Smashing PumpkinsMassey Hall Toronto ON2008-11-03 Night 1

Billy Corgan brought a group of friends he's calling The Smashing Pumpkins into Toronto last Monday for the first of a two night stand.

The art of this show, this tour, is variety.

Multiple shows in the same city will not repeat any songs...which is pretty challenging for the band and, as it turns out, for the audience.

I had high hopes for a pop-filled night of recognizable tunes since he was coming off a Hallowe'en Night show where he played an assortment of classics from the hey-day of radio pop, including, but not limited too; Louie Louie, Hang on Sloopy, Wipeout and In A Gadda Da Vida! We didn't get that version of "variety".

What we got was a cross between Oasis and Phish. A handful of punchy pop imbedded in a 2 hour and 37 minute jamfest that included 4 songs over 10 minutes in length and one 25 minute Pink Floyd cover that saw people leaving, some screaming.

They were rude and they were fools.

Billy closed the show with the kitchiest version of Ray Stevens' Everything Is Beautiful while lecturing and heckling the crowd.


Here's the setlist with some mp3 samples.

The Smashing Pumpkins
2008-11-03
Massey Hall
Toronto ON
Night 1



Disc 1

01. Roctopus
02. Jimmy's Drum Solo
02. Everybody Come Clap
03. Tarantula
04. G.L.O.W.
05. Siva
06. Eye
07. Mayonaise
08. Tonight, Tonight
09. Speed Kills
10. Transformer
11. Superchrist

Disc 2

12. United States->Star Spangled Banner
13. Band Introductions
14. Once Upon a Time
15. Again, Again, Again (The Crux)
16. The Rose March
17. Banter
18. Today
19. Bullet with Butterfly Wings
20. The Beginning is the End is the Beginning
21. Heavy Metal Machine ->White Rabbit [Jefferson Airplane] ->YYZ [Rush] ->Tom Sawyer [Rush]
22. Glass' Theme

Disc 3

23. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun [Pink Floyd]
24. We Only Come Out at Night
25. Everything's Beautiful (In Its Own Way) [Stevens]