Review: Smashing Pumpkins Take TD Garden On Nostalgia Trip

BOSTON, MA — For those who grew up listening to them, it’s hard to imagine that it’s been 30 years since the Smashing Pumpkins first formed. Wasn’t it just yesterday we were listening to their CDs in our discman or watching an animated Billy Corgan shake hands with Homer Simpson? If this rings a bell, the band’s show at the TD Garden Tuesday night was a nostalgia trip just for you.

With 31 songs during a three-hour set, this was more than just playing the hits, this was playing any classic Smashing Pumpkins song than anyone could remember while inciting all possible memories. As Corgan began with an acoustic performance of “Disarm,” familiar symbols and logos from the past scrolled across a video screen - the ice cream van from the music video for “Today,” the moon from “Tonight, Tonight,” and the children from the cover of “Siamese Dream,” to name a few.

From there, it was a show that had not been seen in some time: The tour represents the first time in years that founding members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin were back with the band, not that you could tell the band was ever apart.

Corgan sounded as good as he’s ever been and there was something for everyone no matter what your favorite time period was. Prefer their music just before their 2000 breakup? That’s what “To Sheila” and “The Everlasting Gaze” were for. More of a casual fan? No worry, they played “Tonight, Tonight,” “Today,” Cherub Rock,” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings.” Even “Silva” and “Rhinoceros” from their early days made the cut.

As the face of the band, Corgan is not very personable and paid little attention to the audience, which can be forgiven considering the sheer number of songs they played. The overall performance showed the range the band has.

They can make you want to rock out to “Zero” at one moment and then calm you down for “Landslide,” which was one of only three cover songs they had at. The others were David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.”

Its unlikely anyone went home disappointed, but for the real show, you'll have to head to New Jersey when former Corgan adversary Courtney Love, along with Peter Hook, AFI lead signer Davey Havok, Chino Moreno of the Deftones, the Killers’ Dave Keuning and Mark Stoermer, and Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath join the band for a special 30th anniversary show.

Canadian rockers Metric provided opening support.

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Image Credit: Dan Libon