The Smashing Pumpkins 2000-02-05

February 5, 2000 – Portland, OR, US
Live performance by The Smashing Pumpkins
Resume the Pose tour
Date	February 5, 2000
Venue	Berbati's Pan
Coordinates	45°31′22″N 122°40′21″W
Location	Portland, OR, US
Venue type	Club
Capacity	600
Personnel	Billy Corgan, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin, Melissa Auf der Maur
Order of bands	The Smashing Pumpkins
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Setlist

1. "Glass and the Ghost Children" (acoustic) [9:25] 
2. "Crush" 
3. "I of the Mourning" (acoustic) 
4. "Today" (acoustic) 
5. "Blue Skies Bring Tears" [5:55] 
6. "Heavy Metal Machine" (acoustic) 
7. "If There Is a God" (abandoned) (acoustic) 
8. "If There Is a God" (acoustic) 
9. "Age of Innocence" (acoustic) 
10. "1979" (acoustic) 

Encore

11. (fan Q + A)
12. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" [Backstreet Boys] (tease) 
13. "Join Together" [The Who] (acoustic) 
14. "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" (acoustic) 
15. "Rock On" [David Essex] (acoustic) [6:27] 
    1. "Zero" (tease) 

Notes

• Billy Corgan on keyboard for "Crush" and "Blue Skies Bring Tears"
• There was a signing scheduled either before or after the show but was cancelled for unknown reasons.

Banter

(all songs acoustic except Crush and Blue Skies Bring Tears)

