Simpsonville, SC (8/27/24) – Formed in Chicago in 1988, The Smashing Pumpkins have gone on to sell over 30 million albums, win Grammy awards and amass a loyal following of fans. Currently out on their “The World is A Vampire Tour” the band made a stop at CCNB Amphitheater in Simpsonville, SC. Simultaneously touring on some dates with Green Day this would be a headlining show for the Pumpkins.
Guest openers PVRIS provided an eclectic set of music that was primarily an electronic pop sound. However, the bands history as a former metal band did give influence to the new sound and made for an oddly satisfying combination. Lead by vocalist/guiyarist Lynn Gunn the band hails from Massachusetts and was formed back in 2009 originally with a different name. The group is currently out supporting their latest 2023 album release “Evergreen.”
The bands mainstay Billy Corgan would be joined fellow original members James Iha (guitar) and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums). Throughout the show the other touring members were given spots to shine as well. Jack Bates (bass) and Katie Cole (backing vocals/guitar/keyboards) have been with the live show since 2015. Guitarist Kiki Wong has been a recent 2024 addition to the live band.
Kicking things off with “The Everlasting Gaze” the band would go on to play a 17 song set. A cover of “Zoo Station” by U2 would lead to a surprisingly early drum solo from Chamberlin only three songs in. The band would feature many songs from their 1994 album “Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness.” “Tonight, Tonight” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” are fan favorites.
Upon the days news of Oasis reuniting Billy preceded to tease the crowd with “Live Forever” before performing “Sighommi” from the Pumpkins 2024 album release, “Aghori Mhori Mei.” The show was surprisingly much heavier than I had expected with a more ballsy and guitar rich sound than the typical trebly frequencies of their recordings. While Iha and the newly added Wong provide most of the flashy guitar work for the ending Corgan did show off his skills late in the show with an extended version of “Gossamer” that had the crowd cheering in excitement.
The stage set up was simple and had no backdrop, typical of most bands, but it did feature a lot of lighting that added to ambience and dynamics of the bands music throughout the set. This presentation all reached a climatic point during the closing 2 songs, “Cherub Rock” and “Zero.” The band provided no encore, which I actually admired as it’s become a cheesy gimmick, and left the crowd begging for more only solidifying their return to venues for future shows.
Dp not altar photos
Copyright: Michael Bragg/MJBragg Photography
