Smashing Pumpkins Headline Second Night of Forecastle Festival

Posted on Jul 11th 2010 1:00PM by Garin Pirnia
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Saturday night at the Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, the Smashing Pumpkins veered from a slew of intimate club shows to headline their first festival since Billy Corgan handpicked a brand new lineup. Thousands gathered to hear the new incarnation of the Pumpkins perform a 90-minute set comprised of old favorites and a selection of new ones.

The band opened with chestnut 'Today' from their breakthrough smash, 'Siamese Dream.' Guitars crashed as the audience sang along to the familiar tune. A girl in the crowd yelled, "It's 1996, b----es," which pretty much summed up the iconography of seeing the '90s stalwart group live. Two mosaic flower structures stood on both sides of the stage and occasionally twirled around when lights flickered on them. For the second song, the band delved into 'Astral Planes,' one of the many new songs the band's releasing as part of the 44-song album 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope.'

Interspersed throughout were other new songs: the poppy 'Widow Wake My Mind' and the sobering 'A Song for a Son.' Corgan railed on his guitar and cracked a smile when fans screamed in excitement. The Pumpkins unleashed their arsenal of grungey alt rock on 'Ava Adore,' 'Hummer,' 'Eye' and the aggressive 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings.'

Corgan stopped to banter with the enthusiastic crowd and told an anecdote of asking someone earlier in the day, "What do they make here in Kentucky? They told me, bourbon, baseball bats, horses and hot Kentucky women." The rest of the set included the epic 'United States,' 'Perfect,' 'Cherub Rock' and 'Zeitgeist'-era 'That's the Way (My Love Is).' The audience threw glow sticks in the air and apparently tossed them at Corgan. "When I wore this shirt I didn't know it'd be a target for glow sticks," he giggled, referring to his long-sleeved designer shirt.

Rounding out the set, the Pumpkins blasted through non-album track 'Owata,' adding the lyrics, "Oh Kentucky, I'm coming home to you," and finished on the lush 'Tonight, Tonight' as helium lanterns floated into the night sky and over the Ohio River. The band came back for one encore, the concert-only song 'Gossamer.' When the band plays it live, it can last up to 35 minutes, but the Pumpkins exercised restraint and jammed the prog instrumental song for only 15 minutes. The song ended and Corgan lingered onstage long enough to silently wave goodbye to the audience.

Watch footage of the Pumpkins performing 'Cherub Rock' at Forecastle: