Billy Corgan 2019-11-20

November 20, 2019 – New York, NY, US
Live performance by Billy Corgan
United States 2019 tour
Date	November 20, 2019
Venue	Gramercy Theatre
Coordinates	40°44′23″N 73°59′6″W
Location	New York, NY, US
Venue type	Theater
Capacity	650
Personnel	Billy Corgan, Meena Ysanne, Chloe Mendel Corgan
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Setlist

Set one

1. "Hard Times" (acoustic) 
2. "To Scatter One's Own" (acoustic) 
3. "Martinets" (acoustic) (final performance)
4. "Cri de Coeur" (acoustic) 
5. "Faithless Darlin'" (acoustic) (final performance)
6. "Buffalo Boys" (acoustic) 
7. "Dancehall" (acoustic) 
8. "Cotillions" (piano) 
9. "Zowie" (piano) 
10. "Aeronaut" (acoustic) 
11. "Half-Life of an Autodidact" (acoustic) (final performance)
12. "The Long Goodbye" (acoustic) 
13. "Along the Santa Fe Trail" [Ray Noble] (acoustic) (final performance)

Set two

14. "Wound" (acoustic) (final performance)
15. "Thirty-Three" (acoustic) 
16. "Spaceboy" (acoustic) 
17. "Violet Rays" (acoustic) (final performance)
18. "Jupiter's Lament" (acoustic) (final performance)
19. "Travels" (piano) 
20. "Wish You Were Here" [Pink Floyd] (piano) 
21. "Every Time the Sun Comes Up" [Sharon Van Etten] (acoustic) (final performance)
22. "Tonight, Tonight" (acoustic) 
23. "Age of Innocence" (acoustic) 
24. "Disarm" (piano) 

Encore

25. "To Forgive" (acoustic) 
26. "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)" (acoustic) 
27. (trivia contest)

Notes

• "Faithless Darlin'", "Buffalo Boys", "Dancehall", "Cotillions", "Aeronaut", "Jupiter's Lament", "Travels", "Along the Santa Fe Trail", "Every Time the Sun Comes Up" and "Wish You Were Here" with Meena Ysanne on violin
• "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)" with Chloe Mendel on backing vocals
• Last performance of "Cotillions" until 2023-05-29
• Last performance of "Spaceboy" until 2023-09-17
• Last performance of "To Forgive" until 2024-07-29
• Trivia contest at the end of the show was to give away two of the acoustic guitars that Billy used throughout 2019

Banter

(incomplete due to lack of full show source)

Hard Times
To Scatter One’s Own
Martinets
BC: As you see, I’ve spent a lot of money on production. No puppets, no lasers, no...uh, no pumpkins. But when I get lost inwardly, I like to pretend they’re with me. Sort of a sense memory. Heh heh heh, heh heh heh. And of course that carries into life, you know, and they’re always around me.
Guy in crowd: (squeaky voice) That’s creepy!
BC: If you wanna follow that line of logic, then by extension it’s creepy you’re here.
Cri de Coeur
Faithless Darlin’ (with Meena Ysanne)
Buffalo Boys (with Meena Ysanne)
Dancehall (with Meena Ysanne)
BC: [tape cuts in] NYC. My city of Chicago is named after an Indian word which meant “sticky onion.”
Guy in crowd: False!
BC: Did someone just yell “False”? Are you a fact checker for Snopes? Are we living in the post truth age, motherfucker? Do I fucking care? I’m sorry, Chicago is an Indian word for “amazing opportunities.” Is that more empowering, is it hope? Does that lift you? Now, to buoy up your spirits, here’s a song about suicide.
Cotillions (piano) (with Meena Ysanne)
BC: Thank you!
Zowie (piano)
BC: My son Augustus was probably about one year old or so. Now he’s four and he likes to tell me no. And when I ask him why, it’s like (whiny) “Because I don’t want to,” (normal voice) heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh. I’m like, there’s the Corgan blood. So this is a song I wrote for my son and now of course it pertains also to my daughter, Philomena, who just turned one year old. And as I like to note, I like to dedicate this to all the parents because I understand your pain. Although I prevented the act very late in life, heh heh heh, heh heh heh heh. Oh man. I now understand the beauty of uh, of the chillins. So um, any parents in here? This one’s for you.
