Billy Corgan Thrills Taste Of Joliet Crowd With 'Great Concert': Joliet Park District

JOLIET, IL — It was not the largest Taste of Joliet crowd for a Friday night concert, but Smashing Pumpkins frontman and Chicago area native Billy Corgan rocked the Taste of Joliet with a lively, high-energy performance, thanks to he and his Machines of God band.

Corgan played on stage from 9 p.m. to about 11:15 p.m. without any breaks. He also brought his two small children onto the stage on two occasions, including at the very end when he stepped forward to acknowledge the large cheering crowd thrilled with his Friday night concert in the City of Champions — Joliet.

"I wrote a little record called Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which is what that song was from," Corgan told his Taste of Joliet audience around the middle of his show. "Of course, it was before all of you were born. Kiki wasn't born yet, Jenna wasn't born yet," Corgan said of his two female guitarists on the stage. (Drummer) Jake and I were working down by the docks.

"You still having a good time?" Corgan asked, drawing about five seconds of cheers and yells of "Billy!"

"So, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, yeah, I may now marry you too, I mean I think Illinois has changed the laws now, it's so progressive, the polygamy, to have three wives, and anyone wants to get married after the show, I'm sure my wife won't mind, or my children."

After another five seconds of crowd laughter, Corgan returned to the mic and said, "I mean, we all know the girls from Joliet," drawing more laughs from the crowd. "Like to party! You know what I'm talking about. No, has it changed? It's not like that here anymore in Joliet, the girls don't like to party anymore? I know, shut the f*** up, I'll get on with the show.

"So, I'd like to play another song from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness for you right now. If you know the lyrics, please sing along. It's about a Joliet girl."

That's when Corgan and his Machines of God launched into "Muzzle" and the crowd loved it.

Before Corgan took the stage, Return To Dust played, and before them was 7th Heaven and Olivia Minogue.

Saturday night will be the always super-popular country night. Country night often draws the biggest crowd of the three days of Taste of Joliet. Saturday night's main headliner is Brett Eldredge.

The gates at Memorial Stadium open at noon on Saturday and Sunday for Taste of Joliet.