HU Podcast #100: Pumpkins Play Corpus Christi 9:32 pm // Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Posted by chris in live, podcast.2 comments
I sat down with two attendees of the Corpus Christi show on the recent Shamrocks and Shenanigans tour to find out about said shenanigans during one of the band’s final scheduled American tour dates. We discussed the shrinking number of live Oceania songs being performed, the surprising lack of new music, and of course the usual crowd, merchandise, and performance notes.
Listen to the full podcast (34:26)
Panelists
-Chris, Jason, and special guest Stacy
Closing Song
Starz (April 29th, 2013)
HU Podcast #99: Smashing Pumpkins Play South By Southwest 6:14 pm // Friday, March 22, 2013
Posted by chris in live, podcast.comments closed
This week is (mostly) all about the Pumpkins’ performance at South By Southwest. Jason, Susan, and our special guest discuss the band, the opening acts, the venue, the volume, the long-lost mid-show acoustic set, and even the pre-show house music. At the end, we take a few minutes to discuss the return of the VIP experience and the possibility of no new music in 2013.
Listen to the full podcast (1:20:36)
Panelists
-Chris, Jason, Susan, and special guest Stephen
Closing Song
United States (October 16th, 2010)
HU Podcast #97: 3D Movie and MCIS Deluxe 7:23 pm // Thursday, January 31, 2013
Posted by chris in mellon collie, movies and film, podcast, tour.comments closed
It has been so long since our last show that we went quite long with our latest podcast, so I split it into two parts. In part one, we talked about the Brooklyn show that was filmed in 3D for possible future release and the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness deluxe edition.
Listen to the full podcast (41:12)
Panelists
-Chris, Jill, and Susan
Topics
-Jill fills us in on the Brooklyn show and we discuss the possibility of three full dimensions of the Smashing Pumpkins in a theater near you. (17:30)
-We lament the pricing of the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness reissue but marvel at the wealth of bonus material and beautiful packaging. (22:35)
Tune in next time for part two, featuring our thoughts on Lucky 13 and Kickstarter as well as a look ahead at the Pumpkins in 2013.
HU Podcast #96: Oceania in St. Louis and Chicago 5:35 pm // Thursday, October 25, 2012
Posted by chris in mellon collie, podcast, tour.comments closed
After attending a show last week, I had to bring on some fellow concertgoers this week to talk about our experiences (mine in St. Louis, theirs in Chicago). As an added bonus, our special guest took part in the VIP festivities and gives us a rundown of the experience. Did the sparse crowd dampen my spirit? Did the orb burn the lies off of our souls? Tune in and find out…
Listen to the full podcast (51:08)
Panelists
-Chris, Alex, and special guest Doug
Song of the Week
A Song for a Son (October 18, 2012)
Thanks to everyone who wrote in and volunteered to be on the podcast. Unfortunately I probably won’t have time to do any more shows before the end of this tour, but the offer stands in the future. Sorry to those that wrote in that I didn’t get to; hopefully we can have you on next time around.
HU Podcast #94: “Oceania” Tour Hits the States 11:27 am // Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Posted by chris in mellon collie, podcast, tour.comments closed
This week I talked with two people who attended warm-up club shows in advance of the arena tour proper. We also touched on some other recent Smashing Pumpkins news, including the VIP packages that are being offered and the reissue of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
Listen to the full podcast (46:52)
Panelists
-Chris, Andrew, and Weston
Topics
-Andrew files a report from the show at Stubb’s Barbecue in Austin, Texas, which included the US debut of new song “Black Sunshine“. (9:54)
-Weston details the shorter, Sunshine-less show at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (7:36)
-We discuss the VIP packages that are available for the larger venues in the Canadian and US legs of the tour. (10:42)
-We anticipate hearing the details of the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness reissue, although we recorded this before the full tracklisting and release date were announced. (11:22)
Song of the Week
Black Sunshine, Austin, TX (September 27, 2012)
If you’re attending an upcoming show, especially if you’re ponying up the cash for the VIP package, and would be willing to join us for a podcast, let us know (note: if you’ve already contacted us and haven’t heard back from me, sit tight).
Corgan inaugurates Madame ZuZu’s with three live sets 10:02 pm // Thursday, September 13, 2012
Posted by susan in live, Madame ZuZu's, news, video.comments closed
Today, for the opening of his tea house in Highland Park, IL, Billy Corgan treated fans to free tea and three live performances. Corgan played around 1PM, again at 4PM, and for a third and final time at 7PM.
During the first set, Corgan was joined by Greg Bates, who contributed to acoustic guitar to a rousing group singing of “Today.” Bates recorded songs with Corgan as Coat of Eyes, a short-lived band active before Corgan departed for Florida in 1985 to form The Marked, his better-known pre-Pumpkins band.
