At the time, this was a big deal.
The Smashing Pumpkins had been sans drummer Jimmy Chamberlain since 1997, and the original line up of Chamberlain, Billy Corgan, James Iha and D’Arcy Wretzky would only end up playing together for a short time, as Wretzky would leave the band in 2000.
Dubbed “The Arising” tour, this was the Pumpkins both returning to their roots and looking to the future. Gone where the electronic-indulgent tendencies of the Adore-era. The band opened with the lead-off Gish track ‘I Am One,’ and the packed Bogart’s crowd started pogo’ing in ecstatic unison.
The night was basically split between every rocker you wanted to hear from Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie, and new material that would end up on the two consecutive Machina releases. The band was, quite simply, on fire, bludgeoning the audience with waves of guitar, bass and drums set on eleven.
We didn’t realize it then, but the opening band would end up being fairly significant. Made up of several former Kyuss members, being former Kyuss members didn’t mean all that much at the time because the band was still relatively unknown to me. The short and unmemorable set didn’t help, and it wasn’t until the release the album Rated R the following year that any of us put 2+2 together about who the opening band was – Queens of the Stone Age.
If I were ranking shows I have been to, this is top five. Sad to think that just a year later, the band would put on one of the worst shows I’ve ever seen.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE SETLIST:
You Think I Aint’ Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire
The Bronze
Mexicola
How to Handle a Rope
You Can’t Quit Me Baby
If Only
Avon
SMASHING PUMPKINS SETLIST:
I Am One
Zero
Pug
La Dolly Vita
Glass’ Theme
The Imploding Voice
Dross
Speed Kills
Blue Skies Bring Tears
Stand Inside Your Love
Glass and the Ghost Children
Wound
Cash Car Star
Ava Adore
Today
Encore:
Muzzle
Soma
Encore 2:Home
If There Is a God
With Every Light
Encore 3:
Geek U.S.A.