Glass and the Ghost Children
BC: Hold on, heh heh heh heh. A little less organ there, John. Are we waiting on you again? Haha, oh, it's Melissa's fault?, heh, heh heh.
Crush (Billy on keyboard)
(Billy has trouble hitting several high notes in the song and says “So bad” near the end)
BC: Thank you all very much, thank you, thank you. That was bleh. Remember when I did it for the little kid and...? I got it, I got it, I got it, thank you all very much, thank you. Now if uh, if you don't mind, uh, so when I got the phone call this morning, you know, that the thing at the record store wasn't gonna happen, it was like complete utter panic 'cause what were we gonna do, but as you see, it's all worked out probably even for the better. So we thank you very much and your patience and your devotion means a lot to us. So we'd like to do another new song from our forthcoming take over the world one more time album. I don't know how many times we have to prove the same point, but we're going to prove it again. Heh heh, sorry, I just had to say that. So this is a song called I of the Mourning.
I of the Mourning
BC: Okay, Mark, heh, heh, Mark, can you fix that strap please? Yeah, we'd also like to say thank you very much and ask you to say thank you very much to the people who work with us, our road crew who made this all possible today. Yes, it's a rare compliment for the crew. Don't fall over, heh.
Today
Iha: Whoo!
BC: Wait wait, hold on, wait, James, you gotta check this out, wait, hold on, hold on, sorry, hold on, I swear, hold on. Wait, hold on.
(Billy demonstrates something with effects pedal that sort of sounds like crickets chirping)
Iha: Heh heh heh, thank you very much.
BC: It's so low you can't hear it. That pedal's still on. Melissa, will you step on that big pedal?
Iha: Thank you.
BC: It's applause, see?
(Billy plays effects pedal again and it does sound more like applause this time)
Iha: Thank you, we're back, oh, alright. That was a fantastic song from Siamese Dream and uh, what's up, what's coming up next? (synth noises) Oh, that doesn't sound old, I think that's a new song.
BC: Hold on a second. I still don't know what I'm doing, hold on.
Iha: We just bought this thing and uh, I don't know, these modern day keyboards, they have too many crazy sounds on them, you know?
(Billy testing synth)
BC: Hold on, I got it. I’m there, hold on.
Iha: Uh...any second, we'll be rocking.
BC: There we go. Okay.
Blue Skies Bring Tears (Billy on keyboard)
BC: Hey, I was thinking just skip the riff (demonstrating guitar), let’s try that. Is everybody alright? That last song even scared me...and I wrote it.
Heavy Metal Machine
BC: This is our new drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin.
If There is a God (abandoned quickly)
(crowd yelling)
BC: It's a porno?! These people had sex to our music and they want us to watch it. Wow, that - heh heh, that gets pretty much to the root of why we wrote it. But we hope you find great inspiration this evening.
If There is a God (abandoned after about 10 seconds)
BC: Hey man, I'm not fucking Gunga Din, what do you want? (rimshot from Jimmy) Thank you very much. I'm gonna try to start the song now, thank you.
If There is a God (Billy acoustic w/Iha electric)
> Age of Innocence
BC: Thanks a lot.
1979 (Jimmy plays guitar)
BC: Thank you very much, thank you. Thank you! You guys are awesome, thank you! Thank you. Thank you.
[encore break]
BC: Hi. Okay, so we have a - we have a problem that’s not really a problem. But uh, on the literal end, you know, we were gonna do the in-store and sign autographs for an hour. Okay, but the problem is is there’s no way we can sign everybody’s autograph, we’d be here all night. Now, hold on, hold on, hold on. I’ll leave this motherfucker right here. So, what we thought we could do different, instead of - and we wanna say hello to everybody before we take off, so we wanna take the time to say hello to everybody personally, and um, the other thing that I thought would be kinda cool is we can spend a little time to pass the mic around, talk to everybody, make it kinda very general, mellow, cool, and uh, that way we can say hello to everybody and we can spend a little time together that’s not the bullshit, you know, this, and then, that’s it. And if you’re really good - no, actually, if you’re really bad, we’ll play more music. We know that - we know that that works. So um, my Armenian friend over here with the microphone, he’s your MC, and um, just feel free to talk to us, ask us anything. And uh, everybody, you know, no pushing and shoving or I’ll kick your fuckin’ ass. So is everybody cool with that? (crowd cheers) That doesn’t sound - wait, hold on. Who really wants to do the autograph thing? (bigger crowd cheer)
Iha: Boo, boo, boo, oh well, we can’t.
BC: Alright, hold on, wait, okay, so, okay wait, okay, if we do the autograph thing, that means that about 200 people can’t get autographs, so is it fair that some people get autographs and other people don’t? (audience yelling “No!”) I thought this was like kind of a hippie kinda town, you know? Alright, so let me ask you again, is everybody cool with this part? (audience agrees)
Iha: Yes!
BC: Alright, who’s got a -
Guy in crowd: You do what you want!
BC: Yeah, that’s - I win in any way, you know? I have to save some, hold on.
Iha: Who’s that for?
BC: Tommy, come on! Okay. Can you turn up a little bit, [unintelligible name]? Can everybody hear?
Girl #1: Nice, James. (crying and laughing) James, I love you so much.
Iha: Thank you, heh heh. I can’t even see you but I -
BC: Is that a question?! If that’s a question, I’ve been asking my whole life.
Iha: I can’t even see you, but I love you too. I send my love your way. I don’t know what to say to that.
BC: Okay, go ahead.
Guy #1: Uh, my question is what guitar effect are you using on the song Love to get all that distortion you got goin’ on?
BC: Um...that would be a Portland carrot.
Iha: I don’t know.
BC: You can only get ‘em - they only grow in Portland, they’re carrots and.... If you plug the guitar into the carrot....