Aeronaut (with Meena Ysanne)
Half-Life of an Autodidact
The Long Goodbye
BC: Now, as I’ve said a few times on the social medias, I’m giving away these guitars that I’m playing tonight. I am giving away these guitars. So to create a safe orderly process, this is the last song of the first set. Then we take a 20 minute break, I’ll come back and play some songs that you lost your mind or your virginity to at some point in your life. And uh, Doug, who you might know, Doug...(crowd cheers)...there you go. You gotta be really hardcore to know who Doug is. Doug and Kristin Burns will come up here. Line over here, line over there, good. And they have little tickets to hand out to you, one per person. They’ll put them in a bowl, keep the bowl onstage so everybody can see the bowl. And at the end of the show, I’ll choose someone randomly from the audience who will come up here and pick from the bowl. ‘Course you could be a winner, you could pick your own ticket. But you don’t win the guitar, you win a chance for me to ask you a question. I’ll make the questions not super difficult but you have to be a fan. I’ll give you an example, so you can start preparing mentally like uh, for Jeopardy. I asked a friend backstage who’s a pretty good fan and I said, here’s your question for you, “What’s the name of my first solo album?” Don’t say it! Anybody - what’s the name of my first solo album? Which, he goes - wrong. My first solo album: The Chicago Kid. Siamese Dream, that’s pretty funny actually. I’ll give you that one. Hahahaha! I cannot - I’m not playing drums on it. I had to play some hot licks. So again...and we’ll do it in two stages because there’s two guitars to give away, okay?
Lady in crowd: I want the snake!
BC: Whatever you want, baby. I’m takin’ you Koreatown later, we’re gonna just go crazy [sic]. Some vegan bibimbap or whatever the fuck I eat. So again, one ticket per person, we’ll put it in the big bowl, we’ll select at random and you’ll win a chance to answer a question. And then if I decide that you’ve answered the question properly, I will give you my guitar. Okay? Anybody have any questions? Yes, sir. [question is unintelligible] That’s not what we want right there, sir. Okay, so one last song and we’ll take a little break, 20 minutes, okay?
Along the Santa Fe Trail (abandoned before lyrics)
BC: I lost a Meena. (Meena hurries back onstage) (gesturing as if presenting her) Meena. This is an old cowboy song called Along the Santa Fe Trail.
Along the Santa Fe Trail (with Meena Ysanne)
BC: See you in 20 minutes!
[set break]
Wound
Thirty-three
Spaceboy
BC: Thank you very much, that’s very kind of you. Never in a million years could I imagine when I wrote those songs that I’d be here with you, doin’ all (gestures at the stage setup) this. Meena actually brought up - Meena brought up before the show, she said, “You know, I told you about ten years ago you should play acoustic” and I was like, “Naaah, no.” Heh heh. She’s like, “You don’t remember that?,” I’m “No, I don’t remember that” [sic]. This uh, this song, it’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. (one crowd member claps heartily) Heh heh, well, I mean, heh, you might not like it when I play it. I had an occasion or two where people didn’t like what I was doing, didn’t approve of my tunes.
Woman in crowd: You don’t say.
BC: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. My new favorite riff that goes on in my head is I’m gonna write a song called Rat in a Cage 2. It’s just so [unintelligible word].
Guy in crowd: We will buy it!
BC: We all know that the purchases stopped about 20 years ago.
Same guy in crowd: We will stream it!
BC: There’s been some illegal streaming in here, I get the feeling. Heh heh. But uh, this is from a record called Oceania. (crowd cheers) Now you like it, now you like it. You didn’t like it so much then. The three ladies that bought it are here (gesturing at some ladies in the front row). You should stand up and take a bow since you’re the only people that bought the record, go ahead, stand up. But I digress. This song called Violet Rays.
Violet Rays
Jupiter’s Lament (with Meena Ysanne)
Lady in crowd: Soundtrack to my life!
BC: Heh heh heh heh heh, are you feeling your chakras? Your first chakra? Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh. So yeah, um, this is always a funny song to play. It’s off the last Smashing Pumpkins LP. And while we were out in Los Angeles recording with Rick Rubin, the bearded Buddha himself, I um...we were in this kinda writing phase, the band. It was kinda the first time we’d been writing together in a long time, obviously. And uh...I came down with the flu.
Girl in crowd: Aw!
BC: I know, it’s very sad. And uh, I didn’t have my homeopathic kit or I don’t know and uh, heh, sorry. Just having to - just have to make jest of my life being so healthy, but I do look good. You do too (pointing into the crowd). Heh heh, heh, just like my buddy Gio out there, I look good in my [unintelligible word or two as he trails off].
Girl #2 in crowd: Amen to Chloe’s good food!
BC: Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh, this is not Oprah now, okay? I’m not giving away a car or anything.
