Photo by Xavier Marquis – Forest National in Brussels, Belgium on November 7th, 2011.

Show after show, The Smashing Pumpkins delivered unexpurgated sensuality mixed with bacchanal force. The overall sound was rich and complex, as atmospheric noises like thunder, calliope music and heavy reverb filled the air. In true Pumpkins fashion, these elements conjured ear-bleeding rock and roll with a tone of warmth and compassion. The upcoming songs from Oceania follow the same approach as they range from being loud, violent, an avalanche of corrosive guitars to tear-inducing elegies.

Here are links to full concerts:

• The Smashing Pumpkins at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA, USA on October 5th, 2011 (video)
• The Smashing Pumpkins at Terminal 5 in New York City, NY, USA on October 18th, 2011 (video)
• The Smashing Pumpkins at Le Zénith in Paris, France on November 9th, 2011 (audio)
• Billy Corgan at Le Chat in Lisbon, Portugal on December 10th, 2011 (video)

Photo by Nuria Perez – O2 Academy Brixton in London, England on November 16th, 2011.

Over the course of the tour, The Smashing Pumpkins showered fans with gifts and marked the following noteworthy events:

Last time played: Geek U.S.A. (1999-04-24 – Roxy, Los Angeles, CA), Window Paine (1994-08-27 – Lollapalooza ’94, Mountain View, CA), Frail and Bedazzled (1995-08-23 – Club SFX, Dublin, IE), Obscured (1992-07-23 – Metro, Chicago, IL), Thru the Eyes of Ruby (2000-12-02 – Metro, Chicago, IL), For Martha (2000-12-02 – Metro, Chicago, IL), Pissant (1995-02-28 – Double Door, Chicago, IL), I Am One (2000/12/02 – Metro; Chicago, IL, US) and For Your Love (2005/07/28 – The Marquee; Sydney, AU)

First Known Performance: Quasar, Panopticon, Oceania, Lightning Strikes, Pale Horse (+acoustic version) and Pinwheels (+acoustic version)

You can view some more detailed tour statistics at setlist.fm.

Photo by Nathan Iverson – Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO, USA on October 10th, 2011.

Well, it was definitely more work than I anticipated documenting all of the audio, visuals and memories from this tour. Nevertheless, I do hope that each recap will be a great resource for fans to use to relive their favorite memories. Overall, the most memorable moment for me was when Billy stretched out his right leg and struck the initial chords of Geek U.S.A. for the first time since 1999 at the Los Angeles show on October 5th. To me, that was a complete break from the chains of the past and the band catapulting into the future leaving all of the doubters behind.

The Smashing Pumpkins and Ringo Deathstarr bid you farewell. Until next time…

There is a lot to look forward to in 2012 as the band would like to tour in Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, Japan, Europe, Canada and the United States. Billy Corgan has also hinted to playing Oceania in full during the first leg of the tour. We will post the dates for the 2012 tour as soon as they become available!

Here is to more moments like these!

“The Pumpkins just delivered the most face melting, mind blowing, run me over with a semi-truck 1000 times hard hitting concert I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to my share. The audience AFTER the encore was deafening for what felt like 5 minutes.” – Jase

“I was there and I have to say that I wasn’t expecting them to be even a shadow of the original band. Boy was I wrong, they knocked my socks off, along with the shirt of the girl standing behind me.” – Steve Stroup

Photo by Barry Brecheisen

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru The Eyes of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore
20. Pissant
21. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

Click for 6 pictures from the Smashing Pumpkins concert in Philadelphia!

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Fan Reviews

“Philly show was incredible! First time seeing them since becoming a fan back in 1995. Whoever had doubts about Mike Byrne can rest easy…the kid was on fire, as was the entire band. Billy sounded fantastic too. The new songs came off really well too, especially the title track.” - DTA

“This was my first ever SP concert. I was PLEASANTLY SURPRISED! I didn’t expect much mostly because I was holding on to the past. But they pulled it off & then some! I’d go a thousand times more!” - ffpumpkins78

Photo by Chris Schwegler

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru The Eyes of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore
20. Pissant
21. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

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Fan Reviews

“So, having been to NYC, Providence and Boston, this show was far and away the best of the three. The NYC show was flawless, the Providence show had a few mistakes here and there but had a certain ‘all smiles’ vibe, but tonight had the best of both worlds. Billy coming out to rip some guitar solos with Fancy Space People was pretty awesome. Coming out to do that most likely put him into a guitar-playing frenzy because he just went nuts especially during Soma and Siva. Billy’s grin never left his face, all the while his fingers were literally bleeding during Oceania from playing so hard. Jeff was also on fire tonight; he was into guitar-world, face and all, during Silverfuck and For Martha. Mike and Nicole were totally rock solid all night, no flubs to my sensitive ears. Some douche jumped on stage during the end of Bullet and was promptly taken out by Geo via headlock. Doing so made some of Billy’s wiring on the floor get messed up. Besides that, everything about tonight was perfect. I seriously wouldn’t have this band any other way than it is right now. Fantastic vibe coming from everybody. I’ve become more and more impressed by everyone’s performances each night.” - Lunatic

