Smashing Pumpkins keep rockers’ hearts afloat
RESIDENTS of Metro Manila had much to be frustrated about last week, with the heavy downpour inundating over 50 percent of the city; but there was also much to cheer for. Music lovers, in particular, were treated to not one, not two, but three big foreign music acts all in the span of one week. Tears For Fears, Smashing Pumpkins and Snow Patrol all braved the rains and went ahead with shows to please waiting fans.
Coincidentally, the three bands each hit their stride and achieved widespread popularity in the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s respectively. With the demographic of the fans spread out, attendance to all three shows was pretty solid, even factoring in the inclement weather.
Smashing Pumpkins went first. The show, which was originally scheduled on a Tuesday, was pushed back a day because of the floods. Frontman Billy Corgan, the lone original member of the group, seemed laidback and relaxed a day earlier during the press conference; but onstage, he let loose and displayed the passion and energy that made him relatable to countless alternative rock fans in the 1990s.
Along with bassist Nicole Fiorentino, drummer Mike Byrne and guitarist Jeff Schroeder, Corgan appeared amid minimal stage lighting under a gigantic ball that served as a three-dimensional video screen. Random images flashed as the band started the show by playing all the tracks in their latest album, Oceania.
“You need this,” Corgan had said, when asked why they played the entire album during the current tour.
Few in the audience were familiar with the newer songs, and there was a palpable anticipation for when the band would pull out the big guns and play the hits that practically defined a generation almost two decades ago.
By playing an entire set of new material, the band, in a sense, served as the opening act for themselves. The warm up was well-received— despite a coliseum that was half-full at best—but there was no denying what the diehard fans were waiting to hear. After the final song from Oceania, the heavy but poignant “Wildflower,” audiences couldn’t contain their excitement any longer.
The Pumpkins covered David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” before launching into a full assault with “X.Y.U,” “Disarm,” “Tonight, Tonight,” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.” They ended their regular set with “Today.” The lyrics never sounded more heartfelt as when Corgan was wailing them live. “Today is the greatest/ day I’ve ever known/ Can’t live for tomorrow/ Tomorrow’s much too long.”
The band followed up with “Zero,” “Ava Adore,” and “Cherub Rock” for their encore. In a move that endeared them to their fans even more, Corgan said he was extending the regular set and throwing in a few songs that the band hardly play in live shows anymore. This included fan favorite “1979,” “Stand Inside Your Love,” Muzzle,” and an off-the-hinges cover of Kiss’ “Black Diamond” to finally end the show, almost three hours after it began.
While rain continued to fall outside, Corgan made it rain guitar picks inside that a few lucky fans were able to catch. Audiences started piling outside back to the reality of the deluge, breathless and hoarse but with spirits lifted. It was perhaps the best distraction to the nonstop rains that any music lover could have asked for. Watch out for Snow Patrol and Tears For Fears next week.
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