance on the Roe Conn Show tomorrow, likely around 3:30pm. You can listen to the live show on the web here.

A reminder: Q101 is also slotted for Friday.