I have been a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins for a very long time, though they have escaped my attention in recent years. From what I had heard, the band now operated as a front for Billy Corgan’s own solo projects ( to which I argue: when was it not?). Furthermore, a lot of the reviews I had read recently said that their sets consisted of almost exclusively new material, and that fans should expect a full run through of their latest album Oceania. Being the fickle fan that I am, I was only really familiar with their albums prior to Ava Adore, so when I got passes to see them at Agganis Arena on the 27th I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The Pumpkins began their set with the opening track from Oceania. They then continued to play the album straight through, with very few gaps in between. The stage was adorned with a giant glowing orb, reflecting projections of thematic artwork from the album. I was not intimately familiar with the album itself, but it was interesting to see how Corgan’s sound has progressed over all these years of making music. Throughout his career, the sound of the Pumpkin’s has shifted from grunge and psychedelia to electronica and beyond. Their performance of the album reflected the various sensibilities accumulated from playing many types of different music. And while all this was interesting, it wasn’t what I really wanted.
Of course, that’s the rub isn’t it? When a band reaches the height of their popularity in a certain era, their fanbase becomes kind of petrified in amber for the rest of their career. This can be frustrating from an artist’s perspective, as there becomes a disparity between what the band wants to play and what the fans want. Judging from the energy of the crowd, it was clear that a majority of them were hoping for a set full of classics.
Thankfully the band delivered, after playing through the whole of Oceania. Billy Corgan appeared relatively jovial in between songs and even cracked a couple good jokes. And while the whole affair seemed rather ceremonious, it appeared as though their hearts were not completely in it. Despite a lack of physical energy, the band sounded tight and together and it was nice to hear the songs that were so familiar to me growing up. Highlights of the set included a cover of Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’, and a performance of the classic ‘Tonight, Tonight’ with visuals from the iconic music video projected onto the orb. By the end of the set, I almost didn’t want it to end.
I left the concert with mixed feelings. On one hand, I was satisfied to see the Smashing Pumpkins play some of their most classic songs, but on the other I felt bad that there were so many other fans like me who just couldn’t bring themselves to appreciate the new stuff as much as the old. It might be said that the Pumpkins are fading from relevance, but I think the more interesting question still remains: whose fault is that?
By: Sid Vashi