Smashing Pumpkins kill nostalgia dead

Billy Corgan at the Chicago Theatre, 11/19/08 (Credit: Jeff Lorder)

There's no denying that music in 2008 rode a wave of nostalgia. From the new phenomenon of old-school bands playing classic albums front-to-back to the overwhelmingly positive response to reunions of bands like My Bloody Valentine, it's been a good year to remember days gone by. And Smashing Pumpkins mastermind Billy Corgan is not having any of it.

The return of the Smashing Pumpkins to celebrate their 20th anniversary has been big news this year (though Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin are the only original members on the so-called reunion tour). But the bigger story is the uncompromising way in which Corgan is going about it. Rather than toeing the line and giving fans a greatest-hits review, the Pumpkins have delivered sprawling, unpredictable shows that have left audiences polarized. Major cities like Chicago and Los Angeles get two-night stands (the first night tagged Black Sunshine, the second White Crosses), with a promise that no songs will be repeated from one night to the next.

While creatively freeing for Corgan, the uneven approach has proved tough for fans to swallow. At a recent Washington, D.C., show, things came to a head when a heckler taunted Corgan with insults and questions about the whereabouts of original SP guitarist James Iha. Corgan responded by pulling a female fan onstage, whom he then dubbed James Iha, cheekily questioning her as if she were him. Corgan followed up with a rant about how he has never sold out; he then ended the show.

Things got more tense in New York when Corgan invited a fan onstage to give an impromptu review of what he'd seen so far. The fan's response according to Rolling Stone: "Last night's show sucked." Corgan reportedly responded by berating the fan with an insult of his own as he headed back into the crowd: "By the way, I liked that song you wrote. What was it called? ‘Take Your Dick Out of My Ass and Stick It in My Mouth'? That was a big hit in Europe." Ouch.

There are surely some artists getting by on their past work who are more than a little jealous that Corgan has been able to pull off his controversial antics. Corgan has never been known for tact, and he has long had a love-hate relationship with fans, particularly in terms of their expectations. The saga of the Smashing Pumpkins and their catalog of hits have given Corgan enough rope to do whatever he wants with it. So far, that hasn't included hanging himself.

Smashing Pumpkins play the Gibson Amphitheater on Dec. 2 and 3

Scott T. Sterling is Music editor for Metromix Los Angeles.