Billy Corgan 2022-02-06 (late show)

February 6, 2022 – Highland Park, IL, US
Live performance by Billy Corgan
Wintersongs residency
Date	February 6, 2022
Venue	Madame ZuZu's
Coordinates	42°11′11″N 87°48′2″W
Location	Highland Park, IL, US
Venue type	Teahouse
Capacity	40
Personnel	Billy Corgan
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Setlist[edit | edit source]

"No Surrender" (acoustic)
"Winterlong" (acoustic)
"El-A-Noy" (acoustic)
"The Empty Sea" (acoustic)
"Burnt Orange Black" (acoustic)
"Cyr" (acoustic)
"Antietam" (acoustic)
"Black Forest, Black Hills" (acoustic) (final performance)
"By Starlight" (acoustic)
"Widow Wake My Mind" (acoustic) (final performance)
"Black Lung" (acoustic)
"Anno Satana" (acoustic) (live debut)
"W.P." (acoustic)
"Ugly" (acoustic)
"Waiting for a Train That Never Comes" (acoustic)
"The End is the Beginning is the End" (tease)
"I Know My Time Is Coming Round" (acoustic)

Notes[edit | edit source]

First performance of "No Surrender" since 2007-07-31 and first Corgan solo performance

Banter[edit | edit source]

