News 980717-1

This concert has all the makings of a party

Fans at the Smashing Pumpkins concert Friday night during the Hennepin Avenue block party filled the streets, sometimes to overflowing. Security guards had to take care of fans who made it over the barricade. But the melee didn't disrupt the concentration of the band's members, including bassist D'Arcy, right. The event was billed as the largest concert in Minneapolis history, with some reports putting the crowd at as many as 150,000. Police said there were so many that to make an official estimate would be foolish. The Smashing Pumpkins are on a 16-city U.S. tour, and proceeds will go to local charities. The band originally had wanted to embark on a tour of free concerts, but Minneapolis was the only city that would allo it. The alternative rock group is a top-grossing concert act and holds the record for the bestselling double disc, 1995's "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness."

Star Tribune