Drum + Fife | 2015-06-15 | Smashing Pumpkins

2:34:29

Taper:

Binko

SHNID:

tsp2015-06-15.at831.flac24

Source:

AT-831 > DR-08 (24/96)

Lineage:

WAV-M > Adobe Audition 1.5 (EQ, peak limiting to attenuate loud audience between tracks, splits & fades) > Xrecode II (flac 8)

Taper Notes:

View NotesOpening night of the Smashing Pumpkins first tour in many years.  Intimate and acoustic.

I'm not sure why this was billed as Smashing Pumpkins when it was essentially a Billy Corgan solo show.  He was the only one on stage for the whole show.  He was joined by a second guitarist for a large amount of the show, but the bass player was only onstage for 3 songs.  Other than that it was just Billy.

And what dedication.  2 and a half hours non-stop without intermission.  And his voice was perfect the whole time.  A fantastic performance from end to end that I hope you all enjoy as much as I did.

The main flaw with this show was the ignorant audience.  OK a lot were there to hear the music, sing along, have a good time.  But it seems a fair percentage went to have a frat party.  They talked and carried on oblivious of the guy on stage putting his all into the songs.  Even the local music reporter had issues with the audience in his review.  Where we sat there was a whole section that came together and shouted across rows to each other like the music was on the stereo at a party.  The girl behind us kept telling them to shut up.  Security and the house manager told them to shut up.  They eventually left, ironically  because we all refused to join in on their party.  Even Billy asked the people talking to leave for a portion of the show.

Binko and I sat in the balcony 5 rows from the back of the theater.  Not the greatest seats, but hey, this show sold out in about and hour, so quickly that by the time the website for tickets went online they were gone.  Binko stood in line and was lucky to even get tickets at all, so thank the man for his perseverance.  This recording was about 40 seats away from not existing at all.  In spite of the audience and distant location the tape came out great.  Listen.  Enjoy.

I regret that Binko didn't record the opening acts. The second one was fantastic. 3 guys from Seoul, South Korea. What a great singer they had. Sounded like Bono at his peak.  I have no idea who they were, nor did anyone else including the staff at the theater, and you couldn't understand the guy when he said the band name.  First time they played in the Western world.  I hope to hear more from them.