{"id":628769,"date":"2026-10-12T23:36:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T23:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/628769\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T23:36:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T23:36:09","slug":"the-smashing-pumpkins-summon-rage-in-madisons-kohl-center-entertainment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/628769\/","title":{"rendered":"The Smashing Pumpkins summon rage in Madison’s Kohl Center | Entertainment"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cap Times is an independent newsroom serving Madison and Wisconsin. Sign up for the Food & Culture newsletter<\/a> for exclusive weekly insight.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt absolutely blows my mind that you\u2019re all here listening to \u2018Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness\u2019 some 30 years later,\u201d the Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan told Sunday night\u2019s crowd at the Kohl Center, dressed in a black tunic. \u201cMost of you weren\u2019t even born yet, and if you were, you were still a virgin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s the album\u2019s swirling guitars, bittersweet melodies and gothic grandeur, but there\u2019s something that just feels right about experiencing \u201cMellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness\u201d in mid-October. Perhaps it\u2019s the seasonal coincidence of the band\u2019s name, but the Smashing Pumpkins\u2019 music seems tailor-made for a crisp autumn evening.<\/p>\n

As the opening notes of \u201c1979\u201d filled the Kohl Center with a potent sense of nostalgia, the crowd\u2019s enthusiastic cheers offered a reminder that the album\u2019s emotional pull hasn\u2019t faded in the three decades since its release.<\/p>\n

Across two sets and nearly three hours, the Smashing Pumpkins celebrated the 30th anniversary of its seminal album with a 30-song performance that balanced the album\u2019s legacy with a career-spanning retrospective. The first set centered on songs from their landmark 1995 double album, while the second reached across the band’s four-decade catalog, revisiting hits and deep cuts alike.<\/p>\n

\"Smashing<\/p>\n

Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin and Kiki Wong perform with The Smashing Pumpkins at Kohl Center in Madison, Oct. 11, 2026.<\/p>\n

RUTHIE HAUGE<\/p>\n

Madison has been part of the Smashing Pumpkins\u2019 story since their earliest days. The Chicago band recorded its 1991 debut, \u201cGish\u201d, with producer Butch Vig at the former Smart Studios, but its ties to the city go back even further. Corgan recalled the band\u2019s early shows at the former downtown venues O\u2019Cayz Corral and Club de Wash, as well as a performance at the Memorial Union Terrace that led to University of Wisconsin\u2013Madison banning the band in 1990.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess the powers that be didn\u2019t like the mosh pit that was forming,\u201d Corgan quipped.<\/p>\n

\"Smashing<\/p>\n

Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, founding members of The Smashing Pumpkins perform with the band at Kohl Center in Madison, Oct. 11, 2026.<\/p>\n

RUTHIE HAUGE<\/p>\n

Decades later, Madison remains a familiar stop for the Chicago band. \u201cIt\u2019s been a pretty short trip for us,\u201d drummer Jimmy Chamberlin said as the band began to wrap up the first set with \u201cBy Starlight\u201d and closing with the album\u2019s title track.<\/p>\n

\"Smashing<\/p>\n

Billy Corgan sings lead vocals on The Smashing Pumpkins hit song, \u201c1979\u201d as the band performs at Kohl Center in Madison, Oct. 11, 2026.<\/p>\n

RUTHIE HAUGE<\/p>\n

For many fans, Sunday\u2019s show was a chance to relive the soundtrack of their youth. For Anna and Canard, longtime fans of \u201cMellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness\u201d who asked that their last names not be used, it was an opportunity to experience the album live. Anna remembers falling asleep to the record and always wanted to learn the piano part to its title track.<\/p>\n

The album\u2019s enduring appeal was evident from the moment the band took the stage at 8 p.m. From the wistful nostalgia of \u201c1979\u201d to the explosive chorus of \u201cBullet with Butterfly Wings,\u201d the crowd embraced two of the album\u2019s biggest hits, proving that \u201cMellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness\u201d still packs an emotional punch. Corgan was joined by James Iha (guitar), Jimmy Chamberlin (drums), Jack Bates (bass) and Kiki Wong (guitar).<\/p>\n

\"Smashing<\/p>\n

The Smashing Pumpkins perform at Kohl Center in Madison, Oct. 11, 2026.<\/p>\n

RUTHIE HAUGE<\/p>\n

\"Smashing<\/p>\n

The Smashing Pumpkins perform at Kohl Center in Madison, Oct. 11, 2026.<\/p>\n

RUTHIE HAUGE<\/p>\n

After a 15-minute intermission, the band returned for 13 songs from other popular albums like \u201cSiamese Dream.\u201d \u201cMayonaise\u201d and \u201cCherub Rock\u201d were standouts, showcasing the sheer volume and layered guitar work the three guitarists could summon, while \u201cDisarm\u201d offered a more restrained counterpoint.<\/p>\n

UW\u2013Madison students Cecilia Cornell and Tyler Weaver both discovered the Smashing Pumpkins through their parents. For Weaver, hearing the instantly recognizable riffs of songs like \u201cToday\u201d and \u201cCherub Rock\u201d brought back memories of growing up with the band\u2019s music.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt brings back memories of hearing these songs when my dad would pick me up from school,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The band closed its nearly three-hour performance with \u201cThe Everlasting Gaze\u201d and \u201cSuperchrist,\u201d shifting from nostalgia to a heavier, more aggressive finish. Three decades after \u201cMellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness\u201d first arrived, the Smashing Pumpkins showed that their music still resonates across generations.<\/p>\n

\"Smashing<\/p>\n

Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, founding members of The Smashing Pumpkins perform their 1995 hit song, \u201cBullet with Butterfly Wings\u201d with the band at Kohl Center in Madison, Oct. 11, 2026.<\/p>\n

RUTHIE HAUGE<\/p>\n

\"Smashing<\/p>\n

Kiki Wong and Jack Bates perform with The Smashing Pumpkins at Kohl Center in Madison, Oct. 11, 2026.<\/p>\n

RUTHIE HAUGE<\/p>\n

\"Smashing<\/p>\n

Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, founding members of The Smashing Pumpkins perform with the band at Kohl Center in Madison, Oct. 11, 2026.<\/p>\n

RUTHIE HAUGE<\/p>\n

Please consider supporting the Cap Times by becoming a\u00a0member<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0sponsor<\/a>. Sustaining local journalism in Madison depends on readers like you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Cap Times is an independent newsroom serving Madison and Wisconsin. Sign up for the Food & Culture…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":628770,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[156,157,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-628769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-music","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}