The second set featured live rarity “Jupiter’s Lament” and “The Rite of Spring,” a track Corgan debuted in July.
I’m still looking for additional information on the third set, but Corgan apparently switched to Madame ZuZu’s rare Bosendorfer piano and played some more tunes.
The entire first set and the first two songs of the second set are available as a playlist from YouTube user goingonsix. Below, check out “Today,” featuring Greg Bates:
Smashing Pumpkins announce three additional US dates 8:33 pm // Monday, September 3, 2012
Posted by susan in news, tour.comments closed
According to updates made to the official Smashing Pumpkins Facebook page this evening, the band is to play three additional dates just prior to those previously announced for their Canadian and US Oceania tour. The band will play Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater in Austin on September 27, Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa on September 28, and Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee on September 30. Tickets for all three shows go on sale on Friday.
Smashing Pumpkins announce dates for U.S. ‘Oceania’ tour 6:07 pm // Saturday, August 25, 2012
Posted by susan in news, tour, video.comments closed
In a video posted today to the Smashing Pumpkins’ official YouTube account, bandleader Billy Corgan gives fans an introduction to the band’s ongoing Oceania tour. Corgan discusses topics including how the band went about translating the songs of Oceania to the stage, the writing process for “Panopticon,” the process of selecting of songs for the tour, the creation of the tour’s complex visuals, and his bandmates’ contributions to Oceania.
The band’s U.S. tour includes the following dates:
October 10 – Everett, WA – Comcast Arena
October 12 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
October 13 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
October 14 – Universal City, CA – Gibson Amphitheatre
October 16 – Broomfield, CO –1st Bank Center
October 18 – St Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
October 19 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
October 20 – St. Paul, MN – Roy Wilkens Auditorium
October 23 – Auburn Hills, MI – Palace of Auburn Hills
October 27 – Boston, MA – Agganis Arena
October 31 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
November 2 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
November 3 – Fairfax, VA – Patriot Center
November 4 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
UPDATE: According to Pumpkins friend site Crestfallen.com, the Smashing Pumpkins are planning a southern leg of the United States Oceania tour. There is a rumored South American tour date at a Chilean music festival that runs November 10-11, around a week after the Pumpkins’ Connecticut gig; if that rumor proves to be true, the proposed southern leg may not directly follow the northern leg.
Cities named for Pumpkins’ U.S. tour, starting Oct. 10 in Seattle 9:21 am // Thursday, August 23, 2012
Posted by jjb in news, tour.comments closed
The Smashing Pumpkins will begin a “major U.S. arena tour” on October 10, with fourteen “confirmed U.S. tour markets” named in a press release that promises “more to follow.”
The first tour date is in Seattle, but neither dates nor venues are given for the other cities listed, which are: San Francisco; San Diego; Los Angeles; Denver; St. Louis; Chicago; Minneapolis; Detroit; Boston; Brooklyn; Camden, N.J.; Fairfax, Va.; and Uncasville, Conn.
The press release indicates that there will be a “limited amount of VIP Packages” similar to those available for the band’s shows in Canada.
UPDATE: The San Francisco date is October 12 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
October dates in Canada frame Pumpkins’ North American tour 12:42 pm // Monday, August 20, 2012
Posted by susan in canada, news, tour, venues.comments closed
The Smashing Pumpkins have expanded their North American tour in support of Oceania to a second country with the addition of six shows in Canada during the month of October. Tickets are already on sale for two shows in Mexico on September 22 and 23. There is a week-long gap between the second Mexican date and the start of the Canadian shows on October 2 in Winnipeg. The Pumpkins will follow the Winnipeg gig with shows in Calgary on the 4th, Edmonton on the 5th, and Vancouver on the 7th. After Vancouver, there is a gap of over two weeks before the band hits Toronto on the 25th of October and Montreal on the 28th. We are still awaiting U.S. tour dates that will presumably fill in some of the gaps between current bookings; the rumored Halloween show in Brooklyn would slot in nicely after Montreal.
According to today’s Winnipeg Free Press, the band intends to sell VIP passes to the show, “which may include a premium ticket, a three-song backstage performance and interview session with the band, an autographed tour poster, a copy of Oceania and some special merch.” Details of the VIP passes are supposed to be available at SmashingPumpkins.com, but as yet I don’t see this information posted.
These dates comprise the band’s first visit to Canada since 2008, and the first stops in Winnipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton since the reformation of the band. In order to accommodate the band’s complex Oceania stage show, they are visiting large venues, primarily NHL hockey arenas. For all the details of the tour, check out SPFC.org.