Guy #2: Dear Billy, I was wondering what time of the year you wrote Perfect.
BC: What time of the year? Uh...that was the winter of my discontent, I think.
Guy #3: Hello.
BC: Alright.
Guy #3: Who would you say your biggest influence musically is?
Iha: Uh, me, I uh...I don’t know, I’ve, I’ve, I liked uh, in high school, I was always like a big fan of like R.E.M. and U2 and the Smiths and...I, you know, I don’t know, as I got older, I liked heavier music and now I like lighter music again, I-I like all kinds of music.
Melissa: I wanna make somewhere between Danzig and the Beach Boys, those....
Jimmy: Um, I’d have to say James Iha. Heh heh haha. Thank you very much.
Guy #4: What is the meaning of the song Mayonaise?
BC: Say that again, please.
Guy #4: What is the meaning of the song Mayonaise?
BC: What is the - heh heh, what is the meaning of the song Mayonaise? Well...life is kinda like a rotten egg. That’s not a joke, I’m serious. Well, I don’t know -
Jimmy: You know mayonnaise is made with eggs, Billy?
BC: Huh?
Jimmy: Mayonnaise is made outta eggs.
BC: That’s - I know. Thank you, thanks for the backup, JC.
Jimmy: Little culinary [unintelligible word] for you, buddy.
Guy #5: Why is the song Hummer called Hummer, I mean...why?
BC: Well um, now I - ever since I wrote that song, I’ve heard many definitions for the word hummer. Yeah, I’ve heard that um, I’ve heard that there’s a car called the Hummer, which the marines drive. I heard that Monica gave Bill a hummer in the White House.
Iha: [3 unintelligible words]
BC: But quite honestly, in my innocent youth, I meant it to mean someone who just kind of walks around humming a song to himself, you know, staring wistfully at the clouds.
(Iha holds a chord on the keyboard for several seconds)
Iha: I was just providing some...instrumental music.
BC: You need to put the applause on, man.
Guy #6: Where do you guys get your cool clothes?
BC: I’m sorry?
Guy #6: Where do you guys get your cool clothes?
Jimmy: Nordstrom’s.
BC: I think we need to work over here, man, Tommy. Well, I’ll go over here [2-3 unintelligible words]. It’s like I’m on TV again, okay, shh! Hold on.
Guy #7: Uh, what made you such a god?
BC: I don’t know if there’s enough time to answer that question.
Guy #8: Umm...let’s see, so many questions, not enough time. Umm...heh...how did your dad influence you musically would you say?
BC: Uh...my father’s influence on me musically? Probably the greatest thing my father ever told me was to never learn anybody else’s music. So I have a complete inability to learn anyone else’s songs, but...you know, kinda made up my own language.
Guy #9: Billy, how do you feel the band’s been getting on since the loss of your former bandmate? How’s it been going for you, man?
Iha: Um...it’s uh...it’s uh, really...
Random guy from crowd: Do you miss her?
Iha: ...it’s strange and different, yeah, I mean, she’s...uh, D’arcy’s great, but we don’t really wanna talk about it, heh heh. I mean, we’re - we feel really good about playing right now and uh, she had to do her own thing and we’re just moving on, but she’s great.
BC: That was a very...like, ‘90s answer.
Iha: I don’t know what to say, I love you.
Jimmy: Good connection.
Girl #2: What did each of you have for breakfast this morning?
Jimmy: Aw, this is good. Okay, check this out. I had a - I was starving when I woke up - I had two eggs over easy with spicy potatoes, um...and a side of blueberry pancakes. With wheat toast, heh heh heh. Oh, and bacon too, and two glasses of milk.
Melissa: Whoo, weird question but um, other than hello, I’m Melissa, I play bass in this band. Nobody else told me, so I’m gonna tell.... I’m having a good time and my mother always told me to learn other people’s songs in order to be a better musician, that’s what I’m doing. And for breakfast, I had bagels, cream cheese and a side order of bacon.
Iha: Word, word.
BC: I’m really intrigued now!
Iha: Uh...breakfast and we have to talk about this?
BC: I’m really interested!
Iha: Um, oh jeez, I can’t remember, um....
(Billy plays the effects pedal of applause again)
Iha: Heh! Well, I had uh....
BC: Alright, okay, you don’t have to talk, I’ll talk, I have a good breakfast story. So um, we’re staying at this hotel and we go downstairs and it’s like twelve o’clock and me and my friend say, “We need to eat breakfast somewhere,” and the guy says, “Well, I don’t know if you can eat breakfast, it’s too late, but if you go down there, there’s some place and there’s food and there’s probably a line because it’s a great restaurant, so you’re gonna have to wait.” So we started walking, walking, walking, and here comes this beautiful woman around the corner and she looks at us and then she says, “Here, if you want to have breakfast, go here.”
Guy in crowd: How was Mother’s? [name of restaurant unintelligible, that’s a guess]
BC: It was very good, see? We went to eat at this place and the food was very good, but then somebody hit me over the head.
Jimmy: Was that in San Francisco?
BC: Heh, that was this morning. Alright, you see the interview thing’s not going too well.
Iha: New question.
BC: I guess we’ll give you all autographs and send you home.
Iha: New question.
BC: T, work over here a little bit, the right, you know, you’re favoring the right and I’m left handed, this is important to me. He only understands Armenians, so uh....
Iha: If uh, if this - if you’re not getting Tommy’s attention, just punch him really hard.
BC: Alright, hold on.
Iha: Okay. What’s the question?
Guy #10: I just wanted to know, I’m glad that Jimmy’s back in the band, but um...thank you. (crowd cheers) I just wanna know like how is the band, how are you guys adjusting to it, like, Jimmy back?
BC: Well, he eats a lot and all the bills have gone back up.
Iha: Oh, Jesus Christ, you know, every time I go grocery shopping, the thing is gone, you know.
BC: Um, I-I don’t know, I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious we’re not very good at faking, but we’re having a great time and we’re glad to be back to destroying the world again.