“I never got to see the band pre-breakup. This is the fifth show I’ve seen in Boston since they reformed and it was the best. It was the classic Pumpkins setlist I would dream of. The new stuff sounded good too, I’m really excited for Oceania now! The new For Martha outro blew my face off.” - MrRed

“Very casual fan – tickets were a last minute thing – but the show really brought back some good college memories. Disappointed not to hear a few more of the MTV songs… of course, but they definitely brought the rock… I think they were on for 2+ hours, right? BC sounded great. The band sounded great. Had me pulling out old CDs today and really appreciating what I saw last night. Looking forward to the next time.” - typhaon

“The show in Boston was amazing…my 9th time seeing you guys since 2007 at the Orange Peel. It just keeps getting better. Jeff and Billy, I could watch you both play guitar forever, you sound so great together. Thank you for an incredible night!” - Kristle Deforge

Photo by Barry Brecheisen

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru The Eyes of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore
20. Pissant
21. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

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Fan Reviews

“I’ve been a fan since I bought Gish and I haven’t felt this positive about the Pumpkins since Siamese Dream – they sound like a band with energy again, the emphasis on the word ‘band’ – that’s what I want!” - Chop

“Mike may not be quite the master that JC is, but he’s truly excellent. More than that, his stage energy is intense and infectious. At the end of some songs he rises to his feet with the final cymbal crash. You can see his enthusiasm spreading to Billy as the two of them get into lock-step rock mode in certain songs. The vibrancy of the current lineup is better than anything we’ve seen since the reunion. We had Jimmy in the band in 2007-08 and it felt kinda weird, didn’t it? Feels more natural with the all-new lineup to me, even if a hole has been left by the arguably greatest living drummer.” - werideatdusk

Photo by Dana Yavin

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru The Eyes of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore
20. Pissant
21. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

Click for 30 pictures of the Smashing Pumpkins performing at Terminal 5 in New York City.

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Media Review

“The band sounded phenomenal, picking up where they left off at this same venue just over a year ago, the polish possibly a product of them finally hitting their stride with the newer touring lineup behind frontman Billy Corgan. You could hear and even feel each drum hit, heavy bassline and wah-wah-pedaled note that came from Corgan’s guitar, all without it being incoherently loud.” - Sean O’Kane

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Fan Reviews

“They nailed every single song. Old and new. No disappointments. Only song I didn’t fully embrace was Lightning Strikes, but I somehow found myself & others bobbing their heads anyway. Geek USA, Ruby, Soma, Silverfuck, and Pissant slayed. Absolutely, though the other old cuts sounded great as well. I did not think Mikey could handle Geek USA, but damn was I ever wrong. Kudos, man. All of the transitions between songs were very fitting. The circus tune before Geek, the chants before Window Paine, the thunderstorm effect into Soma, and the sound of the ocean into Ruby. The crowd energy was higher than last year’s, I think. From where I was, it actually seemed as if we had more hardcores than casuals for once. For Martha was beautiful, and I actually started to tear up. Billy said nothing to the crowd until they came out for the Pissant/BWBW encore, and he had no need to. He just let the music speak for itself, and it did wonders. By the time Pissant came on, the whole place was rowdy as hell. I love the encore. A big fuck you to casuals, haha. ‘Can’t help thinking something’s wrong with every one of YOU!!’ Right into the one song the casuals probably came to hear. “Okay, we’ll play Rat In A Cage, but you have to listen to 2 hours of these first. And then, goodnight. Best of the three shows I’ve seen them at.” - LostSoul

“The show was excellent. It was really good to experience the Pumpkins energy again. BC really has a good grasp on his energy and he just pours it out on stage in all different spectrum of ways, soft and loud and everything in between. I love when he stops right before an explosion (like in Siva) and kind of teases it out and then explodes. It’s beautiful. It is so cool to see an artist like this play his music in the moment because he is just extraordinarily talented. They all played really well. I was especially impressed with Mike too and with the over all tightness of the band. I like the music in between for rest breaks too, very atmospheric and the thunder sounds after lightning. Oceania is very beautiful live, much different from just video. Also Pale Horse, I wasn’t really getting into that from the videos but live it is just really beautiful. BCs voice sounds great. Sounds 10x stronger than in recent years. Long may it last! It was wonderful to just hear all of those amazing songs in one show.” - mayday27

Photo by Stephanie Breijo

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail And Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru The Eyes Of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love Is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore:
20. Pissant
21. Bullet With Butterfly Wings

Click for 9 pictures from the Smashing Pumpkins concert in Washington!