Tickets for the first five Canadian shows go on sale Friday at 10am at Ticketmaster.ca, with a presale promised tomorrow at 10am. The Montreal show will be vended via Evenko.ca.
Smashing Pumpkins wrap first leg of ‘Oceania’ tour, prep for more 10:11 pm // Friday, August 17, 2012
Posted by susan in news, tour.comments closed
The Smashing Pumpkins have completed the first leg of touring in support of their recent album Oceania, having played eight dates in Australia and Asia. At most of these dates, the band played the entirety of their latest album in order followed by some of their classic tracks; to get a taste of what the show is like, I recommend checking out the recording of the Pumpkins’ lengthy Manila show at archive.org.
Now that the tour has wrapped, band members are pursuing individual projects for a few weeks. Pumpkins bassist Nicole Fiorentino’s band Cold and Lovely, who recently released their first music video, will play in LA on August 30, while drummer Mike Byrne’s Bearcubbin’! will play a series of late August dates in Washington state. It remains to be seen if the Smashing Pumpkins will record new material during this time, as suggested by frontman Billy Corgan back in July.
The Pumpkins will resume touring in late September, playing Mexico City on the 22nd and Monterrey on the 23rd. Details of the Pumpkins’ tour of North America are expected perhaps as early as the end of next week. Reports have surfaced about an arena gig in Brooklyn on Halloween night. Billy Corgan also tweeted about the possibility of a handful of Canada shows, something Canadian fans have eagerly anticipated for several years now. Subsequent to the North American tour, rumors are circulating about the Pumpkins returning to South America for a Chilean music festival in November.
HU Podcast #93: “Oceania” Tour 1:37 pm // Saturday, August 11, 2012
Posted by chris in oceania, ozphoria, podcast, tour.comments closed
This week I was joined by Simon from Ozphoria, who attended all but one of the Australia and New Zealand portion of the current tour supporting Oceania. We talked about the early results of playing the new album straight through, the logistics of traveling and performing with a gargantuan guest star, and even got a hint of some songs that haven’t been performed yet but may show up on setlists in the near future.
Listen to the full podcast (42:39)
Panelists
-Chris and Simon
Song of the Week
Violet Rays, Melbourne, Australia (August 2, 2012)
Smashing Pumpkins Rock Rainy Manila 6:06 pm // Thursday, August 9, 2012
Posted by apm in tour, video.comments closed
A day after it was postponed, the Smashing Pumpkins’ first concert in the Philippines went ahead on August 8 in spite of continued rain and flooding from Typhoon Haikui. The concert at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City was delayed a further hour to allow more time for people to arrive, but according to news accounts the Pumpkins still played to a half-filled arena. But that it was half-filled is completely understandable given the obstacles fans faced, as at least 250,000 people were evacuated due to the flood waters swamping metro Manila. One fan tweeted that she walked for 3 kilometers in waist-deep flood waters. Before the show, Billy Corgan tweeted that the Manila fans would receive a “special show bonus”, which turned out to be an extended encore which included the band’s first performance of “Stand Inside Your Love” since 2010. Perhaps channeling General Douglas MacArthur Billy also promised to return to make up for their weather-marred first visit.
Here in mid-encore, Billy thanks the crowd before launching into “1979″.
Moonsongs From Down Under 10:22 am // Thursday, August 2, 2012
Posted by apm in tour, video.comments closed
Smashing Pumpkins bid a fond farewell to Australia by playing Luna for the first time* since 1994 in Melbourne. (*Billy Corgan performed a solo version during the Oceania cruise.) Hoping the tapers were ready.
Update (again): Youtube user DrCopperpot uploaded a great multi-cam version of Luna. Thanks to our commenters for the repeated nudges. And thanks to DrCopperpot for his continued great YouTube uploads!
‘Oceania’ tour, media support continue 6:10 pm // Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Posted by chris in tour, video.comments closed
Following the debut of the much anticipated full playthrough of the Oceania album in Perth last week, the Smashing Pumpkins headlined the Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay with a more-standard festival setlist with the notable addition of quasi-single The Celestials. This review from Australian independent music site Music Feeds spills the details, although the reviewer sounds a bit disappointed that bandleader Billy Corgan did not erupt into one of his trademark rants. The crowd seems to be enjoying old standard Today in this clip:
The sizable spheroid returned last night in Sydney, as did the full run through Oceania. Between shows, Corgan appeared on Australian morning shows Sunrise and The Morning Show to discuss the tour, the album, the music industry and even the state of Australian politics.
The Oceania tour continues in Melbourne on Thursday and Auckland on Saturday before venturing out of geopolitical Oceania for a few dates.