Guy #11: Billy, what would you say your world view is, just overall?
BC: My overall world view? Human beings are basically flawed machines and uh, we have to spend our whole lives basically trying to find what we want to do as opposed to what we’re being told to do. We need to subversively look at everything in our culture, from Celine Dion to the U.S. government and uh, split it all in half, piss on it, celebrate it, and move on.
Iha: I say - I say live and let live.
Girl #3: Hey, my mom’s got a question!
Mom #1: Heh heh. Billy, I like your music but why do you have to cuss with all these impressionable minds here? (laughing)
Girl #3: [unintelligible word] my mom.
BC: Honestly, I don’t fuckin’ know, I just...something overtakes me and I go fuckin’ crazy! Sorry. I met this nice lady today, she’s here with her daughter and thank you so much for coming.
Girl #4: Okay. Okay um, I’ve been to like -
MC: Um, excuse me. I think somebody passed out in the audience right here. Could we get some help, T.L.?
Iha: We need a doctor.
MC: T.L.?
BC: Come up on stage then if you’re passing out. Mmm, okay, come on up here, are you alright?
Iha: We’re all gonna take care of you.
BC: See what we do to you? Make you crazy, hope you’re okay.
Iha: Okay, this is going great, heh heh.
Girl #4: Okay. Okay, so I’ve been to like five of your shows and been in the front and I was wondering what gave you the sick masochistic idea to go to small venues like this because...
Guy in crowd: Yeah!
Girl #4: ...yeah, especially in Portland. No, I mean, I just wonder ‘cause I’ve seen the insanity of like, the crowds and gotten my ass kicked in the front, so I was wondering what gave you this idea to go into such a....
BC: Um...we uh, we feel, heh heh....
Jimmy: Um, I don’t know, heh heh heh.
Iha: Well, these aren’t designed to hurt people.
BC: Oh! Enough with the PC answers. Uh...(Billy and Iha laugh)...we feel the need to ask you to prove your love to us over and over again because we’re going to prove our love to you over and over again. Alright, a couple more questions and we’ll go back to the rock. What? Tommy...oh my god.
Jimmy or Iha: Let her kick.
Guy #12: I was uh, I was wondering if you had any ideas of what band you might be touring with later this year.
Melissa: Well, I’ll be touring with Hole, right? Maybe we’ll do a new tour in a decade or so, that might be fun.
BC: Take about a decade for the wounds to heal. We pretty much don’t tour with bands anymore because we used to try to take younger bands and stuff on tour with us and we got tired of them saying shit about us and putting us down for helping - trying to make them big stars like us, so...uh....
Iha: We’re too jaded.
BC: So uh....
Melissa: Well, wait wait wait, I wanna take this opportunity to tell a touching story, which is way back in ‘94. I wrote a letter to a P.O. box of the Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream album and asked for my band to open up for them at my home in Montreal, Quebec. It happened and that’s why I’m here, go bigger. And I’m here, that is a good story!
BC: Actually, I called the other girl’s letter that I read first that day and she wasn’t home.
Girl #5: Um, I have a question. I noticed during the concert a lot of girls screaming and saying they loved you. Do you think that that fogs your message in your music?
BC: Can you repeat the first part ‘cause it sounded so surreal to me, I just....
Girl #5: Lots of girls screaming and saying they love you, do you feel like they’re not really listening to your music?
BC: Oh, you mean the, kind of the perceived difference and quotient of, you know, like the ‘N Sync part and the - and then the guttural like “we love the metal” part. We - this is probably a good place to end - we frankly do not have prejudice against anyone who wants to see us. If it’s for the most shallow and vain of reasons, we know that eventually we will take them to the depth of what we do because that’s what we’re really about and you know, it’s great for the ego and stuff, but we’re here to save your souls and uh, so uh...heh, we’ll go back to doing what we do well, as opposed to this, so um, we’ll go back to playing music, hold on.
BC: I think uh, and I also can firmly say that is the last Q & A we will ever do, heh heh, so you were there, heh heh.
Everybody (Backstreet's Back) (tease)
Iha: (singing) Everybody!
BC: Hold on.
Iha: (singing) Rock your body!
BC: Yeah, just go.
Iha: (singing) Everybody! (high pitched) Alright! (speaking) Thank you.
BC: Jimmy had to go pee, hold on. It was all his uh.... Okay...just ask it, I can hear you.
Girl in crowd: (off mic) Billy, who’s your lyrical inspiration to mine?
BC: Who's my lyrical inspiration?
Girl in crowd: (off mic) Yes.
BC: Uh.... Heh heh heh. I don't know. I rip everybody off, you know. I don't have prejudice against any writer that I'm gonna rip off.
Iha: Oh, okay.
Different girl in crowd: James! Can I just ask one last question? Do you like the hat? That hat!
Iha: Oh, I love cats, yes, yes. I have a - heh heh.
BC: Alright, here we go.
Join Together
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
> Rock On
(BC during Iha solo: Paul Allen on the lead guitar.)
> Zero (tease - half of first verse before Rock On outro)
(BC during extended outro jam: Sons and daughters of Portland, we thank you very much.)
BC: Thank you very much, thank you!
Iha: Thanks a lot, goodnight.
BC: So, if we can proceed in an orderly, pleasant fashion, we wanna each at least say hello to everybody personally...
Iha: Yes.
BC: ...and shake everybody's hand, so...
Iha: I don’t think we’re gonna be able to do that personally, but....
BC: ...once you've met or once you’ve come up and said hello, please scoot to the side so everybody can come up and say hello, okay?
Iha: Thanks.
BC: And uh, again, we can't sign autographs, we'll never get out of here and we won't be able to get everybody in, that's not fair.
Iha: Goodnight. I don't think this is gonna work, heh heh. Thanks for comin' out...but this is going to be a catastrophe.