Girl #3 in crowd: Check the seats!
BC: (laughing) Yeah, right? So uh, yeah, I um, I started coming down with the flu and for some reason, this song came to me and so it’s forever tied with this impending doom that laid on me for about a month. And the friend who I was staying with who had been my friend for many, many years was unhappy about me catching the flu and threw me out of her house. True story. Destroyed the friendship and so it’s always a bit of a weird thing ‘cause I love this song and it reminds me of this moment in time, so I hope you enjoy it.
Travels (piano) (with Meena Ysanne)
Wish You Were Here (piano) (with Meena Ysanne)
BC: [tape cuts in] "...'74. David had the riff." Actually, a quick funny story. I got the great honor of playing with Roger Waters at Washington, DC, for a charity event, which is fantastic and um, I got to play this song with Roger and I’m in rehearsal the day before and playing this song and uh, you know, I could sing the song pretty much from memory, it was my favorite song when I was 17 years old, especially when my grandmother was dying of cancer, it became like the song that got me through this horrible moment in my life. And uh, so I’m playing with Roger and there he is and we’re playing the song and it’s so beautiful and then um, you know, there’s that um, um, uh, it’s uh, what’s the line...“same old fears,” right? And I sing “fears” and he leans over and he goes, (points) “Fear.” And I was like, “Ah!” And then adversely, I had the honor of playing this song with Pink Floyd when I had the honor of inducting them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Somewhere about 1996. Roger wasn’t at that but the rest of the guys were, so there I am, David Gilmour comes to my hotel room and shows me how to play this song on a guitar. (he shrugs) Okay, sure. And he too was like, “You’re doing it wrong” and I was like (gesturing playing guitar, then surrender). So uh, you know, you soundcheck, you do this song and uh, playing this song, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t know where it was, it wasn’t in the - I know it’s at the arena now but it used to be in a smaller place, Rockefeller Center or something like that - and uh, I’m playing this song and...
Guy in crowd: Move along the story!
BC: ...for some reason - do you want me to skip this story, I can [unintelligible word or two]. (goes to drink water as people protest) So uh -
Different guy in crowd: Drink more water!
BC: Sure, whatever you need, brother. So uh, did the song at soundcheck, for some reason I decided to sit, I don’t know why. So we’re sitting there and we start the song and there’s a moment where it kinda goes back to the G chord before you (singing) “So....” (normal voice) and um, I was so into the song and I go like this (down strum) and I hit the wrong fucking chord and I just saw David Gilmour go like this (scrunches shoulders up, makes sour face). And I was like, (gesturing as if silently screaming at the sky). Haha, heh heh heh.
Guy in crowd: [unintelligible word] not pro!
BC: What’s that? So um, I’d like to play a song now for you by a great songwriter, Sharon Van Etten.
Every Time the Sun Comes Up (with Meena Ysanne)
Tonight, Tonight
Age of Innocence
BC: So we’ve reached the end of the show, I wanna thank you very much. (scattered boos) They always boo me eventually, it’s just a matter of when. You know, in wrestling, getting booed is a good thing. Heh heh heh. Heh heh heh. So quick - I promise - a quick soliloquy. Somewhere in the middle of this wacky country, I was playing a show and uh, I think the second song in, you know, playing the new Cotillions songs - out November 22nd - um...and uh -
Guy in crowd: [unintelligible]!
BC: Thank you, appreciate that. Second song in, finish the song and a guy from the back yells (bad Homer impression) “Homer Simpson smiling politely!”
Girl in crowd: He was an asshole!