When he could, he did! Iha plays “Mayonaise” live in Korea 10:52 am // Saturday, July 28, 2012
Posted by jjb in james iha, live, south korea, video.comments closed
Above: On Friday, the Smashing Pumpkins cofounder sent this heart to all his dearies. (YouTube)
UPDATE: Here is a more complete video, shot close to the stage but with overdriven sound.
James Iha plays Korean fest, adds October dates in U.S. 12:28 pm // Friday, July 27, 2012
Posted by susan in james iha, japan, news, south korea, tour.comments closed
James Iha performed this afternoon at the Jisan Valley music festival in South Korea. Iha appears to have been backed by the same band that he performed a few US dates with back in April, including, at least, Frank LoCrasto and Steve Schiltz from that lineup. While in Korea, Iha sat for the press. We’ll keep you updated if video or audio of the set surfaces.
On Sunday, Iha will play Japanese festival Fuji Rock and, according to EMI Japan, he is also set to appear on Japanese radio that day.
Yesterday, Iha had posted additional tour dates to his official website (click on “shows,” or if flash is causing problems for you, try SPFC). Tickets went on sale this morning for early October shows in Boston (4th), New York City (5th), Hoboken (6th), and Philadelphia (7th). Iha has also added another Japanese gig for September, this one in Kyoto on the 22nd.
Additionally, EMI Japan has announced that Iha will appear on an upcoming compilation album. Iha will cover the Yukihiro Takahashi song “Where are You Heading To?” for Red Diamond – Tribute to Yukihiro Takahashi. Due out on August 8 in Japan, there is a deluxe version of the album, limited to 2000 pieces, which comes with a Vaporize brand t-shirt designed by Iha and emblazoned with a line-drawing of Takahashi’s face. Earlier this year, Iha got to meet Takahashi in Tokyo.
UPDATE: Iha is said by some Twitter users to have played the Smashing Pumpkins song “Mayonaise” during his set today.
Get a glimpse of Smashing Pumpkins’ performance in Perth 11:58 pm // Thursday, July 26, 2012
Posted by jjb in live, video.comments closed
It’s just like being way in the back!
Above: Fan-shot video of “Glissandra” and “Inkless”, July 26 at Challenge Stadium (YouTube)
There’s more where that came from. SPFC.org has the concert setlist.
Smashing Pumpkins launch Oceanic ‘Oceania’ tour in Perth tonight 10:28 pm // Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Posted by susan in australia, live, news, tour.comments closed
The Smashing Pumpkins will enter Challenge Stadium in Perth suburb Mount Claremont this evening for the start of the first leg of their Oceania tour. The Pumpkins plan to play through the album in order (an idea band leader Billy Corgan has been tossing around for quite some time), accompanied by a complex stage show that required extensive rehearsals. Additionally, the band members plan to share keyboard duties throughout the shows. The band has been in Australia for nearly a week already and have a leaked out a few images of their stage setup. Yet many questions remain: What older songs will make appearances? How will octopi and turtles feature in the shows? How many faces will be melted?
There will be several ways to follow along live with the proceedings in Perth tonight. Hometown fansite Ozphoria will be tweeting from their account, and you might check the Twitter list of attendees they’re putting together as well. Tour promoters Secret Sounds are pushing the #SPAU hashtag; we’ll see how that works out. The smartphone app SnapReplay will allow concert attendees to upload and share photos from the gig in real time.
Smashing Pumpkins will play a series of dates in Oceania (the quasi-continent), with a total of five dates in Australia and New Zealand, then single dates in the Philippines, Taiwan, and South Korea. US tour dates are expected in October.
The Pumpkins will be supported in Perth by local band Sugar Army. Neo-psych stoner metalheads Wolfmother will serve as the opener in both Melbourne and Sydney, and the dramatically named Die! Die! Die! will get things started in Auckland.
James Iha announces additional concerts in Asia 1:46 pm // Sunday, July 15, 2012
Posted by susan in james iha, japan, look to the sky, news, south korea, tour.comments closed
James Iha has announced a few additional tour dates in support of his second solo album, Look to the Sky. On July 27, Iha will put in an appearance at the Jisan Valley Rock Festival in Icheon-si, South Korea. On the 29th, Iha will perform, as previously announced, at Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival. Then, in September, Iha will play two club dates in Japan; he will hit Osaka on the 24th of that month and Tokyo on the 26th. According to CD Journal’s announcement of the September shows, Iha may be touring with a 20-piece band from Brooklyn (!?!).
According to a recent announcement, Look to the Sky will finally see a U.S. release on September 18 of this year, having been out in Japan since March. Last week, Iha took to Twitter to tease fans with images of goodies for pre-order bundles and promised an album-related announcement on Monday.
