All good things come to an end. Last night, the Smashing Pumpkins concluded both their long winded 20th Anniversary tour and their extended hometown residency in Chicago. Originally scheduled for November 22nd, this rescheduled date brought the band back to the Auditorium Theatre, where they performed their White Crosses set. Considering they had played a good handful of the set’s songs the night before, there was little left to surprise the audience with, but they still managed.

Blame it on the moody weather, but the fans last night were rambunctious, crude, and downright obnoxious. Throughout the traditionally softer set, a number of fans wouldn’t stop screaming, whistling (”arena” style), or acting like downright idiots. One fan, who was more rabid than sane, wouldn’t stop calling out to guitarist Jeff Schroeder, and she became so grating that even frontman Billy Corgan asked for her to be silenced. Kudos, Corgan! It’s one thing to be supportive, but another thing to be an absolute, well, “nutbar.” Congratulations Chicago, you’ve overdone yourselves once again.

As for the night, it was a standard affair but conclusions were drawn. “Ava Adore” will always be the band’s strongest openers, “99 Floors” should always go into “Owata”, and “Soma” might possibly be the band’s greatest back catalog hit. It’s also important to note the differences from show to show. While the band’s pummeled these hits for weeks now, sometimes they just feel “different.” During “Cherub Rock”, Corgan and Chamberlin went psychotic which bordered on clinically insane with “Zero”, as the two appeared to be assaulting their instruments. By the time “Bodies” rolled around, Corgan was stabbing his hip with the guitar, and the energy bled off into the audience.

The rest of the set kind of felt disjointed. “I Of The Mourning” still sounds confused on this tour, “Disarm” felt repetitive at this point, and there wasn’t much to “Gossamer” that hadn’t been seen (or heard) the night before. Yet “Crestfallen” killed, “A Song for a Song” is just itchin’ to be recorded, and “The Sounds of Silence” featured all sorts of cool. Disjointed or not, there’s some context to consider. Here’s a band that’s been touring non stop for two years and after a spectacle like the night before, it was understandable that they were huffing and puffing towards the finish line. For Corgan and Chamberlin, this has been an even longer ride, and one that’s been driving on and on since 2005, when the two reformed the band. So, when Corgan addressed that this was the end of the Zeitgeist era, it was understandable sense of comfort in his tone. The guy doesn’t need a tour stop, he just needs a pillow.

Towards the end, shortly following a soft and awkwardly nostalgic acoustic take on “That’s The Way (My Love Is)”, Corgan assured that the band is angrier than ever, and that good music will come from this. Naturally, Corgan contends that this is a good thing, especially in light of the “lame music world” of today. Of course, fans screamed and shouted and sonically rubbed the frontman’s shoulders with assurance, all to which brought some “Thank you”s from the Elk Grove Village native himself. As if that wasn’t a big enough sign of generosity, a large black coffin, filled with gifts, was hauled out shortly after “I Am One Part 2″. Candy canes and other goodies were tossed to nearby fans, while “Christmastime” played over the whole schlemiel. It was a festive way to end the homecoming, the tour, and what might possibly be, the band’s previous legacy.

And as for the band? They’re on to new roads, but for now, The Great Pumpkin rests.

Set List:
Ava Adore
Cupid De Locke
1979
99 Floors
Owata
Sunkissed
Soma
Cherub Rock
Zero
Bodies
Crestfallen
I of the Mourning
A Song for a Son
Landslide
Disarm
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Galapogos
Gossamer
As Rome Burns
The Sounds of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
The March Hare
Suffer
Age of Innocence
Encore
That’s The Way (My Love Is) (acoustic)
I Am One Part 2
Christmastime (w/ presents)

Categories: CoS Exclusive Features, Concert Reviews, Features
Tags: The Smashing Pumpkins