BC: (normal voice) Yeah. And I was like, “Okay, it’s gonna be one of those Kentucky nights.” What I heard about from my grandmother who was born in Kentucky. The fact that she’s buried there doesn’t mean anything to them. And then after the third song...some guy yells out...(raspy voice) “Are the shapeshifters real?!” (normal voice) A different guy, now he’s over there, different guy, different voice. And I believe my response was, “How ‘bout you come up here and I’m gonna punch you in the fucking face.” ‘Cause that’s when I become a Smashing Pumpkin. That band, that guy, dealt with a lot more than that stupidity. And so after the fifth song, a third gentleman - always a gentlemen, by the way, god bless you ladies - a third gentleman started grousing as I was playing whatever new song I was playing and I stopped and I was like, “What is the problem?” and he was mad that I was not playing One Diamond, One Heart from Cotill - from Oceania, I was like, “Wow, deep cut, dude, kinda early but okay.” And it just denigrated from there. So before you boo me, just hear out - hear what I’m gonna say, okay, please, just, just hear what I’m gonna say. So that night, I decided as we were on the road heading out of Kentucky, I decided that’s it, I’m not doing any more acoustic tours, that’s it, I’m done. (crowd disagreeing) Don’t boo me, right, motherfucker? Always the guys, right? Just hear me out, just hear me out, hear me out, please. We can’t live in a culture where one person can’t get up and just do what they do simply without it turning into some part of a fucking meme moment. That has to end or it’s only going to get worse. Now I’m 52 years, done a lot, seen a lot, so I still played the show that night, I did 26 songs, I did a show very much like the one you’re seeing tonight and I could literally see people in the crowd crying because the other 675 weren’t revolting, were suffering with this mob, right? Yeah, I decided, that’s it, I’m not doing this anymore, like this (one guy in the crowd starts yelling) - hold on, just wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. So here’s what occurs to me over these three shows here - and it’s been fantastic, it’s, the audiences here, including you, have been unbelievable, thank you. So I didn’t so much change my mind, I haven’t changed my mind, but it seems to me the thing to do is come back to New York City...(crowd cheers)...and announce, and announce that I’m not doing any more of these shows. (cracking up off mic) No, the vision I have, the vision -
Girl in crowd: Please, do a reality show!
BC: Oh my god. (laughing) I don’t think I can handle that. Heh. The vision I have - and it makes sense to me to come back to this great city, which has given me so much. As some of you know, I’ve lived here at different times. This is where my partner lives part of the time with her new business, my children are here a lot, love this city, I appreciate you. And so what I’m saying is, the vision I have is come back and play Broadway and do an extended run...(crowd cheers)...and that’s the right context. People wanna be there, people wanna be there, not because they wanna hear Rat in the Cage 2, but because they wanna go on journeys like this with me, so I can only thank you for encouraging me [2 unintelligible words].
Disarm (piano)
BC: Thank you New York City, thank you.
[encore break]
To Forgive
BC: [tape cuts in] Frankly, not that many people. So, let’s see. Well, you I know, I can’t pick him. You, young lady, yes, please come up. Let this young lady up. So what we’re gonna do...so what we’re gonna do - what’s your name?
Girl: Jackie.
BC: Jackie, Jackie, hello Jackie. Jackie, where are you from?
Jackie: (off mic) Queens.
BC: New York City! Queens. Queen from Queens. Now Jackie is gonna select two tickets at random, mix ‘em up good. So, if you win, a chance to come up on stage.... (Jackie hands him a ticket) Okay, that’s your ticket, okay, gotcha. Okay. (Jackie hands him a different ticket) Okay, that’s fair in process, okay. And this ticket is 179046. 179046. That you? Come on up on stage. Come on up, young man. Now remember, he hasn’t won anything, he has a chance to win something. (the guy comes onstage)
Guy #1: (off mic) Dear god, somebody film this, this is the greatest moment of my life!
(Billy checks the guy’s ticket, they chat off mic for a few seconds and the guy sits down)
BC: Okay. Let’s pick a second ticket, second ticket. (Jackie hands Billy another ticket) Okay. And there’s our second ticket. 178979. 178979. Have they left, have they gone home? Oh, we have a winner! Okay, come on down. Now I’m thinking to make this all move smoothly, we’re gonna choose an alternate like an alternate jud - juror, right? So only if the other people fail you’ll have an opportunity, is that fair? Let me check this ticket. Is this entertaining?, heh heh. (Billy checks the ticket of the second guy, who then sits down) Okay, so this third person, whomever you are, you’re an alternate juror. The contest only falls to you...(various people yell out their numbers)...[unintelligible] out on your ass, you’re a winner, okay? Hi Jackie, one more please, this is for the alternate. (Jackie picks a third ticket and hands it to Billy) 179003. 179003. Do we have a match? No? No, no match? Do we have a match? Okay, very good, very good. Come on down. Okay, so here’s how this is going to work. I’ll check the ticket and then we’re gonna play one more song, one more song, and then we’ll have the, we’ll have the whatever it’s gonna be. Now, the - on the off chance that these people cannot answer WPC-related, SP-related questions, Zwan, might be a Zwan question, we’ll wing it from there, we’ll wing it from there. (third person, a girl, finally reaches the stage and sits down while Billy checks her ticket) Alright, very good! (off mic, looking offstage) Huh? (on mic) Like to bring up my partner Chloe to join me on this song. So please sing along. (Chloe comes onstage and Jackie leaves)
Silvery Sometimes (abandoned after the first 6 chords when Chloe speaks)
Chloe: I’ve been [4 unintelligible words or so].
