A sold-out Barclays Center in the heart of Brooklyn on the rainy evening of Sunday, October 4th, as ’90s alt-rock legends The Smashing Pumpkins took the stage as part of their “Rats in a Cage” Tour, celebrating 30 years of their magnum opus “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness”. Yes. I lost my breath too when I realized it’s been 30 years since I *ahem* “purchased” that 2-CD set from Columbia House back in 1995 (by pay, I mean they DID get the penny that I taped to the postcard).
First thing I will say is that I’m not sure if it was specific to this show or the entire tour; there really needed to be screens. For the bulk of the arena who weren’t on the floor, and this goes for any arena show, we would really like screens to enhance the experience. However, I will give the highest props to the Barclays Center for this – one idiot accidentally spilled his $20 beer when he bumped into his seat, spilling it everywhere. I can’t believe it, but they ACTUALLY replaced my … I mean his, beer. That guy is forever grateful.
The crowd was filled with a slew of ages. We Gen Xers and some early Millennials came to hear the music of our youth and teenage years. Older fans of classic rock came out as well because, let’s face it, the Pumpkins are now classic rock. I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of kids under 25 flock out to see their heroes that they didn’t grow up with in real time. It made me reminisce about the ’90s when I was seeing bands from the ’60s in person. It gave me hope for that generation. And man, does that generation have money to spend on merch. The entire show, lines were constant at the few merch tables scattered on the floor level of the arena. I went out several times to get merch for my nephew just to meet 30+ minute lines or constant sell-outs. He did end up with, like, his 8th choice of a shirt, but he got one!
The first half of the set was truly marvelous. With a simple but vibrant backdrop reminiscent of an old theater, it showed imagery consistent with the music videos of the time, and often displayed the words to lesser-known songs from the “Mellon Collie” album. Although not in track order, the bulk of the classic album was played starting with the opening “1979,” which bled directly into “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.” The band sounded incredible and tight, with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin being showcased throughout, and guitarist James Iha’s soaring melodies cutting through the crowd. Songs such as “Thirty Three,” “Zero,” and “Muzzle” all sounded fantastic, with the latter two getting the crowd, which was surprisingly lackluster in my section, actually off their phones and moving. But it was undoubtedly the brilliant “Tonight, Tonight” which was the highlight for most. Hearing that first set reminded us of the number of great songs on the album that didn’t get the airplay that those others did, but remain in the pantheon of some of the best songs in the Pumpkins catalog. “Cupid de Locke,” “Here is No Why,” “By Starlight,” and “Galapagos” were all fantastic works that were an honor to hear live, and that may not get played in a traditional Pumpkins set.
After the break, the Pumpkins delved deeper into their post-’90s catalogue, performing songs from 2000’s “Machina,” 2023’s “Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts,” and 2024’s “Aghori Mhori Mei,” which honestly lost much of the crowd. Nothing against the band or the way they sounded – they sounded great. But the first set pushed nearly two hours and was full of a bunch of deep cuts (that did belong, of course), and after the intermission, lethargy may have crept in. I think if they cut some of those songs and dispersed the hits that they did play, they would have kept the crowd better. On a trip to the bathroom, the banter that I eavesdropped on was everyone saying that they wished they played more hits and didn’t like the songs. Again, I think a little tweaking could have changed that, as the show, soup to nuts, pushed about three and a half hours with an intermission on a Sunday night in Brooklyn, which is not easy to come and go from. I want to emphasize: this was not that the band sounded bad. They were amazing. The second set was just a bit bloated.
That didn’t mean it didn’t have some great high points, though. Iconic early hits from “Siamese Dream” were amongst the high points of the night, with “Disarm” coming in 1/3 of the way through the second set, and “Today” and “Cherub Rock” coming later in the set. Apart from “Tonight Tonight”, the most audience interaction may have been when they performed cult favorite “Mayonnaise” from Siamese Dream, which was released as a single in 2023 as part of the 30th anniversary reissue of the landmark album. I would say 70% of the crowd had their cell phones recording it, to my surprise. The show ended with deep, deep cuts “Jesus is the Sun,” “The Everlasting Gaze,” and an a capella version of “Superchrist.” A drum solo by Chamberlin was mixed in and was tremendous. I just wish it was earlier in the set and would have garnered a better reaction as those final songs had much of the crowd leaving, enjoying the show, but not on the high note as if they ended with, say, “Everlasting Gaze,” Today,” and “Cherub Rock,” which was their first single. This discussion took up much of the car ride home. As much as I love going to shows, I hate seeing people leaving drained instead of on high notes.
The show was long, but it was fantastic. The visuals (which would have been enjoyed more with screens) were simplistic and appropriate. The band was raw and ferocious, and by the many generations in attendance, the songs were timeless. It is about time that the Pumpkins see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as they were one of the stalwarts of the era that has seen many of their peers already inducted. It was incredible living through those songs in real time and great to see and hear them over 30 years later, still on top of their game.
Smashing Pumpkins setlist can be found here.
