SMASHING PUMPKINS with METRIC at Scotiabank Arena, Wednesday, August 8. Rating: NNNN
Toronto’s passionate and unending affair with 90s nostalgia continued unabated at the Scotiabank Arena last night, with a dash of the 70s and the aughts thrown in for good measure. I speak of Smashing Pumpkins and Metric – the tourmates’ Shiny And Oh So Bright tour (complete with classic Siamese Dream/Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness Pumps lineup, minus D’Arcy Wretzky), landed in the Big Smoke, and Corgan & Co. impressed, easily holding the crowd’s attention for over three hours.
Arriving to a cavernous and relatively empty arena, at first it seemed dubious. Through no fault of Metric’s own, they were forced to perform to a trickling-in crowd that was paying attention, but far from loosened up. The audience was appreciative of the band’s showcasing of new material from their upcoming yet-to-be-titled seventh album (out this September), with singer Emily Haines’s voice in good form. But it was guitarist James Shaw’s occasional bouts of guitar shreddery amongst the dancey and anthemic set of songs that established the tone for the night – this was a big night for guitars.
Samuel Engelking
Indeed, the Pumpkins’ performance showcased their high-quality work as a straight-up guitar-rock band. Beneath the steampunk nihilism and Matrix vampire outfits (both of which were on display), the band always stood out because of their ability to mix up loud/quiet/loud grunge, dreamy, swirling guitar tones and big 1970s (1979 specifically, LOL) riffs.
As they performed, the KISS, Alice Cooper and Deep Purple that played on the PA before the show began to make sense. As did the fact that beyond James Iha and Corgan on guitars, the band tours with extra guitarist Jeff Schroeder, adding major depth to their sound and allowing Billy to pace the stage without the instrument for the bulk of the show. Touring keyboardist Katie Cole and bassist Jack Bates kept up with the shenanigans perfectly, with Cole adding lush backing vocals as needed.
It was perhaps the classic rock worship that put me off the group as a youth, when the band was in their heyday. I just never considered them as “authentic grunge” when I was a surly teen who knew more than I know now. They seemed cheesy and whiny and goth in a way that confused me, because it wasn’t any kind of goth I knew. But in the past few years, mid-period singles like The Everlasting Gaze grabbed my attention and their overall sound began to make sense to me. And the maddening aspects of Billy Corgan – his petulance and stormy relations with bandmates somehow charmed me, although it sounds truly difficult being in a band with him. Hence, no D’arcy on this ‘classic lineup’ tour. Her presence was definitely missed, but Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain being there was enough of a gift, with Iha providing the bulk of the stage banter, charming and gracious.
Samuel Engelking
Corgan’s voice was in shockingly good form, and the sheer onslaught of hits and recognizable album cuts (from the aforementioned The Everlasting Gaze, to Cherub Rock, to opening with a solo acoustic version of Disarm) was mind-blowing. The band was a hit factory (they played Zero, Today, Bullet With Butterfly Wings) while still winning over diehards with sprawling deeper cuts like Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans. The frequent instrument changes and breaks were covered by a strange but charming series of videos, and the set was high-tech and fun to look at. I saw the band at Massey Hall a decade ago in its glorified Billy Corgan solo project incarnation and couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but Corgan’s force of will shone through even then, and clearly his obstinacy and determination paid off – the effort felt Herculean, if a little indulgent. Covering Space Oddity, Landslide and Stairway To Heaven underscored the 70s vibe in a way that wasn’t completely necessary but was definitely fun.
Corgan only spoke to the crowd from the midway point on, closing the show by crediting Rush as the Smashing Pumpkins’ reason for existence. It’s easy to see the similarities – divisive vocal tone, technical mastery and big guitars – but this arena show proved the Smashing Pumpkins’ ability to weave it together into something palatable to the mainstream while remaining true to their eccentricities.
Samuel Engelking
music@nowtoronto.com | @theflans
