The Smashing Pumpkins 2022-09-20

September 20, 2022 – Chicago, IL, US
Official poster by @fredpaints23
Live performance by The Smashing Pumpkins
Artist	The Smashing Pumpkins
Date	September 20, 2022
Venue	Metro
Coordinates	41°56′59″N 87°39′40″W
Location	Chicago, IL, US
Venue type	Club
Capacity	1,100
Personnel	Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, James Iha, Jeff Schroeder, Jack Bates, Katie Cole
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September 20, 2022 was The Smashing Pumpkins' first show at Chicago's Metro in 10 years, and the first show at Metro with James Iha since the farewell show in 2000. It also roughly aligned with the 40th anniversary of the legendary venue, since Joe Shanahan opened the original "Smart Bar" in July 1972.

Tickets to this show along with the September 22 show in New York were only available via contest, and acted as a preview to the larger Spirits On Fire tour.

Setlist

Set

1. "Sarabande" [George Frideric Handel] (prerecorded) 
2. "Quiet" 
3. "Empires" (live debut)
4. "Drown" [6:21] 
5. "Ugly" 
6. "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" 
7. "Today" 
8. "Cyr" 
9. "Once in a Lifetime" [Talking Heads] [5:30] 
10. "Solara" 
    1. (drum solo)
11. "Eye" 
12. "Ava Adore" 
    1. (drum solo)
13. "Can't Find My Way Home" [Blind Faith] (tease) (acoustic) 
14. "Tonight, Tonight" (acoustic) 
15. "Snail" 
16. "Starla" [9:00] 
17. "Stand Inside Your Love" 
18. "1979" 
19. "Beguiled" (live debut)
20. "Silverfuck" [11:42] 
21. "Cherub Rock" 
22. "Zero" 
    1. "Love Gun" [Kiss] (tease) 

Encore

23. "Rocket" 
25. "If There Is a God" 
26. "X.Y.U." 

Notes

• First performance of “Rocket” since 2018-10-18
• "Siva" was on the setlist as a 2nd encore or alternate but was not performed
• Katie Cole's first show with the band since the conclusion of the Summer 2019 tour, though she is only providing backing vocals and not playing keyboards

Banter

Sarabande Intro
Quiet
> Empires
Iha: Hello. How are you guys doing? Thank you so much for coming out, we appreciate it.
Drown
Ugly
Bullet with Butterfly Wings
BC: Chicago! ... (grunts). Wait. It’s 2022 and we’re still here. WTF?
Iha: It’s a long time. You guys doin’ alright? Alright. Alright alright. We got some more hits coming for you, heh heh heh. This next one is a good one.
BC: (laughing) Will you tell them when it’s not a good one?
Iha: Uh, well, I won’t say that, heh heh. They’re all good, you know? Depending on your state of mind.
Today
Cyr
Once in a Lifetime
Solara
Eye
(BC before outro singalong: Metro. Are you feelin’ the love tonight? This is Chicago, right, Chicago? Chicago! Chicago! Chica-go!)
Ava Adore
(BC after Jimmy solo: Jimmy Chamberlin on the drums! Mr. Jeff Schroeder on the guitar!)
Iha: Thank you very much, thank you very much. Ah, Chicago, it’s great being back. And it’s great being back at the Metro, uh, thank you so much for coming out, uh, we appreciate it. We’re about to start a big rock tour and it’s uh...no better place to start it from.
Can’t Find My Way Home (partial) (Billy/Iha acoustic)
BC: Thank you! Sorry, James.
Iha: We digress.
BC: Just felt like playing that. So quickly, quickly...first of all, thank you for being with us tonight. Our first gig at the Metro was in the summer of 1988.
Iha: Oh my god, don’t tell ‘em that, heh heh heh heh.
BC: It seems like yesterday, plus 7 LSD trips. But seriously, thank you to Joe. Thank you to the Metro.
Iha: Thank you.
BC: Thank you to Q101 for adding our new single.
Iha: Thank you. Thank you.
BC: What’s that song called? Even Flow. Last thing! Last thing. As you know, and you know and you know, life is precious, life is sweet, being together is the most important thing, so you honor us by being with us tonight.
Iha: Thank you so much, thank you so much.
BC: And we want to send a little shout out to a friend of ours who cannot be here tonight, his name is Lynn: Lynn, we love you, wherever you are.
Tonight, Tonight (Billy/Iha acoustic)
Snail
Starla
Stand Inside Your Love
1979
Beguiled
Silverfuck
Iha: Alright, we have uh...13 more songs. You guys good? Alright, great, here we go.
(short jam similar to Country Death Song)
BC: Is there where we tell ‘em about the country record we’re makin’ or...?
Iha: Sure, what do you guys wanna hear, we don’t care.
BC: Concept record, country record.
Iha: Sure.
BC: C-O-N, C-O-U. (laughing) See you later.
Cherub Rock
> Zero
(BC immediately after lyrics finish: Thank you, thank you, thank you!)
> Love Gun (tease)
[encore break]
BC: Before we finish up here...I gotta say this is the biggest crowd I’ve seen here in a long time. You know, back before the fire marshal made Joe have a capacity. Heh heh, Joe knows what I’m talking about. You have a good time? You know us, we’re all about having a good time, you know? No sorrow over here. Did you see our new music video last night?
Iha: Shot on an iPhone.
BC: Hahahahahaha!
Iha: Incredible.
BC: So yeah, there comes a point where words don’t suffice, the rock doesn’t suffice, other than to say god bless you and thank you. Thank you, James. Thank you, Katie. Thank you, Jeff, thank you, Jack. And the greatest drummer on god’s green earth, Mr. Jimmy Chamberlin. Now this next song...I didn’t wanna play it. I had emotionally moved on.
Iha: We don’t have to--
BC: I lost all my dreams. And then...I got engaged. James, you were at the first wedding.
Iha: Yes, I was there.
BC: Jimmy, you were there. What are my chances?
Iha: Let’s uh...this is one from our second record. I –- no, it’s gonna be great. It’s gonna be great. The best –- the best is yet to come.
BC: Yeah! And for this band too, the best is yet to come.
Iha: It’s from our second record.
BC: Alright! So yeah, I had emotionally moved on, I didn’t wanna play this one.
Iha: We can move on then.
BC: I moved on.
Iha: Alright, let’s do the next one.
BC: And you guys got together and you said, “Come on, man, do it for the fans.” I don’t wanna say what I said but it was “blank the fans.” Blank the fans! I’m joking, I didn’t say that. I said, “Thank god for the paying customers!” Who got in for free tonight?! Blank the fans. Heh. Okay, here we go. Hope you enjoy this, we haven’t played this one for a while.
Rocket
If There is a God
> X.Y.U.
Iha: Thank you. Thank you, goodnight. Thank you so much.

Photos and memorabilia

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