Much has transpired in the world of the Smashing Pumpkins since they last performed in the nation's capital. Over the past two decades, the Chicago, IL band parted and reformed, lost and regained core members, and witnessed leader Billy Corgan's villainous attitude and comments relegating him from alt-rock god to persona non grata.
But during his band's first Ottawa appearance since their 2000 Summersault Festival headlining slot, Corgan seemed to be on a reclamation tour: jovial, charming and aching to deliver the audience a set swarming with hits upon hits.
Kicking off the evening's festivities was Long Beach, CA hard/blues rockers Rival Sons – a band seemingly created in a lab specifically for middle-aged men convinced that rock reached perfection in 1974.
Allotted a generous hour-long opening slot, NYC's Interpol was shown much adoration from the nearly full arena. Shrouded in low lighting and joined by former Secret Machines frontperson Brandon Curtis on keyboards and Home's Brad Truax on bass, the trio lifted pockets of concertgoers to their feet for a sleek set heavily focused on material from 2004's Antics.
Adorned in black eye makeup and robes, Corgan hit the stage with a newfound sense of momentum, leading the six-piece live band through a robust version of their 2000 alt-rock hit "The Everlasting Gaze."
Flanked by original members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, along with longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder, the Smashing Pumpkins live ensemble came off mechanically tight, rounded out with country pop musician Katie Cole on backup vocals and Peter Hook's son Jack Bates on bass.
After a punishingly odd reconstruction of Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime," Corgan led the group through a mini set of midtempo faves, including "Today," "Perfect" and "Disarm." Moving into heavier fare, newer material like "Purple Blood" and "Spellbinding" sounded fuller and more intense in concert than on record.
Abandoning his guitar and roaming the stage, Corgan directed a rousing singalong for "Ava Adore" before stripping "Tonight, Tonight" down to just acoustic guitar. Mixing in a few beloved deep cuts ("This Time," "Jellybelly" and "Hummer") Corgan engaged in a jocular back-and-forth banter with Iha while claiming his great-grandfather won the 1931 Stanley Cup with the Ottawa Senators (in reality, the Montreal Canadiens won the championship that year).
While recent tours reportedly underperformed, coinciding with statements from Corgan about his refusal to play "nostalgic hits," the Smashing Pumpkins seemed indebted to reliving their glory years by closing the nearly two-hour set with high-energy renditions of "1979," "Cherub Rock" and "Zero."
Although the sight of a happy and agreeable Billy Corgan may seem bizarre on the surface, the Smashing Pumpkins proved to the Ottawa crowd that it's exactly what fans have wanted from the band all along.
But during his band's first Ottawa appearance since their 2000 Summersault Festival headlining slot, Corgan seemed to be on a reclamation tour: jovial, charming and aching to deliver the audience a set swarming with hits upon hits.
Kicking off the evening's festivities was Long Beach, CA hard/blues rockers Rival Sons – a band seemingly created in a lab specifically for middle-aged men convinced that rock reached perfection in 1974.
Allotted a generous hour-long opening slot, NYC's Interpol was shown much adoration from the nearly full arena. Shrouded in low lighting and joined by former Secret Machines frontperson Brandon Curtis on keyboards and Home's Brad Truax on bass, the trio lifted pockets of concertgoers to their feet for a sleek set heavily focused on material from 2004's Antics.
Adorned in black eye makeup and robes, Corgan hit the stage with a newfound sense of momentum, leading the six-piece live band through a robust version of their 2000 alt-rock hit "The Everlasting Gaze."
Flanked by original members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, along with longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder, the Smashing Pumpkins live ensemble came off mechanically tight, rounded out with country pop musician Katie Cole on backup vocals and Peter Hook's son Jack Bates on bass.
After a punishingly odd reconstruction of Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime," Corgan led the group through a mini set of midtempo faves, including "Today," "Perfect" and "Disarm." Moving into heavier fare, newer material like "Purple Blood" and "Spellbinding" sounded fuller and more intense in concert than on record.
Abandoning his guitar and roaming the stage, Corgan directed a rousing singalong for "Ava Adore" before stripping "Tonight, Tonight" down to just acoustic guitar. Mixing in a few beloved deep cuts ("This Time," "Jellybelly" and "Hummer") Corgan engaged in a jocular back-and-forth banter with Iha while claiming his great-grandfather won the 1931 Stanley Cup with the Ottawa Senators (in reality, the Montreal Canadiens won the championship that year).
While recent tours reportedly underperformed, coinciding with statements from Corgan about his refusal to play "nostalgic hits," the Smashing Pumpkins seemed indebted to reliving their glory years by closing the nearly two-hour set with high-energy renditions of "1979," "Cherub Rock" and "Zero."
Although the sight of a happy and agreeable Billy Corgan may seem bizarre on the surface, the Smashing Pumpkins proved to the Ottawa crowd that it's exactly what fans have wanted from the band all along.
