Cool!!Iholdthepain wrote:Rank your Pumpkins shows...
1. 12-1-1996 Dallas, Reunion Arena
Just got back from seeing PJ close their European tour in Portugal. Jetlagged, we witnessed MCIS -era Pumpkins in full force with Matt Walker on drums. This was angry Billy tearing in to scorching versions of songs. They played forvever, left the stage, the house lights came on, people left, we were leaving, they came back onstage...next thing I k ow, I'm crushed right in front of Billy center stage as they continue to flow through lengthy psychedelic renditions of Aeroplane Flies High and Silverfuck! They play for nearly an hour, just jamming until the music finally fizzled down to nothing. A great bootleg exists of this show... So badass!!!
2. August 1994 Dallas Starplex
This was the year of SP headlining Lollapalooza. I don't remember the events too clearly, as I was tripping on Red Sunshine, however... Already a soul-crushing day as Green Day opened the show. That was fun. I remember really being haunted by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds while somewhat freaking out in the lawn. After George Clinton we decided to go for a walk to the second stage where SP randomly showed up and played a short pre-set. I don't remember which songs, just hundreds of screaming gen-xers running straight towards me. Back on the lawn, as the Beastie Boys hit the stage there was a mass wave of humanity rushing the stage. This scared me pretty badly, but BB brought me back. If was all good! When the Pumpkins came on I was drained, exhausted, and sat still on the lawn as the stage lights began to wash across the night sky. Suddenly, screeching and swirling feedback loops rang from the house pa for what seemed like an eternity... Finally melding together into the chords of Rocket... They were off! Again, I don't remember too many specifics of this particular show, but there's great youtube footage of their Lolla-era shows. I do remember freaking out a bit as Bill stopped down the show to berate us fans. He went on a long rant about being a grown man and he doesn't have to take shit from us. Insane memory!
3. 5-12-2000 Dallas Bronco Bowl
This was the night before my wedding, and we actually danced our first dance 'To Sbiela' so there's sentimental value here. Also, Jimmy was back, Melissa replaced Darcy, and we were treated to a very good Machina-era set. It was a great mood, great sound and sightlines, but it was hot as hell inside the whole night. This tour should have been the end of the Pumpkins.
4. November 1997 Texas Motor Speedway
Here, they were opening for the Rolling Stones and sharing the bill with Matchbox 20 and Dave Matthews Band. Fun lineup and I was into it at the time. It was still daylight when the Pumpkins started, but not for long. This was I think a pre-Adore show, but not long before the album came out. There were early renditions of some of the Adore songs. The hilights for me, though were the Batman and Lost Highway soundtrack songs. It was a much different, mellower, and more electronic sound for the band and I dug it! Needless to say it was a very short set.
5. 2006? Red Rocks
I liked Zeitgeist well enough, and I was all excited that SP got back together (albeit with a different guitarist and another different female bassist). Honestly, I thought the new bass player was hot and I didn't stop watching her the entire time. I also didn't think the sound could ever suck at Red Rocks, but it did on this night. I *think* the show might have been good, but the sound constantly swirled in and out with the winds. We weren't that far away from the soundboard either, and the sound was just bad. For the last song I told my wife I'd meet her at the exit. As they started Cherub Rock to end the sbow, I slilnked my way into the front row, which at RR is at the same level as the band. That was kinda strange, but kinda cool. Sound was better down there, too.
Phew... Your turn.
Man to see the mighty SP in 1996 or 97...
