Review: Pumpkins still smashing after break

David Renzi

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Their drug-related work stoppage over, the Smashing Pumpkins resumed their world tour Tuesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, six weeks after a heroin overdose left their keyboard player dead and their drummer unemployed.

The July 12 incident in New York City caused the postponement of 22 shows and forced the band to break in replacements, who filled in more than adequately for the deceased Jonathan Melvoin and the fired Jimmy Chamberlin. They made smashing debuts before approximately 8,000 fans inside the T&M's 12,172-seat large-concert configuration.

Head Pumpkin Billy Corgan mentioned neither Melvoin nor Chamberlin by name, but he did address the issue.

"You know, we haven't had the easiest year. I don't want to talk about that. ... We just want to say thanks, and we appreciate your support. I know we're not as exciting as Siegfried & Roy, (but) we have our own white tiger, Matt 'Cosmo' Walker."

Corgan was referring to the band's new drummer, a former Filter member who took over when the Pumpkins axed the drug-addled Chamberlin for shooting up with Melvoin on the morning of his death. Dennis Flemion, a founding member of the Frogs, replaced Melvoin.

Truth be told, the only irreplaceable member of this noisy Chicago band is Corgan, who writes 90 percent of the material, sings 100 percent of the songs and plays most or all of the solos. The others, bassist D'Arcy and guitarist James Iha, and now Walker, are there simply to back the leader and subordinate their ambitions to the framework of the song.

It would seem the only criteria for a supporting Pumpkin are to play as loud and as long as possible -- which they did with equal aplomb -- and to stay out of Corgan's way.

The band's 19-song, two-hour, three-encore set drew primarily from "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness," its 28-song double CD. Predictably, the hit songs ("1979" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings") received the most enthusiastic response, as did those from 1993's "Siamese Dream" ("Cherub Rock," "Today" and "Disarm").

Despite the time off, the Pumpkins showed no signs of rust. They tore into the material with their trademarks intact: Corgan's primal screaming, the dental-drill drone of Corgan and Iha's guitars, the smash-mouth drumming and the extended, hypnotic soundscapes that provided a respite from the sonic onslaught.