The Pumpkins rocked, but were maybe a little too much in their own world. Corgan still had his '90s flair, and the band got out there and played for the fans, but also for themselves. Granted it was only two of the original members; plus, I’ve never been to one of their shows - nor have I listened to the most recent album - and I happened to be given a free ticket two days in advance (thanks Jess!), so I honestly have no bar to compare it all with.

The crowd at Ruth Eckerd Hall was primarily 20-40 years old, which leads me to believe most attendants were there for the old-school Smashing Pumpkins, as opposed to the Zeitgeist fan base. There was no opener, just the Pumpkins at 8:15 pm.

The opening song “Tarantula,” from the latest album, rocked out and showcased their hard edge. Billy Corgan was wearing an armor-like, fish-scale-type silver skirt that cleverly refracted the light show. Bassist Ginger Reyes was in a red tutu dress. Everyone else just sort of blended in. I was surprised that they weren’t playing at a sold-out arena full of moshing fans. But those seemed to be the olden days, and apparently times have changed.

Song transitions were not smooth, and sometimes it was difficult to recognize the beginning of a new song as they trailed off into jam sessions of nothing but distorted noise. (However, I am not an extreme SP fan so it could just be me). They played a Pink Floyd cover, “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” which fit their whole psychedelic sound well. The visual lighting effects enhanced the experience of the song as well as the entire show. Maybe I am just getting old, but it was just too inconsistent and off the wall noise. A member on their website forum described the show as a “sonic avalanche.” It went from hard rock, to trance, then to an acoustic set and back to hard rock again. The set list was predictable, as they had played the same set for the past 7 shows; however, they did deviate some, finally.

The two highlights for me were “Eye” and “Mayonnaise.” The worst song for me was “Heavy Metal Machine.” I can appreciate good, solid boisterous rock, but THAT was just noise. On the classic tracks “Today,” Tonight, Tonight” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” I felt the timing was off and Corgan’s voice whined at the wrong times. However, hearing those songs live was a treat all on its own.
The show went from uphill to downhill and back around again, and by the third-to-last song my friend and I decided to leave. My regret now is that I read Billy’s dad came out on stage and jammed with the band for the last song, saying, “I remember when Billy was little and I’d tell him to hurry up and put on his dress or he will be late for school.” And he took pictures with fans afterwards. Oh well, I beat traffic and I saw one of the top rock bands of the '90s. I give it a 3 out of 5 from an average fan’s view.

Set List:

Tarantula
G.L.O.W.
Siva
Eye
Mayonnaise
Tonight, Tonight
Speed Kills
Transformers
Superchrist
United States
Once Upon A Time (acoustic)
Again, Again, Again (acoustic)
The Rose March (acoustic)
Today
Bullet With Butterfly Wings
The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning
Heavy Metal Machine
Glass' Theme
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun [Pink Floyd]
We Only Come Out At Night
In The Summertime [Mungo Jerry]