BC: Have you? You appeared on Broadway?
Chloe: No. Carnegie Hall (she shrugs).
BC: Oh yes. Your sister’s been on Broadway though.
Chloe: Yes, that’s true.
BC: Her sister was in the original production of Spider-Man. (Billy starts the song) You have a good time?
Silvery Sometimes (with Chloe Mendel)
(Billy hands his guitar to a tech and puts his iPad for lyrics on the piano while Chloe leaves the stage)
BC: (pointing to Guy #1) You were first, come on up. Feel free to adjust the microphone.
Guy #1: Hi everyone, my name is Chris.
BC: Now, I’m gonna kindly, I’m gonna ask kindly, please don’t shout out answers, you’re gonna mess the whole thing up, right? ‘Cause remember, if these three people can’t answer, I might randomly choose one of you. Now please introduce yourself.
Chris: My name is Chris Souter, I’ve been a Smashing Pumpkins fan since I’ve been 10 years old, Billy Corgan is the reason I picked up a guitar in the first place, I have my own band now that I play music in and it’s all thanks to this guy right here.
BC: I appreciate your support but it will not improve your chances.
Chris: Okay.
BC: Now I’m gonna t - let’s just do a warmup. This doesn’t count, this just gets you marinated.
Chris: Okay, I like it, I like the warmup, okay, I need it, thank you, nervous as all hell right now so the warmup is good.
BC: Okay. In what city was I born?
Chris: (“duh” voice) Chicago, Illinois.
BC: Okay. Yeah, you’re good, you’re good, that was the [unintelligible word] -
Chris: (singing) “The city by the lake...”
BC: Just a moment. Don’t take over the show. Alright. Here we go. If you answer this next question correctly, you will win whichever guitar you choose.
Chris: Wow, thank you.
BC: If you do not answer this question correctly, it will fall to the other young gentleman.
Chris: Okay.
BC: Are you ready?
Chris: I am as ready as I could ever be.
BC: Okay.
Chris: Whew!
BC: What is the B-side, what is the B-side of the Pumpkins first single? (Chris stands silently thinking while Billy counts down from 10 on his fingers, finishing by pointing at Chris and making a buzzer noise) Please have a seat.
Chris: I am not -
BC: Don’t say anything, please have a seat. You’re still in the competition, you’re still good. You get two misses and then you’re out, you still have another miss. (Billy gestures for Guy #2 to come to the microphone) Now, were you Googling right now? Heh.
Guy #2: (nods) I was not Googling.
BC: Hello, introduce yourself please.
Guy #2: Uh yeah, my name is Israel and I came all the way from Antigua to be here today for you.
BC: Incredible, Israel, thank you so much. So you’re gonna get some overtime [2 unintelligible words].
Israel: Huh? Israel.
BC: Israel, Israel. What is the B-side of the Pumpkins first single?
Israel: I don’t know.
BC: You came a long way to fail, my friend. Please sit back down. The answer is Not Worth Asking. Okay, this is tough. Okay. You really gotta know your SP trivia here. On the band’s second single, which came out on Sub Pop, the A-side of course is Tristessa. On the B-side is La Dolly Vita. Pictured - right? Tell me if I’m wrong, this is going from memory - pictured on the front are three Smashing Pumpkins, is that correct?
Crowd: Yes.
BC: Thank you. Jimmy Chamberlin’s on the back with his bowl haircut. Why is Jimmy...? - please come up. (Billy turns and gestures at Chris, who frantically points at the alternate contestant) No no no, we’re not on the alternate. Why is Jimmy Chamberlin on the back cover of our Sub Pop single?
Chris: ‘Cause he was afraid to be on the front cover?
BC: (makes a buzzer noise and gives a hard thumbs down), please sit down. Actually, you’re out of the competition but I - you might as well enjoy your humiliation on stage, please sit down.
Chris: Billy, one question.
BC: Sure.
Chris: As a consolation prize, would you let me play 1979 with you to end the show?
BC: (quickly) No.
Chris: No?
BC: No. Because buddy, you didn’t win shit, okay? (gestures for Israel to go to the mic) You still gotta come up, it might come to you in a divine moment of inspiration. Why is Jimmy Chamberlin on the back of the band’s Sub Pop single?
Israel: I don’t know.
BC: Because he didn’t show up for the photo shoot. Now that’s a tough question, but it’s within the realm of guessing. So you’re out, so I’m gonna thank you very much for playing. Now we’re gonna have to pick an alternate. But I think we should let this young lady answer first, I’m gonna give her a fresh question, I think that’s fair. (gestures for the alternate to step up to the mic) Please adjust the mic for yourself.
