Massively popular alt-rock icons Smashing Pumpkins have regrouped and will be doing their first tour since 2000, including a stop at KeyArena on Friday, August 24. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 23 at 10 am, and can be purchased here and here.
The lineup will consist of Billy Corgan (guitar, vocals), James Iha (guitar), Jimmy Chamberlin (drums), Jack Bates (bass, son of ex-Joy Division/New Order member Peter Hook), and Jeff Schroeder (guitar). Bandleader Corgan snubbed original Pumpkins bassist D'arcy Wretzky, and she's not very happy about it. You can read about her disdain for Billy here. "I honestly think he may have a brain tumor. He's always been insufferable," Wretzky told Alternative Nation in a recent interview. The band reportedly asked Wretzky to join them many times to rehearse and to simply meet, but they say she declined the offers.
Anyone who thinks the drama surrounding the Smashing Pumpkins reunion isn't a calculated promotional effort by Corgan is DELUSIONAL. Dude is a wrestling promoter for fuck's sake.
â Dan Ozzi (@danozzi) February 15, 2018
Dubbed the "Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour," the jaunt celebrates the 30th anniversary of Smashing Pumpkinsâ existence. The setlist will feature songs from their 1991 debut, Gish (still their peak), through Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Adore, and Machina/The Machines of God. The first two are very good, bombastic space-rock opuses, and "Crush" is one of the best songs of the '90s, not least because of that ascending bass line. As for the last three LPs, I couldn't make it to the end of any of them, as Corgan's whine had become too overbearing. However, Pisces Iscariot is a solid odds-and-ends comp. I wish I could still give a "Silverfuck" in 2018.
Even if the Smashing Pumpkins reunited with Dâarcy and Butch Vig and Alan Moulder and StĂ©phane Sednaoui directed the video and 120 Minutes came back, it wouldnât matter since Corgan has destroyed his legacy for 20 years straight and also itâs not 1993 and also youâre an adult
â Christopher R. Weingarten (@1000TimesYes) February 13, 2018
Press release:
GRAMMYÂź Award-winning, acclaimed alternative rock pioneers The Smashing Pumpkins today announced the Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour, their first tour in nearly 20 years, to feature founding members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and James Iha. Produced by Live Nation, the 36-city tour will kick off in Glendale, AZ on July 12, 2018 and visit North American arenas throughout the summer. Tickets for the Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour will go on sale to the general public starting next Friday, February 23 at 10:00am local time and be available at www.smashingpumpkins.com, LiveNation.com, and via the Live Nation App.
âSome 30 years ago, as The Smashing Pumpkins, James Iha and I began a musical journey in the cramped rear bedroom of my Father's house. And so it's magic to me that we're able to coalesce once more around the incredible Jimmy Chamberlin, to celebrate those songs we've made together,â shared Corgan.
The band broke news of the tour this morning with a dramatic video featuring original Siamese Dream album cover stars Ali Laenger and LySandra Roberts. Watch the clip HERE.
The monumental Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the bandâs formation, will highlight music from the groupâs inception through 2000 and will exclusively feature material from their groundbreaking debut, Gish, through Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Adore, and Machina. Longtime Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder will also take part, as the band moves to a three guitar lineup to better emulate the signature tones and textures of their albums.
âThis show and staging will be unlike any we've ever done, and will feature a set unlike any we've ever played. For if this is a chance at a new beginning, we plan on ushering it in with a real bang,â added Corgan.
Formed in Chicago, IL in 1988, The Smashing Pumpkins released their heralded debut album, Gish, in 1991 and found mainstream success with 1993âs 4x multi-platinum Siamese Dream and 1995âs 10x multi-platinum Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. With nine studio albums and over 30 million albums sold to date, the GRAMMYÂź, MTV VMA, and American Music Award-winning band remains an influential force in alternative rock.