News 940401-1

“This was no April Fool’s joke,” Billy Corgain said at the end of a successful show at Austin’s South Park Meadows, a sprawling venue covered in grass, reminiscent of Woodstock in its size and shape. The band ripped into “Disarm” to close the show with a bang.

Touring on the strength of their second album, Siamese Dream the Pumpkins stopped in Austin for the second time in less than six months, but this time playing a much larger venue than the Liberty Lunch that holds only a few thousand. The still relatively unknown band from Chicago didn’t fill he lawn, but did a pretty fair job of it, drawing a half full group of adoring fans and scenesters following the latest music trends.

Thankfully, the set list relied heavily on the new material, which holds up like denim jeans. Some of the hits included “Geek USA,” “Mayonaise,” “Hummer,” and “Silverfuck”. Before the encore, they lead us through rousing renditions of their hit singles, “Cherub Rock” and “Today,” songs that are destined for rock history greatest with their melodic beginnings and destructive, crunching endings. Being an outdoor show, there wasn’t much of a light show. Watching the Pumpkins on stage is much like any other alternative band who is serious about the music.

Billy shied away from Gish songs, but did offer the long time fans a taste with “Rhinoceros,” “Tristessa,” and a crowd favorite “I Am One.” Some of the serious followers felt that “Bury Me” was a glaring omission from the set list; however, everyone left with a smile on their face, humming the darkly sardonic words, “Today is the greatest, day I ever had/ Can’t live for tomorrow, Tomorrow’s much too long.”

by Alan Haworth