Girl: (stammering off mic) Oh my god, how tall it is.
(Billy adjusts the mic for her)
BC: Please introduce yourself.
Girl: My name is Blake Fogey.
BC: Thank you Blake. Okay, here’s your question, remember you get two chances so you can miss this one. What band...right?...which one of the members of the band produced the Smashing Pumpkins at some point...right?...opened for the Smashing Pumpkins, what - he had a band, they opened for us, so what producer’s band opened for the Smashing Pumpkins?
Blake: I-I panicked and I came down here but I play the classical violin and I don’t know any of the answers, (laughing) I’m so sorry, heh, heh heh heh. (Billy cracks up off mic)
BC: You’re very sweet.
Blake: I’m here with my husband, he really likes...likes you, heh heh heh.
BC: [2 unintelligible words], hold that question, hold the question. I’ll give you one more because you never know, it might - you might, it might come to you. Here’s a good one. Hmm.
Guy in crowd: Play another song!
BC: Yeah or we could just go home, I - I’m sorry. Heh heh, heh heh, it’s just this is the way it’s gonna go. If anybody saw the band back in the day, you know that this how the shows went, right? Remember Jimmy Flemion going out and picking dancers, remember all that? The correct answer to that question was Garbage. Garbage. Not that the answer was garbage but the band was called Garbage with Butch Vig on the drums. Now I’ll give you one more puncher’s chance.
Blake: Oh, (nervously laughs).
BC: Name the drummer on the Oceania album.
Blake: Can I phone another person and ask him to help me?
BC: I’ll give you a clue. I’ll give you a clue. He was working at fuckin’ McDonald’s when we hired him.
Blake: I’m so sorry, (laughing) I’m too embarrassed to know that.
BC: And the answer is?
Crowd: Mike Byrne!
BC: Mike Byrne! Please have a seat. We should get Jackie back up here, heh, Jackie, come on back up. To not - to not elongate the process, I will simplify the questions, ‘kay? (Jackie returns to the stage) This might be the best part of the show, heh! Jackie, choose again. (Jackie picks another ticket and hands it to Billy) And the number is 179195.
Doug Goodman: (from offstage) That’s me! (walks over towards Billy)
BC: Get the fuck out, Doug! (Doug shrugs and leaves, Billy cracks up and Jackie is taking selfies) Heh, heh. Anyone have that ticket? 179195. Anyone? That’s a no? They’re coming? Raise your hand if you’ve got the ticket, okay. Let’s pick another one, Jackie, while this young man comes to the stage. (Jackie picks) There will be winners. 178971. 178971. Anyone? No one? Going once, twice....
Guy in crowd: Right here!
BC: We have a winner up there? (pointing to center balcony) I see a hand - no? No, okay. Sorry, I’m tearing up the ticket. (Jackie hands Billy another ticket) 179152.
Guy in crowd: Got it over here!
BC: We got it? (looking at center balcony) Which one though?
Guy in crowd: The first one!
BC: No, I’m sorry, we’re - that one’s canceled, show’s gotta move on, brother. 179152. You’ve had 20 minutes to have your tickets ready. No one? Okay. (Jackie gives Billy another ticket) I’m probably running into thousands of dollars of union overtime at the moment. 179172. Anyone? No one? This is the weirdest contest. Oh, we got one! Is that you, young man? Are you 179172? Okay, come on up. No, that’s it, Jackie. Just ‘cause I like you, Jackie, I’ll let you pick one more and if it’s you, you can stay. Come on, Jackie.
(Jackie sorts through the bowl again and it appears as though she tries to hand Billy her ticket again, saying something like “Just do this one,” because he immediately throws it on the ground without really looking at it. Billy then goes to check the tickets of the two new contestants on stage.)
BC: That’s - sure, you know what? She [Blake] offered to give Jackie her ticket, I think that’s awesome. So Jackie, you’re the alternate. (Blake leaves the stage and Jackie takes her seat) Thank you Blake, that’s very kind of you. I love that and that’s - I’m gonna reward that. (Billy continues to check the new tickets) This young man does not have his ticket, he’s lost it - oh, there we go! Heh heh heh, I just love awkward, it’s so good. Okay, very good, very good. Welcome to the contest...where I make up all the rules. However you want, [3 unintelligible words] Okay, come out here. You were first, right? Please step up to the microphone, introduce yourself.
Guy #3: I’m Ken.
