Simply Smashing
7/31/98 Review
Boston Herald
Thanks to Eve for the review.
last night at the orpheum theater the Smashing Pumpkins to quote their current single were: perfect.
For some reason it was a synergistic confluence of a night, band and sold-out audience as the Chicago trio, augmented superbly by two percussionists, a keyboardist and ace drummer Kenny Arnoff, displayed all it's glorious range. But more noticeably the group truly seemed to enjoy themselves playing the songs from their stellar new album Adore, even notoriously stoic guitarist James Iha was spotted grinning. There were plenty of reasons for everyone smiles. Beginning with To Sheila the band shifted between sweet and gentle acoustic grooves and exhilarating bold and loud guitar heroics, eschewing the overt electronics of Adore in favor of warmer human keyboards and drums. Pug was all lurching guitar menace, while Once upon a time was liltingly, melancholic and the churning Ava Adore flirted with funk.
Particularly lovely was Billy Corgan's croon on the melodic Annie-Dog with it's shimmering chimes, D'arcy's slithery bass line and jittery hand percussion. The symphonic tonight Tonight was delightfully recast as a jaunty, countryish acoustic number.
A generous midset spotlight was shone on Arnoff and the percussionists. no mere drum solo, the three rythmatists laid down muscular layers of groove before charging into a tribal rearrangement of bullet With Butterfly wings with Corgan cathartically caterwauling Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage.
At the end of the night the band crowned its flawless performance with a show of class, by presenting a check for over $100,000 to the Childrens Aids program of Boston.