Smashing Pumpkins Focus on “Today” At Opening-Night Gig
At the first of 11 sold-out shows at San Francisco’s Fillmore, the Smashing Pumpkins lived up to leader Billy Corgan’s reputation for excess. The ‘90s alt-rock icons hadn’t played the historic San Francisco venue since April 1994, when it was a big deal to have such an ascendant act (then exploding in popularity in the wake of 1993’s breakthrough Siamese Dream) host the nightclub’s reopening following 1989’s Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1991 death of legendary promoter Bill Graham. And so the band returned with appropriate largess to play a three-hour show that ended shortly after 1 AM.

“Welcome to our band practice,” Corgan said after the conclusion of the long and winding Pisces Iscariot cut “Starla,” the first song of the night to draw an unabashedly animated crowd response. In his typically challenging way, Corgan opened the show with the warlike epic “United States” as well as two other bleak metallic tracks from the just-released Zeitgeist. Expectant fans soon grew restless: During the moody “Blue Skies Bring Tears” from 1999’s less popular Machina/The Machines of God, a heckler at the back repeatedly yelled, “C’mon, play some music!”
The set’s dark cloud lifted as the quintet — Corgan and longtime Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin together with new members Ginger Reyes on bass, Jeff Schroeder on guitar and Lisa Harriton on keyboards — volleyed into the classic and eternally joyous “Today.” For nearly the length of an ordinary set, the reconstituted Pumpkins sustained the crowd’s approval with a mix of classics like “Tonight, Tonight,” its gentle B-side “Rotten Apples” and similarly tuneful new material. Emphasizing that even this reunion of sorts was essentially a Corgan showcase, the boss Pumpkin played some of these welcome sweet ballads by himself on acoustic guitar.

It was when the entire band returned for Machina’s lengthy “Glass and the Ghost Children” that the pacing problems resumed. Standing several feet apart beneath a massive high-tech lighting rig clearly designed for stadiums, the band members rarely reacted to one another either visually or musically. Although the fans’ enthusiasm returned whenever the Zeitgeist-heavy set list winded back to peak-era hits like “Zero,” much of the performance relied on slow and abrasive guitar solos that grew increasingly alike as the set wandered. The sole encore, a half-hour rendition of the Zeitgeist outtake “Gossamer,” rambled until Corgan abruptly ended the jam and someone suddenly brought up the house lights. Don’t call it a comeback — yet.

Photo: Getty

-- Barry Walters

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/07/16/smashing-pumpkins-focus-on-today-at-opening-night-gig/

insert.eyeroll.here.

since when was rs a credible source?

Not a bad review... if you aren't a big fan of the band, this viewpoint is pretty accurate. I disagree about the Zeitgeist material falling flat, much of it was good when I saw it, particularly United States. Gossamer needs to be phased out though.

at least he gave 'em the "yet", suggesting the potential is there if they just play a more crowd-pleasing set.

fuck that though.

Not a bad review... if you aren't a big fan of the band, this viewpoint is pretty accurate. I disagree about the Zeitgeist material falling flat, much of it was good when I saw it, particularly United States. Gossamer needs to be phased out though.

The Zeitgeist material seems to really stand up well live, much better than on record.

Awesome post by this guy... (adjunct to article)

Geoff Schaefer | 7/17/2007, 12:15 am EST

I think what’s happening is the world WANTS this thing to fail. Why? I couldn’t tell you. But it’s an awful shame to just dismiss it all for whatever personal reasons you may have. Albums like Zeitgeist (and for that matter, Machina and Adore) take time. They’re layered, deep, intense orchestrations that take effort to appreciate.

But that’s what music is all about. I doubt you all would be posting on the RS message board if top 40 was your game. Indulgence and ego is fantastic in music. I’m a musician and recognize that if there was no ego in play, then half of the boundaries that have been pushed never would have been explored in the first place.

They could have made a record that sounded exactly like everything else on the radio today. But no, they made a record for them (or Corgan - whatever). It sounds like the Pumpkins doing the Pumpkins, circa 2007. It feels like a nautral progression of their art. I don’t see why that’s a bad thing. With everyone else harkening back to old times to find their inspiration, the Pumpkins are moving forward - something that should be celebrated, not lambasted and loathed.

