Smashing Pumpkins Celebrating Lots Of Anniversaries In Coming Months

Billy Corgan has pushed back Smashing Pumpkins’ tour honoring the band’s first full-length, the 1991 album Gish, to “distant 2009” in order to focus on two things: A tour of smaller-sized venues next month which will stop at a casino in Hammond, Ind., among other places in the lower 48 states; and a smattering of shows this November that will “focus on the band’s history, legacy, and accomplishments over their career” and will be billed as a 20th-anniversary tour. Which I guess makes the Gish tour an 18th-anniversary tour? Oh man, does this mean I have to send him something porcelain and something platinum? I hope he’s registered somewhere, at least!

“The August tour is going to be a blast… Expect a very loud and raucous show from us…and we are very, very happy to know we will finally be playing our own shows come November in New York, L.A., and Chicago… The 20th Anniversary shows will be magical… We are already working on lots of surprises.”

I love surprises! I hope one of those surprises, though, isn’t the great idea to hold the Chicago show at the Aragon Ballroom, because even though I saw the Pumpkins there in college, that place may be my least favorite place to see a concert in the world. (Picture a shirtless frat dude giving Kurt Cobain the finger and laughing the lyrics to “Rape Me” during a performance of said song, and you’ll get an idea as to why.

Whoops, sorry! To wipe away those bad memories, here’s the video for “Thirty-Three,” which is in addition to being one of my favorite Corgan songs my favorite number. (I think they do quiet really well, don’t you?)

Smashing Pumpkins [Official site]