SPRC Meeting/Q&A with Billy (36 minutes): Part 1, Part 2

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Media Review

“Sonically, the band displayed an incredible range of sounds. Slow buildups rising into gutteral, hard-rock crescendos; solid guitar solos; pulsating basslines; ambient, lush soundscapes characteristic of the late 80s/early 90s shoegaze genre while breaking out into steady, consistent rock odysseys. Overall, the sound was tight while remaining experimental, weaving influences and disciplines together into a quilt of melancholic distortion intrinsic to the Pumpkins’ sound. For being pinned as such a melancholic dude, Corgan is incredibly self-aware. He has the practice of being a rock star down, from shredding riffs to Black Sabbath-worthy stances. Head down during his many insane solos, he refused to make direct eye contact with anything except the guitar in front of him. Maybe it’s just me, but part of the appeal of Corgan’s voice is that it’s nearly impossible to place. Ranging from a guttural growl, to frantic and desperate, to a drawling falsetto, I was washed over with a nostalgia for something I didn’t even know I had. Corgan’s voice, while resilient, has a sense of longing that will inevitably be unfulfilled. It encapsulates what The Smashing Pumpkins are: that cathartic mood that hits you mid-autumn when the days become slower, dead leaves crunching under your feet, and everything is at the disposal of the wind blowing around you, often in ways you can’t comprehend.” - Paula Mejia

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Fan Reviews

“This Monday, I saw Billy Corgan and friends rock their fucking shit at 9:30 Club. I’ve been waiting 15 years to hear the Billy Corgan experience. He wobbled his head in a completely different way than Thom Yorke. His guitars rocked me down to my musical core. His stage setup and lights almost gave me a seizuregasm. His supporting cast had the exact stage presence they needed to. The crowd was amazing. They were in love, too. They were screaming. They were pumping their fists. It was…well, it was rock and roll.” - mathismybag

“Now, I’ve known Billy Corgan could play a mean guitar. But to see him play live…holy shit. I was blown away. I couldn’t believe he was actually playing some of the things I was hearing. And he wasn’t the only one tearing it up on guitar. Jeff Schroeder has quite a bit of chops as well. He and Billy traded off solos and even did some guitar dueling the whole night. Nicole Fiorentino, the band’s newest member, certainly held her own on bass. She even came to the rescue for Billy Corgan when he started to struggle with some she-sells-sea-shells tongue-twister freestyling. The youngster, Mike Byrne, put on a drum clinic all night. It was good to get to see a straight-up, solid rock performance. I think those are hard to come by these days. I love a good guitar solo, and I certainly got my fill that night. So kudos to Billy for putting together a group that can bring the rock and to the whole band for putting on a great show.” - silhouettecities.com

Photo from ChinaShopMag.com

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
+ I am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha
20. Pinwheels

Encore:
21. Pissant
22. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

Here are 26 pictures from the Smashing Pumpkins show in Detroit!

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Media Review

“If there was ever a band that could play an amazing show with mostly B-sides and new tracks, it is the Smashing Pumpkins. With over 150 official songs to choose from, the Pumpkins had to make a choice: either play for the radio fans who only know the hits, or play for the die-hards who know every B-side and obscure track. At The Fillmore in Detroit, Billy Corgan and the latest lineup of the Smashing Pumpkins chose to play for the die-hards. Of their 23-song set, 6 were from their forthcoming album, Oceania, 8 were mostly lesser-known tracks from their major releases, and the remaining 9 songs were B-sides, rare tracks, or from their debut album Gish. The show opened with Quasar/Stella Polaris and the People Mover and Panopticon, the first 2 tracks on Oceania. Less-known tracks Starla and Geek USA followed. It wasn’t until Muzzle that the crowd tentatively started getting into the show only to lose interest in the next 10 songs before Cherub Rock. It was evident from the lack of energy in the crowd that most were there to hear the hits and were obviously disappointed. The die-hard fans in the crowd were treated to such Smashing Pumpkins gems as Frail and Bedazzled, Window Paine, Siva, Silverfuck, I am one, the bands debut single, and Pissant during the encore. As always Corgan’s guitar playing was awe inspiring, the sound was loud and amazing, the lights were brilliant, and the new line-up played great together. At one odd, but awesome point Corgan broke into singsong renditions of Peter Piper and She Sells Sea Shells. During the encore, Corgan spoke to the audience for the first time during the show to thank Detroit for being one of the first cities to embrace his band in the 90’s. The final song was a slightly up-tempo rendition of one of the Smashing Pumpkins biggest hit, Bullet with Butterfly Wings; a fitting gift for the fans that stayed for the entire show.” - detroitlivemagazine.com

