Smashing Pumpkins provide nostalgia but little relevance

The last time I was at the Providence Performing Arts Center (aka PPAC) I was about 12 years old watching “Grease” with my grandmother. Needless to say, last night was a little different. Smashing Pumpkins whirled into Providence last night, another stop on their reunion tour in support of the new album Zeitgeist. I haven’t gotten Zeitgeist yet, nor do I own their previous 3 albums. Lets just say I went to see some of my favorite mid-nineties rock and roll songs, early era Pumpkins.

Although the set list drew mostly from the new album and previous industrial ones (like Machina 1+2 and Adore) they did throw some classics down. First off was the seldom heard “Starla”, a wonderful tune hidden in the second half of Pisces Iscariot. The next big tune for me was the orchestral opus “Tonight Tonight” which didn’t disappoint. I was extremely impressed with the lights at the show. The Pumpkins had huge triangular lighting rigs and a lighting designer who surely knew the band very well. Lots of synchronizing with the music, not just random light scenes which is so often the case these days.

The one draw back would have to be the volume. I hate to be an old fart but if I didn’t know the song, there was no way to decipher any lyrics. Billy’s voice was drowned (Oh I wish they played “Drown”!) out by the mass fuzz of the guitars and drums. The only part where the beautiful historic theatre’s acoustics were put on display was during the solo acoustic portion of the show. Billy playing a solo “1979" made me wish the whole show was solo acoustic. It sounded “Like buttah” (to quote Linda Richman). After a terrible closing song complete with crappy sing along “I love Rock and Roll” teases ( I mean come on guys, I think even Britney covered that song) the Pumpkins reemerged to encore with the epic rocker, “Cherub Rock”, which sent me back to my eighth grade bed room listening to Siamese Dream. Which, admittedly was the reason I was there in the first place.

The opener was the trendy, overrated, shoegazing, effects-dependent Explosions in the Sky. These 4 guys from Texas (big whoop) spend more time crouching on their knees toying with their effects pedals than actually playing their instruments. Their sound is cool for about 2 minutes until you realize everything they do sounds the exact same. Lamo.....

Set List: Starla, United States > Star Spangled Banner* > United States, Bleeding the Orchid, Neverlost, Stand Inside Your Love, Tonight Tonight, Tarantula, Ava Adore, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Home, Bring the Lights, 1979**, Perfect**, God and Country**, Set the Ray to Jerry, Today, Thats the Way My Love Is, Superchrist, Doomsday Clock, Heavy Metal Machine > I love Rock and Roll***

E: Cherub Rock

* Just Billy and Jimmy. ** solo acoustic. “Perfect” had Jimmy on Tambourine. *** Joan Jett cover, one verse only