Hopes for a Good Show Smashed at the Aragon

Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis both panned the Smashing Pumpkins show back when they were at the Chicago theater. No, I hadn't read reviews before I went to see them at the Aragon. But I get that Billy could be an acquired taste and I VERY often don't agree with one or both of those critics so I take their reviews as input but definitely not as the last word. That being said, now, not after reading those reviews, but rather after seeing the show... I wish I would have saved my money. The apology show, was still an egomaniacal Corigan blunder.

I really did enjoy the first half of the show, but once Corigan cut loose in a crazed jam session, he left everyone hanging without coming back with some strong songs, instead he dropped a bunch of folksy songs that, let's face it, all sounded the same. Granted, I don't have the new CD. I have heard a couple of songs though and maybe some of the other new ones would grow on me but I'm not feeling it. I want Billy (writing Courtney Love and old Pumpkins) the songwriter up there, not a waste of $45 for an experimental show. I up and left. I felt like there was nothing worthwhile for me to stay to see, and I was sad. Even the Zwan show I saw at the Aragon was better than that show. Not that it was a bad show, but I'm just saying they could have done better.

Kot says, "Had the band come back strong with a couple of rave-ups, the night might’ve added up to a strong statement from the Pumpkins Mach II." But I'll tell you what, when I left, I left thinking that even if they had thrown in one or two good songs, it wasn't going to be worth it to stick around to find out. I was brought way too far down after a good strong beginning to be brought back up again.

Funny thing is, that my friend Jeff, an American transplant hanging out in Australia these days saw them down under and immediately posted on my Facebook page that he had the same reaction to their show there. I can understand that Billy might not be all that great at taking criticism, but shouldn't he at least read the reviews from his fans who WANT to see him do well? Listen to what we're saying Billy. This show could have been fixed ages ago, we still love you though. I'm sure I'll come to see you for the next iteration of Mr Corigan and the SP!