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Fan Reviews

“Best Smashing Pumpkins show that I have seen! This is my 4th time and it blew me away. The stage and the set were awesome!” - sivasoma

“Best Smashing Pumpkins show that I have been to and I have seen them on every tour since 1995. Billy’s voice sounds better than ever, the band is really tight on the songs, great setlist that flows together well, and the crowd loved it. The set was the same as the rest of the tour so far, not a ton of their “hits”, but songs that every real fan knows and loves. I just got home and listening to the USB recording of the show, and the quality is AMAZING! Great job Pumpkins!” - dregg419

“It was my first Smashing Pumpkins show. It was my first ‘real’ rock concert. I ran into Billy at a restaurant, recognized him and spoke with him. I just knew SP’s radio hits. I got my pic taken with him and he offered me tickets to the show! Wow…I didn’t expect that he would be so nice! The show was awesome…it was so good…I am pretty deep into music myself, but never was into this type of music, but now I get it. Powerful, overwhelming, hypnotic, soothing, even pleasant…Wow, rock is awesome! Billy just made a new rock fan. THANKS BILLY! GREAT PERSON, GREAT MUSICIAN!” - doctororange

“One thing about the Pumpkins in 2011 is that Billy no longer shies away from his ability as a lead guitarist. He really goes for it in the guitar solos these days, like on Starla and during the jam at the end. Jeff Schroeder is no slouch, either. Corgan always seemed to be embarrassed about being a good guitarist during the ’90s because it was unfashionable for bands of the day to be proficient at their instruments. I’m glad that we’re past that. Geek U.S.A. was an another rarity, one that I never saw them do live before. The emphasis was definitely on the Rock tonight. Muzzle (another song that I haven’t heard them do since 2000) was a joy to hear live again. This is one of my favorite Pumpkins songs. Mike Byrne nailed all of the Jimmy Chamberlin drum fills, and I honestly don’t care if Chamberlin ever returns to the fold. Many fans want to see the “original” line up of the band. I hope that this is the line up of the band for the rest of the ride. What a great show. I wanted to get in my car and drive to the next one as soon as it was over. The Smashing Pumpkins can’t return to Detroit soon enough for me.” - PhonicsMonkey

“Killer show – they’re great live. Bloody eardrums for days. Rock n’ Roll!” - Nicholas Galgoul

Photo by Chris Sweda

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
+ I am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore: Catherine & Billy Corgan
20. Idiot
21. Broken Bunny Bird

Encore: Smashing Pumpkins
22. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

Click for 50 pictures from the Smashing Pumpkins show at the Riviera in Chicago.

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Media Reviews

“Byrne was on the hot seat, as he replaced Jimmy Chamberlin – Corgan’s longtime foil – in 2009. Though he doesn’t swing quite as fluidly as his formidable predecessor, the 21-year-old drummer has touch, power and energy. Fiorentino locked in with him, pushing her bass to the forefront of the band’s engine room, and chipping in with lots of harmony vocals that took the edge off Corgan’s nasal tone. Schroeder has developed a nuanced vocabulary with Corgan on guitar, more of a genuine give-and-take than previous lineups. Corgan clearly was enjoying the exchanges, cracking smiles and waving his guitar Excalibur-style overhead. Between harrowing screams and falsetto cries, he toggled between two personas: ax murderer and sensitive cherub. He’s never been a technically gifted singer, but he’s found a way to embody the mood swings in his songs, whether the consoling son in For Martha or the defiant combatant in Muzzle. For all of Corgan’s dominance as a personality, the set list was designed to show off the band. It lasered in on older songs with rollercoaster arrangements such as Window Paine, Siva and Thru the Eyes of Ruby. These epics brimmed with drop-out sections that brought the music down to near silence and then back up to roaring peaks. The serpentine rhythms and soft-to-lacerating guitar passages dominated the middle portion of the set, with Oceania, Frail and Bedazzled and Silverfuck forming an acid-rock triptych. So what about those new songs scheduled for Oceania? The outlook is promising, based on Friday’s local unveiling of a half-dozen new tunes. The sledgehammering Quasar and Panoptican opened the show, Corgan hunched over his guitar with splayed legs, his combat boots touching down on an armada of foot pedals. The mix was loud, violent, a thick tangle that buried melody beneath an avalanche of corrosive guitars and racing drums. The expansive Oceania title track was anchored by Corgan’s heavy organ atmospherics and Schroeder’s guitar commentary. Owata came off as one of the better, more direct pop melodies the singer has written in the last decade. After the mid-set freakfest, the baroque pop of Pale Horse, with its delicate riff and Byrne’s empathetic drumming, and the contemplative My Love is Winter provided a much-needed reprieve.” - Greg Kot

