Led by “Our Favorite Stranger” Billy Corgan, the Smashing Pumpkins combined classics immune to the passage of time with welcome surprises in a packed Unimed Space last Sunday (3)
When the Smashing Pumpkins last performed in Brazil, in 2015, “Tonight Tonight” was chosen as one of the hits of Lollapalooza that year. Nine years later, on stage at a Unimed Space crowded, in São Paulo, the idyllic atmosphere of the album track Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness (1995) was also a high point, unchanged by time and in the memory of fans.
It makes sense that the track about the passage of time is one of the show’s apotheotic peaks among fans of the Chicago group. With more than three decades on the road, the troupe of Billy Corgan returns to Brazil with two tour dates The World Is A Vampire Tour – with show at BRB Nilson Nelson Arena on November 1st, in addition to the presentation in São Paulo -, which celebrates the history of the group, an alternative rock phenomenon in the United States in the 1990s, while following its recent evolution of albums such as Tuna: A Rock Opera in Three Acts (2022–2023) and Aghori Mhori Mei (2024).
With this in mind, the presence of the new guitarist draws attention Kiki Wongwho joins the bassist Jack Batesmember of Smashing Pumpkins since 2015, as the “news” for the Brazilian public. But the eyes here inevitably turn to James Iha (guitar) and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums), from the original lineup, and for Corgan’s performance, both serious and charismatic, with his well-known peculiar look wearing a black overcoat with red buttons, reminiscent of a priest from a horror film.
The band took the stage at 8:15 pm, with the songs “The Everlasting Gaze”, from the album Machina/The Machines of God (2000), and “Doomsday Clock”, by Zeitgeist (2007). Then, he delivered “Zoo Station”, a cover of U2which paved the way for the opening solo of “Today” to transport fans back to the celebrated days of Siamese Dream (1993).
It was the starting point for the band to make use of their collection of hits, which, alternated with tracks from the public’s extensive repertoire, gained a lively response from the audience: “Tonight, Tonight”, which followed “That Which Animates the Spirit”, was applauded for a few minutes before closing; “Disarm”, which arrived after “Beguiled” and the anthem “Ava Adore”. Amid other covers – “Landslide” (Fleetwood Mac cover) and “Shine On, Harvest Moon” (Ruth Etting cover) – “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” and “Mayonaise” accurately evoked the most rocking spirits of the MTV era .
With instruments changed practically with each new song, the band continues with “Empires”, the beautiful “Perfect”, “Sighommi” and another hit eagerly awaited by fans: “1979”. Entering the final stretch of the show, came “Jellybelly”, “Gossamer”, “Cherub Rock” and “Zero” (another classic). At the end, the surprise – an unexpected cover of “Ziggy Stardust”with James Iha evoking David Bowie on vocals.
The opening attraction, the King Suitshe revealed, emotionally, “being the opening band several times, but certainly this [para o The Smashing Pumpkins] It was the most special.” A sensation easily echoed by others present, who had an unprecedented spectacle there: in the generous balance between legacy and evolution, between classics and small surprises, Smashing Pumpkins made us believe that, for them, time really doesn’t pass.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
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