Smashing Pumpkins Perform New Song at Benefit for Madina Lake Bassist

Posted on Jul 28th 2010 10:00AM by Garin Pirnia
Comments

Larry Marano, Getty Images

As reported last week, Smashing Pumpkins set up a benefit show at Chicago's iconic Metro Tuesday night to raise funds for Madina Lake bassist Matthew Leone, who was brutally assaulted while protecting a woman from her abusive husband. Leone had surgery and is on the way to recovery, but exorbitant hospital bills have been piling up.

Before the Pumpkins took to the stage, the governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, appeared to declare that it was officially Matthew Leone Day. To help Leone, fans purchased $10 raffle tickets to win entry into the concert, a bargain price for a good cause. For his part, Billy Corgan later auctioned off a guitar and joked he'd break it for more money. Eventually, a magnanimous fan won the signed guitar with a bid of $10,000.

Opening with new song 'Astral Planes,' the band rocked through old favorites 'Ava Adore,' 'Perfect,' 'Eye,' 'Today,' 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' and 'Tarantula.' "You made this city proud tonight," Corgan told the jovial crowd. "Thanks for stepping up." Corgan then treated the fans to a new song, 'Blessed Mother,' but blanked on the lyrics, saying the tune was usually reserved for their sound checks. Stalling, he started to take requests from the audience while a stagehand brought out a lyric sheet and placed it on a staff before him. He joked about being unprofessional but then continued the song without a hitch.

Later, Corgan acknowledged the upcoming 22-year anniversary of his band's first gig, which took place at the Metro on Oct. 5, 1988, explaining back then he had only one guitar and one amp. The Pumpkins then delved into 'Cherub Rock,' 'That's the Way (My Love Is), 'Owata' and 'Tonight, Tonight,' which closed out the regular set. For the encore, the Metro staff and opener Kill Hannah joined Corgan onstage to sing '1979.' After, the band closed with the distorted bliss of 'Gossamer,' as their guitars thundered and strobes flashed. When their over two-hour set finished, a smiling Corgan and his band threw their commemorative drumsticks and guitar picks into the audience, capping a heartfelt tribute to Leone.

Watch Smashing Pumpkins Perform New Song 'Blessed Mother'