“Corgan hasn’t softened. The band didn’t neglect faster material. A steady crush of bass and galloping drums juiced the audience. Cherub Rock practically jumped out of its skin. Songs charged one to the next. Soma arose like a soul reborn out of the murky rumble that lingered after Lightening Strikes. On Siva and others, Corgan and guitarist Jeff Schroeder keened and dueled in nimble guitar harmonizing.” - Katjusa Cisar

“Setting the tone for the night, the group launched into the bombastic new track, Quasar, which seems destined for a future as a set-closer. The appropriately named song featured glimmering guitar wails that rose up over chaotic drumming, lulling briefly for a breather on a bed of bubbling bass before blasting off again. That formula worked to help Corgan craft some of the ’90s most memorable rock songs, and it continues to serve him well. The first true test of this new lineup came when 21-year old drummer Mike Byrne rolled out the opening of Geek USA, the meatiest cut from 1993′s Siamese Dream. The drum-roll was preceded by some stumbling carnie music, which would have made it a perfectly tragic time to fail on former drummer Jimmy Chamberlin’s most impressive performance. Thankfully for Byrne, Corgan and (most importantly) the audience, the kid knocked it out of the park. I can say kid because, well, he’s probably just started his Jagermeister phase. Geek sounded as agitated as ever, an aural melee that had me pissed off at someone somewhere for, well, something. That energy was deftly shifted by Corgan into the celebratory anthem Muzzle, which played out as a grand, life-affirming bounce. Jeff Schroeder’s serpentine lead snarled around Corgan’s ‘I knew the silence of the world mantra’, a moment that had me fondly recalling what happens when you stand in a meadow at dusk. The dynamic between new and old songs proved to be what the night was about. Some moments, like Panopticon drifting seamlessly into Starla, a song almost twenty years its senior, proved that despite the role players, the classic Pumpkin’s sound is alive and well for the die-hards. Others, like the strange plopping of Lightning Strikes between Window Paine and Soma, seemed to intentionally highlight the band’s new direction. The latter did lead to one of the more theatric spots of the performance, as the sound of a crackling thunderstorm gargled over the end of Lightning and faded gently beneath the opening clink of Soma. The set closed with For Martha, Corgan’s elegant, tear-inducing elegy for his late mother. The song’s normal, grandiose piano melody was traded for a more subtle music box sound that served it well. The singer reigned in his trademark whine, preferring to let the sorrow pour out in a gargantuan guitar solo. The song was the most powerful performance of the night, moving elegantly between rococo blasts and understated lyric. One more Catherine tune, the chainsaw buzzy Broken Bird, was followed by The Smashing Pumpkins taking an energetic gambol through Bullet With Butterfly Wings. The new lineup pulled it off like they’d written it and played it a million times (knowing Corgan, practices have been tough), and the chrome-domed one even let out a hair-raising howl that brought back 1996 for a few minutes. That said, I’m glad it was only a brief temporal disturbance. As much fun as it is to listen in on The Smashing Pumpkins past, their future is sounding pretty good.” – Gene Wagendorf III

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Fan Reviews

“The show last night was incredible. From the setlist to the sound. Everything. It was a great surprise to see Catherine. The highlights for me were more than I can count, but the stretch of Starla, Geek and Muzzle was just fantastic. Siva had the crowd in an uproar. Soma was just beautiful. Silverfuck was just insane. Ruby is something I have been waiting for them to bust out for years. One of my favorite songs of all time. Of all the TBK/Oceania songs I thought Owata went over the best (in Chicago I know that is not a big surprise). I loved Oceania and the new MLIW. For Martha was beautiful and heart wrenching. I would usually say that BWBW should be on the shelf, but it was really a good closer. It really brought the house down. I cannot wait to see them again hopefully in 2012. Billy was just in a great mood and he owned the stage. You can tell he genuinely loves the band he is playing in right now. A lot of interaction with them all night. When Billy is having fun playing his music, there is no one better.” - smashp1979

“One of the best shows I’ve been to! Billy was in the best mood I’ve seen him in live, and his energy and passion definitely ignited the crowd. Besides the show, the highlight of my night was saying hi to the band and then meeting Billy. Waited more than an hour, but finally got to interact with my musical idol. Funny moment: While waiting for Billy after the show, one of the Catherine guys casually walked to his car down the block saying, ‘Back to work on Monday…’” - HereIsNoY

“Saw both the Milwaukee and Chicago shows. Truly stellar. I don’t think the youtube vids or audio bootlegs come close to capturing what this tour has been like. Dramatic, intense, dreamy. More serious and beautiful than anything the band has done since the revival. The band was in exquisite form and you could see the power of the music overtaking all four members, something that was lacking in the sometimes perfunctory performances of the 07-08 era. Personally, I would have liked to have seen a bit more post-MCIS material…Was thinking With Every Light, In My Body, or Bring the Light would have made fine additions to the setlist to better represent the full SP mythology. But I can’t complain, this was the SP show I’ve been waiting a decade to see!!!” - werideatdusk

Photo by CJ Foeckler

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore:
20. Pissant
21. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

Click for 27 pictures from the Milwaukee show on October 13th.

