Upcoming Show: Smashing Pumpkins at the Gibson Ampitheatre, Universal City, CA - December 2 and 3

Smashing Pumpkins are playing the Gibson Ampitheatre at Universal City in Cali TODAY and TOMORROW. Sorry that I was slow on the uptake on that, but the tryptophan from the Thanksgiving turkey is still coursing through my system.

As we 90's fans all know, Smashing Pumpkins were huge. They HAD to be spoken about in the same breath as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. I have not seen them play live yet, so I am really curious as to what Billy Corgan's going to bring to these sets. He was famous back then for having an iron hand grip on the band, to the extent of playing all the instruments on the records, and eschewing songwriting input from fellow band members. He thought he was the jam, basically. From hearing from those people who have already seen this 20th anniversary tour, this may not be the case.

Barring what's happening with this band today, they were an innovative and often hard-driving band with some admittedly killer tunes under their belt. The entirety of 1991's "Gish" is an excellent driving record (I figured out many a problem by jumping in my car and blasting this album); 1993's "Siamese Dream" was an instant rock classic with "Cherub Rock," "Disarm," and the perennial "Today"; 1995's concept album-ish "Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness" was somewhat indulgent and bloated, but boasted some barn-burner tracks like "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Zero," "1979," and my favorite, "Thirty-Three." This kind of track record is not to be underestimated. See them if you can.

Here's some videos for songs off of each of their 90's albums:



Smashing Pumpkins - I Am One from their 1991 album, Gish



Smashing Pumpkins - Quiet (Live in Atlanta 1993) from their 1993 album, Siamese Dream



Smashing Pumpkins - Thirty-Three from their 1995 album, Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness



Smashing Pumpkins - Zero from 1995's Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness



Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore from their 1998 album, Adore

And for you fans of hardcore out there:



Evergreen Terrace - Zero (Live in Toronto) from their 2004 album, Writer's Block