Smashing Pumpkins can take all of my money

It's late and I don't know how much sense I will make but if I don't get this down now I never will and what a shame. I had a great night with some good friends watching my favourite band in the fucking world, The Smashing Pumpkins. I've got a bad habit of buying two tickets for everything without a plan of who to go with. My friend Chris Regimbal was supposed to come to Radiohead earlier this summer but the show was cancelled due to a tragic accident. I asked him to come and rock out with me at the Pumpkins and he obliged.

I have seen the Pumpkins live about a dozen times but this was the first time without Jimmy Chamberlain on drums. The current band consists of Billy Corgan (of course), Nicole Fiorentino(bass), Jeff Schroeder, and Mike Byrne on drums. This drummer is just a kid, but he rocks.

They played the new album Oceania start to finish. I really enjoy this record, but I was apprehensive about how the crowd would respond to not hearing the hits. The new stuff went over great, some of the arrangements were really interesting live. After they played through Oceania and rocked my socks half-way off they finished the job with a solid set of classics, highlights being MCIS era tracks X.Y.U., Muzzle, tonite reprise, Bullet With Butterfly Wings (the jungle version from '98). Concert tickets are expensive, but this show was worth every penny.

I took this video of Pinwheels, a standout track from the album. If you like what you hear you can Click here to buy Oceania.

Super pooched out now. In a few hours I hop in a car with my Dad and head to my place of birth, Timmins, to celebrate my Peppere's 80th birthday.