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Media Review

“In tune with the name of the Pumpkins latest project, Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, vibrant pinwheels of lights flickered and shone while two giant mirror-glass daisies spun loopily around the frame. Behind drummer Byrne, a psychedelic kaleidoscope pattern undulated, recalling acid-trip-inspired art circa Woodstock. Audience members cheered as the group rocked hard through Panopticon and Starla, but madness struck when the initial chords of Geek U.S.A. rang out into the crowd. Moving further into the set, the band managed to juggle pensive indifference and stellar musicianship. The sound was rich, complex and loud, just the way it should be. Between songs, atmospheric noises like thunder, calliope music, and heavy reverb fill the air. All the elements of ear-bleeding rock and roll meld with a tone of warmth and compassion. This recipe, along with Corgan’s ability to reinvent himself, is what has kept the group up to date for more than 20 years. Time after time, Smashing Pumpkins deliver unexpurgated sensuality mixed with bacchanal force.

In the opera seats above the left side of the stage, I watched an older pale man take in the show. He looked to be in his mid-70s, but his age didn’t seem to stop him from fist-pumping as though his life depended on it. At the encore, Corgan recognized the man as his father, blues guitarist William Corgan, Sr. He said that Bullet With Butterfly Wings was inspired by the words of his father. The band then proceeded to blow the roof off the theater, while Corgan Sr. beamed and fist-pumped himself into joyful oblivion.” - Rosy Ricks

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Fan Reviews

“The experience I had at the Smashing Pumpkins show in Milwaukee at the Riverside Theater was probably the best I’ve ever had at a concert, and I’ve been to A LOT of shows over the years despite only being 15. This was my first time seeing you guys live, and I’m definitely going to another show when you guys tour again. The mix of old and new songs was fantastic, and I’ve been loving the USB you offered. So from a somewhat new fan, thank you for the great time my dad and I had at the concert.” - JSpiwak

“The signature sound of Billy Corgan filled Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater for The Smashing Pumpkins current tour of the US and Europe. Although the original lineup of the SP is long gone, Corgan still knows how to put on quite a show with the rest of the (quite talented) band. Breaking out hits like Geek USA and Bullet With Butterfly Wings the Smashing Pumpkins brought fans from multiple generations to their feet for the majority of the show. The general admission pit allowed fans to get up close and personal to the SP, unlike a lot of rock concerts that are straying away from the traditional “pit” at certain venues. Using some very technical lighting and visual effects, the band gave fans a great visual experience, complementing the amazing performance.” - Nick Semrad

Photo by Deyanira Sullivan

 Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock

Encore:
17. Pinwheels
18. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

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Click for 6 pictures from the Smashing Pumpkins show in Omaha on October 11th, 2011.

Photo by Jessica Teel

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Media Reviews

“Cherub Rock and Bullet With Butterfly Wings [were] played faster than I thought they could be played, but whipped the crowd into a crazed state. The band played almost 20 songs in two hours. Songs bled into each other and some tunes seemed to have no end, mostly because Corgan and guitarist Jeff Schroeder spent lots of time noodling around on their instruments and playing solo after solo.” - Kevin Coffey

“Corgan’s new band is remarkably proficient — good players all. His classic Chester Cat-in-heat voice was as good as it was back in the day. And the sound was huge; painfully huge. As always, I had my earplugs. I pity those who didn’t, as the gear stacked on either side of the stage looked powerful enough to fill a good-sized theater instead of humble ol’ Slowdown. You felt the bass.” - Tim McMahan

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Fan Review

“SP went on about 9:50 p.m. or so, and started off with the same setlist that they have been playing. Quasar sounded amazing with the heavy guitars and deep sound. I thought the venue added an extra dynamic (obviously being the smallest they are playing on this tour). Jeff, Nicole and Mikey definitely seem at home, and the band truly is a tight four-piece in my opinion. They played the same setlist up to Cherub Rock, and then they left the stage. For the encore, they played a new song that referred to a mistress…can’t recall the name right now. Then they played Bullet and the show was over. I talked to Billy after the show, and he seemed to have enjoyed it. He mentioned that it was an older crowd and that playing Owata and the other new songs wouldn’t have made much sense to them, but he wasn’t upset or anything. Billy and Jeff definitely have an awesome dynamic going on right now. During Ruby, Nicole’s bass was LOUD, which made Billy laugh and Jeff seemed surprised and kind of shook his head (which was pretty funny). All in all – a very good show. Even though it was an older crowd, the new songs seemed to go over well – especially Oceania. The crowd seemed receptive of the band.” - Shaun Rabe

Photo by Jessica Teel

Photo by Michael Fajardo

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore:
20. Pinwheels
21. Pissant
22. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

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Click for 88 pictures of the Smashing Pumpkins performing at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, Colorado on October 10th, 2011.

