Coming off almost a month's worth of overseas dates where they alternated festival headlining performances with their own shows, The Smashing Pumpkins returned to the U.S. over the past weekend (June 23, 24) for their first concerts in the country since 2000. These two dates are part of nine unprecedented shows at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, tickets for which sold out as soon as they went on sale. This residency will be followed by an 11-show run of sold-out shows at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco starting July 15.
For the residencies, the Pumpkins invited a diverse array of bands to support them on various shows. The 13 acts are: Celebration, Scissors for Lefty, Deerhunter, The Films, Gliss, Fair to Midland, War Tapes, Test Your Reflex, Idiot Pilot, Moving Units, Stars Of Track & Field, Black Angels and The 88.
These shows coincide with the July 10 release of ‘Zeitgeist’ (Martha's Music/Reprise), the band's much-anticipated sixth album and first of new material since 2000. It features the first single "Tarantula," now positioned at #2 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and #7 on the publication's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart after arriving at radio only a few weeks ago.
The new album represents a powerful rebirth and reaffirmation of the Pumpkins by two of its key members, main singer-songwriter and guitarist Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin). On the road, Billy and Jimmy have welcomed Jeff Schroeder (guitar) and Ginger Reyes (bass) to the line-up, which is supported by keyboardist Lisa Harriton.
In a 6/23 posting from Billy at the Pumpkins website, he talks about the band's residencies in Asheville and San Francisco: "...our stated hope for playing so many shows in a fixed locale is to foster an environment of creativity, risk taking, and mutual community...to attempt to find some new forms (musically and aesthetically) that will point us future forward...this means playing songs not yet written, digging thru some forgotten ones, and a whole lot of rehearsing during the days ahead so the nights will be filled with chance...we hope that each of these performances can be a great adventure, and look fully to capture the spirit of the moment, wherever we all may be...
Also, a clear declaration of our new open-source taping policy...everyone is welcome to tape at our shows in whatever capacity they see fit...anyone is welcome and invited to document using audio, video, or picture cameras (cell phones are welcome)...although we do reserve the right to refuse anyone at anytime (especially if we feel the reason for recording is not for entirely altruistic)...God bless."
The complete list of Pumpkins residency shows with their support acts is as follows:
At the Orange Peel in Ashville, NC, the Smashing Pumpkins with:
Date Support Act
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