BC: Okay, I’m gonna make these questions a little bit easier now because we don’t wanna be here all night. I know you have CBD gummies and stuff to do. Please, please introduce yourself.
Ken: Hi, I’m Ken.
BC: Welcome, Ken.
Ken: Hello.
BC: Let’s see. The first time I played a solo show like this, just me and acoustic guitar, as a real show, as a billed show and it was billed as Billy Corgan’s first show...(somebody in crowd says something unintelligible)...shut the fuck up. When did the show take place and what was the venue?
Ken: [unintelligible]
BC: Wrong, (makes buzzer noise), sorry, my friend. The venue - oh no, I have to, no, sorry, you’ve got a chance to answer the question. Do you know the venue?
Guy #4: (heavily accented) Madison Square Garden?
BC: Solo acoustic? Heh heh, excellent, this is my friend, I like you! But no. Wow, that’s like mindblowing. (imitating Guy #4's accent) Go to MSG! Here’s another one from airplane. (normal voice) I think we should give Jackie a chance. Jackie! (Jackie starts walking to the microphone) Here - (Jackie leans into the mic and hits her tooth on it) - oh! She lost a tooth.
Jackie: I’m gonna die up here.
BC: You’re still in the con - (laughing) you’re still in the contest. Jackie, where was my first solo show and what was the name of the venue?
Jackie: Can you tell me the year?
BC: Nnnnnn-no. Let’s be fair, I - maybe we’ll get the clues after this.
Jackie: Okay okay okay okay.
Guy in crowd (possibly same guy who yelled “Play another song!” earlier): Just give her the guitar and play another song!
BC: And there’s that guy from Brooklyn, heh. You got anything?
Jackie: Uhhh....n - I don’t know.
BC: 2004.
Jackie: I don’t - Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City.
BC: No, 2004, Highland Park, Illinois, where I live, Ravinia. (possible he is confusing his 2014 Ravinia show with his first post-Zwan, post SP show) (pointing at someone in the crowd) You at that? (Jackie sits down)
Girl in crowd: I was there!!
BC: Heh heh heh heh heh. Alright, here we go. Each one of these three people will have one more chance. If no one answers correctly, I’m just gonna hand the guitars to whoever I feel like. Partially because you’ve been here and you’ve been amazing, partially...and you are amazing. Partially because you stayed, right? And I like to be fair, so, okay, I’m gonna go a little bit easier, just give these people a chance. Now this is - this is a big album, this should be fairly easy. Fairly easy. (pointing at Ken) Come on back up. Okay, this is fairly easy, I think, I think. When I ask the question, those who know the answer, don’t shout it out but tell me if you think it’s too hard a question.
Guy in crowd: (immediately) No it’s not!
BC: Thank you my friend.
Ken: It’s gonna be too hard.
BC: On the, on the - and this is classic Pumpkin humor - we were forced on the Siamese Dream album by Walmart to change this title of the song Silverfuck, what was the title that we changed to to basically tell Walmart to go fuck themselves? (Chris is still sitting behind Billy and starts frantically waving and gesticulating) What is the title of that song? It’s okay.
Ken: I’m sorry, I don’t know.
BC: You’re out of the contest, okay, thank you very much. (pointing at Guy #4)
Guy #4: I don’t know it.
BC: That was not a hard que - who thinks they know the question? Okay, [2 unintelligible words], hold on, hold on a minute, we gotta give Jackie a chance. Jackie? (Jackie has been sitting next to Chris and points at him) No, Jackie, he’s out of the contest. Now if you’ve made some sort of barter to get the answer in here, that’s...your decision. You don’t know. Jackie, I love you, but....
Jackie: Silverfunk? Some of that.
BC: Silverfunk? That was a good guess! The answer is Silvercrank. Silvercrank, because in Chicago, a crank is a penis. So we - we couldn’t use Silverfuck for Walmart but we used Silvercrank. Okay, so everyone’s out of the contest, right? (crowd cheers) Okay, okay, I wanna be safe, I wanna be safe, nobody do anything silly, that will disqualify you. Let’s - let’s play a quick game ‘cause I think you’ll appreciate this. Who here has been to more than 20 shows of mine? Okay, tell the truth. More than 30? More than 40? (pointing towards front row) I can hear you there, Pam. More than 50? Wow. More than 60? More than 70? How many? (people shout varying numbers) He’s yelling. Okay, wait, let’s reframe. Who’s been to 70 shows? Okay, everyone who - how many people is it, one two three four five? Okay, 75 shows? (pointing at someone in the crowd) You don’t know, you’re out. 75, there’s one up top? If you’re up there, please come down so I can see you. One, two, three, four, five. 80 shows? 80 shows, 80 shows. How many shows you been...? You been to 103 shows? You deserve a guitar. I’m giving one guitar to you, come on up on stage. Who’s been to a hundred shows? (pointing at someone) A hundred shows? Okay. I - you stopped.... Okay, Pam, come on up, young man, come up, you come up too, you can come up too. The three people who’ve been up here, can you - uh, everyone who lost, please leave the stage just for one second, thanks so much. It’s gonna be a thrilling conclusion. This is the young lady who’s been to 103 shows.