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Media Reviews

“Whatever Corgan and his latest cast of bandmates lacked in crowd interaction, they made up for with heart-rending extensions of the band’s traditional jams. Siva, for example, takes on a life beyond its lyrics, only allowed to end when Corgan has bent is original melody and tortured his own vocals, when a pained and violent screech curdles the crowd’s blood and announces its own end. Every song comes with its traditional length, followed immediately by approximately three minutes of aggressive rock posturing.” - Kelsey Whipple

“Of course, the show was sold out, and chances are not one of those 1,300 were complaining about the amazingness the Pumpkins laid down. The band raged through a set chock-full of songs from both their newest album Oceania as well as many of their old classics as far back as the album Gish. The Pumpkins illuminated the stage with their energy and endless list of hits. The band seemed to effortlessly flow through each song, but with experience and energy that truly captivated the fans. The Pumpkins played from all eras of their discography despite Corgan being the only remaining original member. It was an intimate encounter any die-hard Pumpkins fan was hoping for.” - Josh Barrett, Metromix

Photo by Nathan Iverson

“The show started strong and loud, and as soon as Corgan’s shrill scream pierced the air, a wave of excitement crashed down and filled the room. Corgan stood much taller above his bandmates—guitarist Jeff Schroeder on his left and bass player Nicole Fiorentino on his right—and at times he hunched over to see the frets on his white Fender Stratocaster, which classically hung low to his waist. Schroeder, though he rarely took the spotlight, pulled some deep cuts out of his guitar and led the fire at the beginning of the evening, but Corgan soon took all control and threw his instrument hard to bring up the volume on every solo. Meanwhile, drummer Mike Byrne sat behind his kit and pounded hard on his skins – some of the only times Corgan smiled during the show were when he’d look up to see Byrne thrashing around in perfect rhythm. It wasn’t until the very last possible minute that Corgan addressed the crowd directly. Focused so much on the music that he barely looked up at the audience more than a few times, he took a breather in between the final two songs to thank us profusely before launching into Bullet with Butterfly Wings. It was the only truly iconic song they played all night, but that is classically Pumpkins, and perfectly Billy Corgan. He’ll do exactly what he wants, but he knows just what he has to do to pull you right in.” – PopMatters

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Fan Review

“Last night was my 8th Pumpkins show and by far the most rocking I have ever seen them!!! It was 2 hours and 15 minutes of energy! Highlights were Starla, Soma, the I Am One tease was AMAZING, and Bullet with Butterfly Wings was fresh and full of energy!” - Ryan Spahr

Photo by Nathan Iverson

Photo by Erik Kabik

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata

Encore:
18. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

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Click for 40 pictures of the Smashing Pumpkins performing at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, California, USA on October 8th, 2011.

Photo by Erik Kabik

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Media Reviews

“The Smashing Pumpkins rooftop poolside on a beautiful summer night. Sounds amazing? Well it was. Sure, it’s not the original lineup and of course some people are going to complain that it can’t be The Smashing Pumpkins with only one original member. Those people are wrong in my opinion because the remaining original member is frontman and phenomenal guitarist, Billy Corgan, and since he’s the voice and driving force behind all that is The Smashing Pumpkins, those naysayers can just talk amongst themselves, I’m not listening. Bands change lineups and as long as the heart and soul of the band remains then it’s The Smashing Pumpkins.” - Karen Mandall

“Elevated above the famed Las Vegas Strip, the evening began with several throwbacks to the band’s earlier years with tracks like Geek U.S.A. and Starla. Eventually, new material from the band’s soon-to-be-released album Oceania began to soar through the venue. One of the highlights of the evening came when frontman Billy Corgan stepped back to bask in the collective voices of the audience. After a roaring and energetic encore, everyone in attendance cheered. As The Boulevard Pool began to empty out, concertgoers left with a greater dedication and heightened love for one of the country’s most acclaimed musical acts.” - VegasNews.com

Photo by Karen Mandall

From Golden Gate Xpress

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Pale Horse
15. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore:
20. Pinwheels
21. Pissant
22. Bullet with Butterfly Wings
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Click for 71 pictures of the Smashing Pumpkins performing at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, California on October 7th, 2011. Many thanks to Elliott Dozier for capturing the band so beautifully from the front row!