God Bless them. They’re TRUE musicians.

Not a bad review... if you aren't a big fan of the band, this viewpoint is pretty accurate. I disagree about the Zeitgeist material falling flat, much of it was good when I saw it, particularly United States. Gossamer needs to be phased out though.

Gossamer is a great song

Gossamer is a great song
I thought so too, actually, until I sat through it twice in Asheville. The crowd pretty much falls asleep during the whale noise jam, and it gets old fast. Especially when your legs are killing you.

The Zeitgeist material seems to really stand up well live, much better than on record.

Yeah, I was fonder of the new songs when I hadn't heard them on the album yet.

The Zeitgeist material seems to really stand up well live, much better than on record.

I agree. I really didn't think much of United States when I heard the boots, but after hearing it live an Asheville twice, I fucking love it and appreciate it on the album way more than I would have otherwise.

I thought so too, actually, until I sat through it twice in Asheville. The crowd pretty much falls asleep during the whale noise jam, and it gets old fast. Especially when your legs are killing you.

Well that's your only fucking fault for being a complete concert whore and feeling the need to go to multiple shows on the same tour.

the reviewer doesnt come off as a huge pumpkins fan and a three hour show isn't for the casual fan, its not a bad review but imo the author losses a good deal of credibilty plus he works for rolling stone so that alone screams low credibility and typically there will be shots at billy

Especially when your legs are killing you.

The knowledge of how bad my feet would be killing me at the end of the Pumpkins' set only made me loathe the opening band and that horrid inbetween repetetive music even more. That sucked.

Well that's your only fucking fault for being a complete concert whore and feeling the need to go to multiple shows on the same tour.
what the fuckkkkkkkkk

I'm nervous of how I'll enjoy it when I see them in SF and I'm only going to ONE show.

Well that's your only fucking fault for being a complete concert whore and feeling the need to go to multiple shows on the same tour.

Going to two shows makes you a concert whore? Interesting.

RHCP are playing 1,5 hour shows and nobody is
writting about that shameless act...but when pumpkins are playing
3 hour sets then that is a bad thing?
playing new songs is a bad idea?? playing songs from machina is a bad idea???
didnt rolling stone gave machina a good review? didnt rolling stone say
that zeitgeist is a most buy record for pumpkins fans???
whats the deal?

Well that's your only fucking fault for being a complete concert whore and feeling the need to go to multiple shows on the same tour.
that's a good point. the Pumpkins are clearly interested in constructing every show as if it's the last rock show that will ever be played. Gossamer is just the kind of thing to leave you so you wouldn't care if you never saw a band live again - for the rest of your life.

By the way Gossamer was painful to sit through the first night. They should have kept it at 9-10 minutes and it would be better.

We are now being asked to take the heckles of drunks as constituting some sort of reasonable opinion on the merits of the band's performance.

I am beginning to wonder when the haters will touch bottom.

/touching your bottom

/touching your bottom

Oh. Oh, baby.

I cant believe that someone would yell "play some MUSIC"

In asheville atleast, everyone there was a true fan, and there was no disrespect going on that I saw.

they do need to do less machina at these shows though.. it's a bit overkill. either play BSBT or GATGC but not both in the same night. yawn.

Man these reviewers can not understand the fact that this is a RESIDENCY.

In asheville atleast, everyone there was a true fan, and there was no disrespect going on that I saw.

Not quite. I met a few people who'd never heard anything from Zeitgeist. And I can barely stand to listen to If All Goes Wrong from the 6.27 boot because of how apparent it is during that song that there was a lot of fucking talking going on in the crowd.

There will never be a show with an audience made up entirely of "true fans." Whatever those are, anyway.

There will never be a show with an audience made up entirely of "true fans." Whatever those are, anyway.

There WAS one. 2000/12/02.

Man these reviewers can not understand the fact that this is a RESIDENCY.

THANK YOU! I really don't think these reviewers are grasping the concept that these aren't normal shows. That review in the 1st Fillmore show thread really got under my skin when the dude's only praise for the show was the songs that sounded like they do "on the record."

