If your middle school self was anything like mine—inclined to long bouts of sprawling on the bedroom floor as “Disarm” played on repeat—then you’ll be excited to learn of this brief Smashing Pumpkins reunion. While, alas, no D’arcy Wretzky was present, James Iha joined Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain on March 26 to play tunes from the band’s 1993 album Siamese Dream.
As Vulture details, “James Iha was the rhythm guitarist for Smashing Pumpkins from their inception in 1988 until 2000, when the band first broke up...[He] had not played with band leader Billy Corgan for 16 years until Saturday night at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.” It also happened to be Iha’s 48th birthday, so as is customary, Billy sang him “Happy Birthday.”
During this particular show the Pumpkins paid homage to Siamese Dream and performed a number of tracks from the album, including singles “Today,” “Disarm,” and “Rocket” (no “Cherub Rock,” guys?). The band has recently been on the road with Liz Phair because sometimes we are bestowed with gifts we hardly deserve.
It’s my hope that, in honor of this (albeit fleeting) reunion, Jezebel’s gentle readers will turn the below comments section into a formidable Pumpkins playlist. I’ll begin with the aforementioned “Disarm,” a song off the soundtrack to my teenage angst.
Videos via YouTube.