Photo by Clay Lancaster

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First Known Performance

* Pale Horse
* Pinwheels

Photo by Elliott Dozier

Photo by Ellen Wood

Setlist

1. Quasar
2. Panopticon
3. Starla
4. Geek U.S.A.
5. Muzzle
6. Window Paine
7. Lightning Strikes
8. Soma
9. Siva
10. Oceania
11. Frail and Bedazzled
12. Silverfuck
13. Obscured
14. Suffer
15. Thru the Eyes of Ruby
+ I Am One (tease)
16. Cherub Rock
17. Owata
18. My Love is Winter
19. For Martha

Encore:
20. Pissant
21. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

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Click for 78 pictures of the Smashing Pumpkins launching The Other Side of the Kaleidyscope Tour at The Wiltern on October 5th, 2011.

You can watch the full Smashing Pumpkins concert at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA, USA on October 5th, 2011 thanks to DrCopperpot!

You can buy a recording of the show for $25 + $10 shipping & handling at the Smashing Pumpkins Store. A USB will be shipped to you 7 to 10 business days after the performance date. The USB is loaded with a user dashboard that contains an audio player. It’s worth it just for this song alone! Geek U.S.A. @ The Wiltern

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First Known Performance

* Quasar
* Panopticon
* Oceania
* Lightning Strikes

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Last Time Played

* Geek U.S.A. (1999-04-24 – Roxy, Los Angeles, CA)
* Window Paine (1994-08-27 – Lollapalooza ’94, Mountain View, CA)
* Frail and Bedazzled (1995-08-23 – Club SFX, Dublin, IE)
* Obscured (1992-07-23 – Metro, Chicago, IL)
* Thru the Eyes of Ruby (2000-12-02 – Metro, Chicago, IL)
* For Martha (2000-12-02 – Metro, Chicago, IL)
* Pissant (1995-02-28 – Double Door, Chicago, IL)

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Media Review

“They’ve just crushed a true-to-form resurrection of Frail and Bedazzled from 1994′s b-sides collection Pisces Iscariot, closing with a fierce guitar duel that careened from thrashing jags into blistering harmonics out to transcendent squeal. Jeff Schroeder’s head is down, facing his axe, but Corgan is leaning back with arms spread, looking like an angel of the apocalypse, staring at the rafters and soaking up the crowd’s terrific screams.” – Chris Martins from SPIN Magazine

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Photo by Torry Pendergrass

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Fan Reviews

“As far as the new songs, they had some AWESOME solos in them and they continued with the theme of the night, which was PSYCHEDELIC EXTREME. One new song sounded very catchy, and another sounded VERY heavy. Hard to describe what a song sounds like, especially since I am new to Oceania songs.” - Samuel Mills

“The Pumpkins just delivered the most face melting, mind blowing, run me over with a semi-truck 1000 times hard hitting concert I’ve ever ever seen, and I’ve been to my share. The audience AFTER the encore was deafening for what felt like 5 minutes.” - Jase

“I went with a friend who listens to KROQ and only knows the hit songs. So he only knew three songs (didn’t know Siva), but thought it was a good show. I told him that he may not realize it, but he just saw one of the most epic concerts ever. Song after song, I was just thinking “you’ve got to be kidding me, this isn’t possible.” Never thought I’d hear Ruby live. That was the high point for me. They definitely left the crowd wanting more. People hung around cheering for more after Bullet. Even when the crew came on stage people were still cheering for another encore. After a couple of minutes one of the roadies removed Nicole’s mike and we knew it was over.” - ZivotSon

“Easily one of the top 3 SP shows I’ve been able to attend out of about 25ish. I felt like I was robbing a bank with this setlist.” - Jcoriha

“I was there and I have to say that I wasn’t expecting them to be even a shadow of the original band. Boy was I wrong, they knocked my socks off, along with the shirt of the girl standing behind me.” - Steve Stroup

Billy Corgan, Jeff Schroeder, Mike Byrne and Nicole Fiorentino of the Smashing Pumpkins are returning to the road this fall for an intimate 13-city US tour. The fall trek launches in Los Angeles on October 5th, 2011 at the Wiltern Theatre and wraps in Philadelphia on October 22nd at the Tower Theatre. Mixing classics, deep cuts and a few songs from their upcoming album “Oceania”, the Smashing Pumpkins will be touring Europe for the remainder of 2011 and the rest of the world in 2012.

Bystarlight.org and Crestfallen.com are teaming up to cover the Smashing Pumpkins world tour. There is going be a weekly blog that will provide show setlists, concert pictures, audio/video links and fan reviews. If you would like to add your live show pictures into the archive, please send them to admin@bystarlight.org with proper credit info. Alternatively, you can add me as a friend on facebook and tag the user “SPpictures” for your photos and videos. We are looking forward to documenting the tour!