Smashing Pumpkins pick up slack in Pittsburgh concert after Jane's Addiction cancels

The aptly named “Spirits on Fire” tour, starring alternative rock icons Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction was easily one of the most anticipated rock shows scheduled to hit Pittsburgh in 2022.

But many Jane’s Addiction fans left PPG Paints Arena disappointed Saturday night, because the Perry Farrell led band, scheduled to open for Smashing Pumpkins, canceled without a detailed explanation.

Jane’s Addiction released a statement Friday on social media before a scheduled Philadelphia appearance. It read “Due to physical injury, tonight’s performance by Special Guests Jane’s Addiction will not be able to take place. We apologize for any inconvenience.” The message was unchanged Saturday night.

Jane’s Addiction fans were given the option to go home and collect a refund and while it might have felt like “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” for them, those that stayed were rewarded with a riveting performance by the Smashing Pumpkins. Though there were some empty seats in the upper deck, it appeared that most fans stuck around.

It’s not often that one can say a rock band that’s been around for more than three decades is sounding better than it ever has, but it was true of the Smashing Pumpkins on Saturday as they proved they are much, much more than a nostalgia act.

Having seen them during their ‘90s zenith, I was pleased to experience the Pumpkins’ palpable growth a quarter-century later as they vaulted seamlessly from deep, fiery songs to tunes that tug at the heartstrings.

Without mentioning Jane’s Addiction’s absence, singer Billy Corgan and company kicked off their more than two-hour set at 8:19 p.m. with “Quiet” and a song from their forthcoming three-part rock opera “ATUM,” called “Empires.” Fans didn’t seem to know what exactly to make of the newer song but if they were hoping to hear more familiar favorites they didn’t have to wait long. The Pumpkins really got the crowd going early with “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and “Today.”

Billy Corgan sings "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" during Smashing Pumpkins concert Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/Sa4yqx4LIg

— Paul Guggenheimer (@PGuggenheimer) October 23, 2022

Those were followed by another mid-1990s vintage song “We Only Come Out at Night” which had the crowd swaying to the lullaby nature of the tune that came with a compelling vintage video image of a moonlit film noir street scene. Corgan took a moment to encourage the crowd to sing along with the catchy refrain.

For the most part, the visuals were kept tastefully low key which is more than can be said for the harsh, blinding lights coming from the stage which, at times, had folks squinting to see.

A couple of songs later, the Pumpkins pulled out an odd cover version of the Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” that made the tune almost unrecognizable but also made it their own.

The band never went too long without turning up the heat, going early in their set to a searing version of 2018’s “Solara,” which featured a blistering drum solo by Jimmy Chamberlin that dominated the tune in a good way.

Chamberlin is one of the original members who has rejoined the band along with guitarist James Iha.

Corgan and Iha combined to produce one of the highlights of the show, an acoustic version of “Tonight, Tonight” which Corgan dedicated to the Pittsburgh fans in attendance. It made for an especially sweet sound on this evocative song which included a display of twinkling colored stars overhead.

Corgan introduced the song by paying a heartfelt tribute to Iha, comparing him to Pittsburgh.

“He’s very shy and very humble, but what I know and what the band knows is, like Pittsburgh, he’s forged of steel,” Corgan said. Iha responded with “I’ll go with it. I like Pittsburgh a lot.” That brought cheers cascading from the audience.

Another highlight was “1979,” a song that seemingly had everyone in attendance joyously singing along, perhaps because that was a year in which both the Steelers and Pirates won championships. The dream poppy song is said to actually be an homage to youth.

Billy Corgan sings "1979" as fans at PPG Paints Arena join in during Smashing Pumpkins concert Saturday night in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/chXOsUAax7

— Paul Guggenheimer (@PGuggenheimer) October 23, 2022

I didn’t think “Tonight, Tonight” could be topped. However, Corgan chose to follow it up with the Beatleesque sounding psychedelic 1991 song “Starla” which included a show-stopping guitar solo by Corgan, who doesn’t get enough credit for being the great lead guitar player he is. At age 55, the man can absolutely shred, but he draws more attention for being the face and voice of the band with his trademark shaved head, eye makeup and intensity, accentuated on this evening by his all-black attire topped by a long, knee-length robe that made him look like a priest.

“Starla” was followed by “Stand Inside Your Love,” on which backup singer Kate Cole added pleasing tones of the kind presumably once provided by the band’s original bass player D’arcy Wretzky.

The band was rounded out by bass player Jack Bates and guitarist Jeff Schroeder.

Smashing Pumpkins played a couple of other songs from the new album “ATUM,” due to be released next April and reportedly a sequel to 1995’s “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” and 2000’s “Machina/Machine of God.” Of these “Beguiled” stood out and has understandably been designated as the band’s new lead single.

Before the evening was done, Smashing Pumpkins returned to its grunge roots with a killer version of “Disarm.” They wrapped up at 10:25 p.m. with no changes to their set due to Jane’s Addiction’s absence. But in the end, it can be said the pumpkins were at their Halloween ripest and more than made up for it.

The scheduled triple-header began with 36-year-old Southern California alt. singer-song writer Meg Myers hitting the stage at 7 p.m. and gamely adding songs to her set she had never played live to bridge the gaping hole left by Jane’s Addiction. Her voice had Lene Lovich range – very low and very high – with a rich, haunting sound that especially worked on her excellent cover version of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God).”

Smashing Pumpkins Set List

1. Quiet

2. Empires

3. Bullet with Butterfly Wings

4. Today

5. We Only Come Out at Night

6. Cyr

7. Once in a Lifetime

8. Solara

9. Eye

10. Ava Adore

11. Tonight, Tonight

12. Starla

13. Stand Inside Your Love

14. I of th Mourning

15. Cherub Rock

16. Zero

17. 1979

18. Beguiled

19. Silverf___

20. Neophyte

21. Disarm

22. Harmageddon