REVIEW: Pumpkins show less than smashing

Billy Corgan's vocals reverberated around North Little Rock's Verizon Arena at the Smashing Pumpkins show Saturday, the frontman doing his tenor best to fill the empty seats of the lower bowl. (Attendance: about 2,500.)

Like it or not, Corgan has let it be known that he's not interested in touring the Pumpkins' hits largely as they were originally phrased. Perhaps that kept some away.

What they missed was a fresh if somewhat inscrutable performance of material that included Siamese Dream (1993) and Zwan (Corgan's post-Pumpkins project -- so, um, not Pumpkins). Original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin joined guitarist Jeff Schroeder for most of the songs, though quite a few of the numbers were acoustic and performed by Corgan, or Corgan and Schroeder.

Inscrutable? One of the higher-energy songs midway through the concert was "Eye" from the Lost Highway soundtrack, and though percussive, Chamberlin was absent and drums were piped in. Corgan performed "Disarm," part of the "Siamese Suite" set, on an electric organ, a solo shot that may in the future accompany an icing call inside Chicago's United Center.

A simpler acoustical set by Liz Phair opened the night. While Corgan said virtually nothing between songs, Phair was more conversational both on and off the strings.

"Thanks guys. Welcome to my TED Talk," Phair joked halfway through her set, before calling up "Extraordinary." Corgan's fellow Chicago singer-songwriter played several songs from her 23-year-old album Exile in Guyville, including "F*** and Run," "Divorce Song," "Never Said" and "Mesmerizing."

Her midrange vocals proved intimate in the half-closed arena. She got the biggest applause line for "Why Can't I?"

Corgan, for his part, brought his best to bear on "1979," which also spotlighted Chamberlin's rhythm and tempo. "Mayonaise," "Soma," and "Tonight, Tonight" were also well-done. "Today," meh.

Metro on 04/24/2016

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