The final evening of the 2013 edition of South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival concluded with several marquee "secret shows". MySpace brought in Justin Timberlake, Samsung invited the Purple One (Prince) and ACL Live hosted John Fogarty with an all-star bill that included Austin favorites, the Wheeler Brothers. Add The Smashing Pumpkins to that list as Red Bull Sound Select capped their 120 Hours in Austin with last-minute show downtown Saturday. Local, heavy-metal rockers The Sword, San Antonio's Girl in a Coma along with shoe-gazers, Ringo Deathstarr opened the show.
The Smashing Pumpkins played a fantastic, 90-minute set that included hits, "Zero", "Disarm" (see video below), "Tonight Tonight" and an amazing cover of Bowie's "Space Oddity" in front of a crowd of only 350 people. An additional 500 fans crowded onto the street outside the show to listen in. Lead singer, Billy Corgan was celebrating his birthday (it is March 17) as his band ran through a list of hits and songs off last year's "Oceania" album. Fans even serenaded the 46 year-old rocker with a chorus of "Happy Birthday".
Corgan seemed to be in a celebratory mood, bantering with his band mates and the audience throughout the performance. The group's relaxed demeanor translated to a near-perfect performance. The crowd sang along to "Zero", stood mesmerized by new track, "Oceania" and lustily sang along to "Tonight Tonight". Corgan unleashed a couple of mind-bending guitar solos that left fans gasping. His trademark primal scream could be heard ringing across downtown Austin. The set list was well-paced and the appreciative fans appeared sated by the performance.
Set list:
Quasar
Starla
Cherub Rock
Bullet With Butterfly Wings
The Celestials
Space Oddity
(David Bowie cover)
X.Y.U.
Disarm
Tonite Reprise
Tonight, Tonight
Oceania
Pale Horse
Ava Adore
Zero
Stand Inside Your Love
United States
Encore:
Porcelina of the Vast Oceans
Upcoming The Smashing Pumpkins U.S. tour dates:
April 29 – King Center for the Performing Arts – Melbourne, FL
May 2 – St Augustine Amphitheater – St Augustine, FL
May 3 – Funshine Music Festival – Tampa, FL
May 5 – Beale Street Music Festival – Memphis, TN
May 7 – Red Hat Amphitheater w/AWOLNATION – Raleigh, NC
May 8 – Time Warner Amphitheater w/AWOLNATION – Charlotte, NC
May 10 – Chastain Amphitheater – Atlanta, GA
May 11 – Gulfport Music Festival – Gulfport, MS
May 14 – Palladium – Dallas, TX
Special thanks to Courtney Knittel.
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