There WAS one. 2000/12/02.

I wasn't there, so I can't really comment. My cynicism is making it hard for me to buy that every single person there was a hardcore fan, and not just a friend of a hardcore fan, but I'll try to take your word for it and make myself believe. :)

since when was rs a credible source?

Since they started citing drunk hecklers?

Yeah. That's it.

I think the "last" Metro show was definitely TR00. :D
I recall people from all over the country (and a few from other countries, too) going through hell and high water to be able to go there. And I still believe it will probably pass into history as being the most beautiful Pumpkins experience ever. (The energy there was so strong I could feel it vicariously.)

Anyway...fuck RS. I don't really give a damn if there are a lot of people who can't "understand" why people like us would be bothered with giving enthusiasm to the Pumpkins.

That said, from a fan perspective I could recommend two things: 1) focus less on the Machina material that not that many people--not even fans--really like, and 2) Gossamer is a cool song that deserves some refinement...it really, really needs to either be condensed into a shorter and more coherent song, or split into very distinct and varied movements (ala "Transmission" or Silverfuck/Jackboot.)

I wasn't there, so I can't really comment. My cynicism is making it hard for me to buy that every single person there was a hardcore fan, and not just a friend of a hardcore fan, but I'll try to take your word for it and make myself believe. :)

I'm not saying it's going to happen again, but it really happened that one time. People thought the band was over and were paying $1,000 to go. I joked to my friend that they were going to open with "East" and the random girl in front of me whirled around and said, pointing to her boyfriend, "he LOVES that song." Other such things kept happening.

Man these reviewers can not understand the fact that this is a RESIDENCY.

that's because it's fucking billy corgan masturbating over his cult status

why are u so dum

I'm not saying it's going to happen again, but it really happened that one time. People thought the band was over and were paying $1,000 to go. I joked to my friend that they were going to open with "East" and the random girl in front of me whirled around and said, pointing to her boyfriend, "he LOVES that song." Other such things kept happening.

wow what an experience that people in the middle of the country don't really get to enjoy

thanks billy for showing these people such a great time

I think the "last" Metro show was definitely TR00. :D
I recall people from all over the country (and a few from other countries, too) going through hell and high water to be able to go there. And I still believe it will probably pass into history as being the most beautiful Pumpkins experience ever. (The energy there was so strong I could feel it vicariously.)

nice for you i suppose

how about us poor schlubs outside who didn't have a bucket full of money to splooge on tickets (or rich mommy and daddy to pay for them) that had to listen to some asshole scream "NUMBER ONE MAN NUMBER ONE!" to the security that were fucking with the fans.

my chicago experience was rewarding, connecting with all these people, but the fact that a metro dvd was promised and never realized really shows what kind of douchefuck billy corgan is and you fucks will never understand that.

It isn't even that negative of a review.

nice for you i suppose

how about us poor schlubs outside who didn't have a bucket full of money to splooge on tickets (or rich mommy and daddy to pay for them) that had to listen to some asshole scream "NUMBER ONE MAN NUMBER ONE!" to the security that were fucking with the fans.

my chicago experience was rewarding, connecting with all these people, but the fact that a metro dvd was promised and never realized really shows what kind of douchefuck billy corgan is and you fucks will never understand that.

go jerk off to "the bells" YOU GRADE A DOUCHEBAG.

Alf

Sp is still a great live act. And if he chooses to play more obscure things thats fine with me.

We are now being asked to take the heckles of drunks as constituting some sort of reasonable opinion on the merits of the band's performance.

I am beginning to wonder when the haters will touch bottom.

I can see the reviews if they took all hecklers seriously:

'Billy again refused to give in the demands of the crowd, failing to play such fan favorites as "I am One" or "Free Bird"'

I wish he'd actually discussed the quality of the playing and arrangements rather than just giving us a commentary on the setlist choices.

It isn't even that negative of a review.

agreed. all of the hullabaloo over this is completely unwarranted.

but somehow, billy corgan did something else to piss people off. what else is new?