Below is an excerpt from Break the Fourth‘s review of Smashing Pumpkins’ Louisville concert on Saturday:
From my comments, you can obviously tell that I loved the evening and am most certainly a die-hard Pumpkins fan. I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t comment on the climate of the concert. Sadly, the venue was less than full and sadly, many decided to exit early. Near the end, Billy thanked us all for coming and even thanked those who were leaving early. Obviously, Billy has grown since his fledgling days as a superstar. In those early days he may have had some choice words and exited the stage.
He and the rest of the band delivered a tour-de-force performance, even if the circumstances weren’t perfect.
As a fan of 28 years, it is truly sad to see a waning fan base. To think that a band, and in many cases a band we love, would pour their hearts into creating an experience in the form of a three-hour concert only to have fans leave early is a disgrace. I hope that even casual fans will buy a ticket going forward. This is an experience that is truly unforgettable.
LeoWeekly wrote about the Louisville performance:
After a three-hour set, one couldn’t help wonder how the group stayed on point through such sophisticated songs. Corgan’s voice never wavered and after 31 songs, only a diehard fan of the band’s classic but largely forgotten “Pisces Iscariot” could have wanted more.
AJC wrote about the Atlanta performance on Sunday:
With the pricier tickets topping $100, the long overdue, mostly original four-piece lineup — bassist D’arcy Wretzky wasn’t included — reunion tour of Smashing Pumpkins counted on crowd members in their 40s and 50s longing for some 1990s nostalgia.
And founding members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin and James Iha did not disappoint fans Sunday night at Duluth’s Infinite Energy Arena, playing songs from the group’s inception through 2000 – “Gish,” “Siamese Dream,” “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” “Adore” and “Machina.”
Legacy tours can be tough to pull off and the alternative band known most for hits “Zero,” “Today” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” struggled with ticket sales as the Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour started. A venue representative said the band sold out about half the arena, roughly 6,000 tickets, and few fans arrived before Metric finished its set. But, an hour into the Pumpkins’ set, three-quarters or more of the seats were filled.
Watch the Pumpkins’ very well reviewed Austin performance below in its entirety.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwZ9qoOdG4w
