To paraphrase William Patrick Corgan, ‘Today is a great day in my life.’ from the song ‘Today’ off their second album, Siamese Dream.
I was grinning ear to ear watching the Smashing Pumpkins for the first time in my life. How lucky can someone like me be?
I saw Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin in the prime of their careers, but that was with Zwan at the Irving Plaza in New York when they were promoting Mary, Star of the Sea; their one and only album.
I was also grinning from ear to ear then, as the band was stocked with alternative rock heroes – Filipino-American David Pajo was from post-hardcore band Slint, bassist Paz Lenchantin was from alternative metal supergroup A Perfect Circle, and guitarist Matt Sweeney became known during his time with math rockers Chavez. Even more cool was I was able to get a photo with Lenchantin and Pajo (Corgan was chatting with Albert Hammond Jr. of the Strokes and Evan Dando of the Lemonheads at that time).
I missed the Smashing Pumpkins show in Manila in 2012 when they were promoting the album, Oceania, which, in my opinion, is their last great album and outside the band’s classic line-up.
So, I wondered if I’d ever get to see the Pumpkins.
If it were just Billy Corgan, I wouldn’t have watched as much as I am a fan of his. After all, I had seen him with Zwan. What sweetened this was James Iha, who returned to the band in 2018, and of course, Jimmy Chamberlin, who, as I always say, reminded me of a young Keith Moon during his younger years.
There’s a new guitarist, the vivacious Kiki Wong, whom I first saw on TikTok.
And of course, Jack Bates on bass, who is the son of one of the greatest bassists this world has ever known in Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order, and his current band, the Light.
Now, if only D’Arcy Wretzky returned.
As the band raced through their classic hits, I remembered how much their songs were an integral part of my young adult life in the 1990s. It would be easy to say that they never cut another great album after the Machines of God in 2000. But they did with the brilliant Oceania in 2012 and the surprisingly good Oh Shiny Oh So Bright in 2018.
Watching them on this special night, I was minding the trio of guitarists – Corgan, Iha, and Wong as to who would play what riffs and lines. And I was also observing Bates’ bass playing and how I was having to do a double-take because at times, I thought I was seeing Peter Hook (except for how the latter uses his bass like a lead guitar).
While Corgan, Iha, and Chamberlin are obviously older, what I loved was the interplay between the former two.
The contentious early years of the band saw its descent into chaos and eventual dissolution. But now. as they hit senior citizen age in a year or so, it was good to see smiles.
Besides, since Iha’s and Chamberlin’s return in 2018, they have cut four albums; their longest since 1991’s Gish, all the way to Machina II where they put out six albums.
I couldn’t help but notice that on the band’s left side of the stage are what I thought of the moment, their ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wing’ – they should be one day – of Corgan, Iha, and Chamberlin. On their right side were Wong and Bates. Although Wong crossed over to the other side, as did Iha on a couple of occasions, Bates stayed put.
Just saying.
And I loved that it was a longer setlist than their show in Korea. It made the evening special for the sold-out crowd at the Big Dome.
People might say that the band has seen better days. Maybe. But as evidenced by their recent albums that have been acclaimed, the Smashing Pumpkins are still rocking away. ‘Rock Invasion’ indeed.
It is 5:59 in the morning, September 30, and I am still grinning from ear to ear.