Smashing Pumpkins rock Xcel Energy Center with nostalgic grandeur
Although original Smashing Pumpkins members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlain were onstage, it was evident from the start that this was a Billy Corgan showcase. Massive video screens displayed old photos of Corgan often, sometimes interweaving with older band clips from the past, or Kubrick-esque ballet dancers with makeupped eyes and sinister grins.
Corgan stood alone and opened the show with “Disarm” from the band’s 1993 masterpiece album Siamese Dream. From there, The Smashing Pumpkins rocked the near-capacity crowd at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul with three more hours of music. Five songs in, singer Billy Corgan donned a hooded cape and sang David Bowie’s classic “Space Oddity” from the top of a staircase center stage behind the rest of the band members. With a swirl of galactic scenes on the screens behind Corgan, it was a memorable experience of the show.
Midway through, it was obvious that the band had paced themselves for a marathon and not a sprint. Rarely did the dynamics get pushed to new heights on songs. But rather it was the subtle nuances that made certain tunes more captivating at times, and less at others. “Soma” was beautiful, and “Cherub Rock” was heavy and awesome. Towards the end of the set “Beginning is the End is the Beginning” from the 1997 Batman & Robin movie soundtrack was dark and fantastic. Corgan again wore a cape and sung out from the edge of the stage while the lights were lowered into a red and black glow.
The hit single “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” from the classic 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness came after, and was a bit lackluster in energy. Perhaps due to being a Sunday night concert, or the fact that this Shiny and Oh So Bright tour has already passed through many cities, this show at Xcel seemed to be stuck in one gear. While it was always moving forward, the energy didn’t fluctuate much. It was still a very good show however full of 90s rock nostalgia and great tunes. The only thing that was truly missing was original member D’Arcy Wretzky on bass.
Metric
