The ’90s are back, folks. The bands of my childhood are reuniting and touring and I’m not the only one who’s excited. This show, for example—the Smashing Pumpkins with special guest Liz Phair at the Civic Opera House—sold out within minutes. And of course it did—how often do you get to see two beloved Chicago acts at their hometown opera house?!
Liz Phair kicked off her all-acoustic set with crowd-pleaser “Johnny Feelgood.” “My parents are actually here tonight,” she said after. “I’m sorry about all the swear words guys,” she joked before diving into “F**k and Run.” Later she fondly recalled attending operas at the theatre with her family as a child. “It’s really special to be standing on this stage,” she acknowledged.
Her set was brief but there were moments when I scanned the scene to find audience members (particularly female audience members) scream/sobbing the lyrics to her songs, many of which came from her critically acclaimed 1993 album, Exile in Guyville. The nostalgia was heavy and even I found myself transported back to my childhood bedroom where those songs used to play so often.
But nothing had me as nostalgic as the thought of the Smashing Pumpkins hitting the stage. The last time I saw them live was in 1998 at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Their set began just as a thunderstorm rolled through and it was as if the Pumpkins had called up mother nature herself. The thunder and lighting were eerily aligned with music, and it was completely, unforgettably badass.
So, yeah…it’d been a while since I’d seen them, which is perhaps why I was so caught off guard when Billy Corgan walked out on stage smiling (!!!) in a suit (!!!) and proceeded to play a folk-heavy (!!!) solo acoustic set with a cherry blossom backdrop (!!!). “This isn’t where you yell dumb shit. No dumb shit tonight. All good vibes,” Corgan explained as I sat there stunned, waiting for him to rip off his coat and start berating us. I wanted angst. I was craving that old school Pumpkins angst. But it’s 2016 and Billy Corgan is seemingly in a good place. “You’re too happy,” a woman yelled at him, confirming that I wasn’t the only one who noticed. (And to clarify: I hope he’s happy! But I also hope he screams in my face when I see him live.)
“Tonight, Tonight” was the highlight of his opening songs, with the lyrics “And the embers never fade/ in your city by the lake” receiving tremendous applause for obvious reasons. Slowly but surely members of the band began to make their way to the stage. After an incredible cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” by Corgan and current Pumpkins’ guitarist Jeff Schroeder, the audience was surprised with original Pumpkins’ guitarist, James Iha. What happened next was, in my opinion, the clear show highlight: Corgan, Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin (original band member and drummer) and the rest of the band played multiple tracks from Siamese Dream, an album that changed my life in 8th grade.
“Tonight we’re doing the Siamese Dream era,” Billy proclaimed to the ecstatic audience. “Mayonaise,” “Soma,” “Spaceboy,” and more came one after the other, all culminating in a particularly gorgeous version of “Disarm.” The song arrangements were stripped down to their bare essentials. They were softer, more resolved versions of the originals that highlighted the musical prowess of each band member and the particular genius of Corgan who’s allowed the songs to evolve without stripping them of their meaning.
This is not the Smashing Pumpkins of the 1990s, and for less obvious reasons than the fact that they’re without half of their original members. However, that’s not to say that the Smashing Pumpkins of today aren’t worth your time. They are. Just prepare yourself for a new type of energy—a more contented one. And ballads. Lots of ballads.
LIZ PHAIR
Liz Phair Setlist:
Johnny Feelgood
Fuck and Run
Polyester Bride
Stratford-on-Guy
Our Dog Days Behind Us
Extraordinary
Mesmerizing
Supernova
Never Said
Why Can’t I?
Divorce Song
The Smashing Pumpkins Setlist:
Cardinal Rule
Stumbleine
Tonight, Tonight
The World’s Fair (Billy Corgan song)
Space Oddity (David Bowie cover)
Thirty-Three (with Liz Phair)
Jesus, I / Mary Star of the Sea (Zwan cover)
Mayonaise (with James Iha)
Soma (with James Iha)
Rocket (with James Iha)
Spaceboy (with James Iha)
Today (with James Iha)
Whir (with James Iha)
Disarm (with James Iha)
Sorrows (In Blue) (Billy Corgan song)
Eye
Saturnine
Identify (Natalie Imbruglia cover)
1979
Stand Inside Your Love
Pinwheels
Lily (My One and Only)
Malibu (Hole cover)
The Spaniards
Encore:
Angie (The Rolling Stones cover) (with James Iha)