Girl #2: Hi.
BC: You’ve won a guitar.
Girl #2: I...am (laughing) in shock.
BC: You have won a guitar.
Girl #2: Thank you!
BC: Oh, was there anyone else who’d been to over a hundred shows that I’m leaving out? Please come up, please. He’s coming.
Girl #2: (pointing at a guy) I do recognize him.
BC: (pointing to someone in crowd) How many times did we make love, do you remember that? I don’t believe you, I don’t believe you. No, you’re not coming up, no no no no no. No, sorry, sorry, no. This is a process of integrity, the Smashing Pumpkins fanbase is a great, tight knit close group of people, we don’t want any wonkyness. Pam, please speak on the mic, of course I know you personally. Please tell everyone how many shows you’ve been to.
Pam: This is my 94th show of yours.
BC: And how many shows have you been to on this tour?
Pam: Eight.
BC: Okay, please step aside. Young man, how many shows you been to?
Guy #5: I am Jay, I’ve been to 97, 98?
BC: You said a hundred [2-3 unintelligible words].
Jay: I-I stopped counting.
BC: He’s lying. Okay, you’re gone, no one believes you, god bless you. Young man?
Guy #6: My name’s Lel and I stopped counting after a couple hundred, so....
Pam: (off mic) No!
BC: I believe you, I believe you.
Lel: I’m not, I’m not kidding.
BC: Okay, let’s vote. Applause will award the guitar. What’s your name again, sorry.
Lel: Lel. L-E-L.
BC: Ariel?
Lel: Lel, L-E-L, Lel.
BC: Oh, sorry, Lel. It’s like some Superman.... Lel-El, like Superman’s uncle. (laughing) (to crowd) Are you still having fun? It’s been so long since I just dove a show into the ground, it’s so fun. It’s been so long, it’s like a, it’s like a familiar set of clothes. [unintelligible] when a poor guy comes up, “Man, I was at that show that you...” and I’m like, “Oh god, here we go.” (pointing to another guy on stage) How many shows you been to?
Guy #7: (off mic) I’m sorry?
BC: How many shows you been to?
Guy #7: First show.
BC: Hundred one. And what’s your name? Don? Dom, sorry Dom. Okay, please come over here. (guiding the two girls and two guys towards the chairs)
Girl in crowd: Trivia!
BC: Oh, you like the trivia, we’re okay with trivia? I was just gonna get applause so you could go home but if you wanna go one more round of trivia...? Okay, you’ll have to help me here, who gets to answer first? (Billy silently points to each contestant and measures applause) It’s pretty close. (measures applause again, points to Lel) I think you won. No, well, you didn’t win, you get a chance to answer a question first. You’re first, Pam’s second, and this young man’s third.
Lel: Lay it on me.
BC: Now you’re a hardcore fan so this is gonna be a tough question, are you ready?
Lel: I hope so.
BC: Let’s see, let’s see. (Billy thinks a few seconds)
Lel: I mean, make it fair.
BC: What’s that?
Lel: Make it fair at least.
BC: I don’t give a fuck about fair. Ready?
Lel: Yeah!
BC: Don’t yell the answer. Who mixed The Future Embrace?
Lel: Mixed? Ooh, thought I’d know too.
BC: You’re out. Pam? Pam, come up, come up, come up. Who mixed The Future Embrace?
Pam: This is so hard, is it Alan Moulder?
(Billy gestures at Pam to tell the audience she won, she screams and he gives her a double high five)
BC: Alright! You got it! You got it! Hey! Let’s bring the two guitars up. (audience chants for Pam) Alright, so.... (Billy asks Girl #2 her name off mic) Eve, from the dawn of creation.
Eve: (off mic) Priceless, [unintelligible].
BC: Oh, priceless, I’d love to hear more. Alright. Eve, you get first choice. (Eve picks a guitar, Pam takes the one with the snake painted on front and Billy hugs both girls) Thank you New York City, god bless you, woo!

Videos

"Wish You Were Here" on piano