No Surrender
BC: Thank you very much. You're much nicer than the other crowd. Heh heh heh heh heh.
Winterlong
BC: Funny thing about that song is...I wrote it...for the Machina record...and then never played it for the band...or the producer. So months later when I was putting together what became Machina 2 and a bunch of other stuff, I found this weird song somewhere and there it is. Simpler times. Anybody remember simpler times? Heh heh! It's like the famous Robert Plant line: (high pitched) "Anybody remember laughter?" (normal voice) I'ma start saying that: (high pitched) "Anybody remember simpler times?" (normal voice) Thank you for being here and [unintelligible word] out on this cold, dreary, repressive, unmitigating, debilitating, soul killing, [unintelligible word], fortunate winter's eve.
Guy in crowd: Sunday funday!
BC: Maybe for you. I stopped living the days of the week about 25 years ago. As I like to say, for me, and I'm fortunate, every day is Sunday. So welcome to my Sunday. Heh heh. Alright. Here's a song about what is either the number one or number two wealth flight state in America: Illinois. I can't imagine why everybody's leaving. Maybe after the show you can tell me...'cause I'm still here, heh heh, and so are you, some of you, heh heh. And for those of you who have traveled, thank you very much, raise your hand. Thank you very much. I'm glad the institution was able to let you out for the evening. Aw, I'm just kidding.
Girl in crowd: So mean!
BC: "Come on, man." Everybody wants the old Pumpkins, right, it's like well, there it is! Heh, there's the old band right there, boom, heh heh. Like uh, you know there was that plague in the '90s with everybody yelling "Freebird", remember that? "Freebird, Freebird, Freebird." I finally solved that problem. I had an epiphany one day -- one evening on stage. I thought, I know what I'm gonna do, so of course two songs later, some guy yells out "Freebird" and I very gingerly grab my genitals and I said, "I've got your Freebird right here." That was the end of it. Heh, worked every time. Then there was of course the stage divers. And when it got kinda dumb, you know, uh, overly aggressive young men attacking our wan female bassist on stage, then it turned to, “If you wanna come on stage, that’s fine, but I’m gonna hit you with this guitar over the head.” (dumb guy voice) “Aw, sure you are, sure you are.” (normal voice) I’m six three, two hundred and twenty pounds, just try it. Nobody would get on stage. I got your Freebird right here. Heh. Too blue for Sunday? Heh heh heh heh. To Illinois! I was born here, but I cannot promise you I will die here. Heh heh heh heh, heh heh, it’s strictly a tax issue at this point. Heh heh heh heh. Anyway, god bless you, here we go.
El-A-Noy
BC: Thank you. This here next song is a song from the band Zwan. Thank you to the eight people that bought the record.
Girl in crowd: Stickers.
BC: Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh. But uh, for those of you who weren't here for the first show, I’m happy to report that I’ve signed a deal with Sumerian Records, which is the label that we’re working with these days, and we’ll be putting the Zwan box set out. I’ve been working on that and I think there’s a hundred different songs, so considering the album is about 15, that’s a lot of music, so I hope you look forward to that. So here’s a Zwan classic. (hits one chord on guitar) You can hear that, right? Thank you.
The Empty Sea
Burnt Orange-Black
Cyr
BC: Since we're all friends...now.... Although we can’t touch or anything, you know what I mean? Just be friends, heh heh. I’ll let you in on an old Pumpkin trick. Would you like to know an old Pumpkin trick? ‘Cause I almost just made the –- it’s like programs in the brain, right, 30 plus years, like the...little program fires. So I thought, ask anybody if they wanna hear a song, like, “Any requests?” would be the set-up. Invariably, people would –- so we’ll play the gag. Any requests?
Guy in crowd: Muzzle!
Girl in crowd: Starla!
BC: You gotta –- you gotta be a little more into it there. Any requests?
Several people in crowd: Starla! Muzzle! Mayonaise! Silverfuck!
(crowd laughs)
Guy in crowd: I agree, Silverfuck!
BC: Glad to have some Siamese zombies in the house, thank you. No, the crowd would yell and then we’d say, “Sorry, we don’t know that one.” That’s an old Pumpkin trick. I let you in on the trick! Heh heh heh heh. Here’s another trick. People always ask, “What’s in that?” And the joke I always make is “Cocaine.” Works every time. But now...it’s probably not a good thing to say, right? Got kids. I heard my son cursing today, I was like, “Oh, that’s my fault.” Heh! Was a really bad one, it was sort of a religious curse. And uh, you know, so I gotta change this joke, right, so I was like, okay, let's hit the spray and everyone always asks...
Guy in crowd: What is it?
BC: ...cocaine. Are you at the show too, this one too?!
Guy in crowd: (stammering), that was the....
BC: It’s the ghost of Christmas past, he’s shown up again. Anyway, “What’s in the...?” Ivermectin. (crowd laughs) Thank you, heh heh heh heh heh. Not as good as cocaine, but more timely. Too soon, too soon for Ivermectin jokes? Heh heh heh heh heh heh, heh heh heh heh heh heh, oh my god, heh. What fuckin’ planet am I livin’ on? “Then he pulled his beard and he gave me a dirty look.” Uh, heh heh heh. I just love to read those things later, like “Then he pulled his beard and he gave me a dirty look.” Heh heh heh. That’s another Pumpkin trick. Wanna know this trick? We don’t give a fuck. We literally don’t give a fuckin' rat's ass. That is our superpower. We literally don’t fucking care, it’s unbelievable. And, you know, there’s the obvious part, like (dumb guy voice) “We’re gonna play what we wanna play.” (normal voice) But the beautiful thing is, you should see behind the scenes, heh. ‘Cause business people, you know, sit us down, “You know what would make a lot of sense?” and we’re like, (laughing) “We just don’t fuckin’ care.” It’s kinda beautiful after all these years. Let me take you into another part of my brain. From the Ogilala album. Produced by the bearded wonder, Rick Rubin.
Antietam
Black Forest, Black Hills
BC: Thank you, thank you kindly.
By Starlight
BC: Thank you. Is everybody doing alright? Now here’s a song...that I once played on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. With a choir of Mormons, no joke. Heh heh. Actually, Linda’s family -– Linda Strawberry’s...family -– the Rowberrys is their real name. Actually, when I -– my son says “actually” a lot, so that’s why I’m saying “actually”, I apologize –- actually, heh heh, actually, um, the Rowberrys.... Um, Linda was raised Mormon, her parents are in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and I’ve known them for many years, beautiful family, which is why we all sang together this song. And uh, one cool thing is that Linda’s brother is now a gold medal winning Olympic track coach. And two? –- two or three gold medals, which is amazing, so here’s to the Rowberrys. Now this may not have been the best choice for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno...heh heh heh, for a song. Back to the old trick, which is we don’t give a fuck. Heh heh heh. So this falls under that banner. See if you remember this from the fallow years between 2009 and two thousand...fifteen? Anybody remember those years? Were any of you here yelling at me online during those years back then? No confrontation, it’s all love, heh heh. My favorite, I think, all time quote in that period was “He’s destroying his legacy.” Heh heh heh heh heh heh!
Guy in crowd: What are you gonna do about it?
BC: (laughing) Oh my god. You know, when you start to write the comment back and you’re like, “Eh,” you know? And now all these years later, I can reveal to you the comment that I wrote that I didn’t write back. I believe it was something along the lines of like “At least I have a legacy to destroy, motherfucker.” Heh heh heh heh heh. Or as I like to say behind the scenes, “I built it, so therefore I can destroy it.” So please enter the wacky world of Widow Wake My Mind.
Widow Wake My Mind
BC: Yeah, heh heh heh heh heh heh. This song here is based somewhat on my paternal grandfather, who was a bon vivant, a man about town, a lothario, a bootlegger and a coal miner. True story.
Black Lung
BC: Thank you.
Anno Satana
BC: Thank you. Now in the first show, I made the mistake of trying to tune, it went horribly awry. So hopefully this won’t be as bad. (tuning guitar) For moments like these, I really should have a fat -– patois. Is that the right word, Miss Swiss Air, a patois? Is that the correct use of that word?
Dick Shay: I’ve got one.
BC: Oh jesus. Go on.
Dick Shay: Do you know how if you use the word, you say “I’m having such a good time”, it becomes where the emphasis is on? “I’m having such a good time”, “I’m having such a good time”, “I’m having such a good time.”
Girl in crowd: No, but we’ll take it.
BC: Heh heh heh! So it’s like, “I hate you”, “I hate you”, “I hate you.”
Dick Shay: You got it!
BC: This allows me to say the same thing over and over again with different emphasis, is that what...?
Dick Shay: Yeah, it means something different each time!
Guy in crowd: That man is a treasure!
BC: Heh heh. Heh heh heh heh! This song here is from the Zwan era. For some reason, I named it W.P., I’ll let you figure that one out. White paper? Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh. It’s the worst thing laughing at your own jokes, it’s so –- it’s right up there with wearing your own T-shirt on stage, you know what I mean? Heh, I had to check, heh. So this is a song called W.P. Hope you enjoy it.
W.P.
BC: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed that. (audible sound of a door opening) Hi. If you don’t mind...a round of applause for our wonderful staff. (crowd claps) I can tell you that the number one concern with the manager –- vaporizing –- was making that everybody here had a good experience, so I hope that’s worked out for you. Now this here is a song...it’s about 27 years old, I think, when I wrote this one. Half a lifetime ago. Be 55 soon. Anybody here 55?
Guy in crowd: Soon, soon.
BC: Oh, my friend, you look good. The best thing about being 55 is I got a six year old and a three year old, heh heh. And they don’t give a fuck. I’ll share with you a joke that I shared with the first show. Because I’ve oft been accused of being completely insane...and there’s something sort of haunting about that, because it’s completely possible I am insane. I like to point to my track record: 30 plus years in the arts, hundreds and hundreds of songs, worldwide success, multiple businesses including the National Wrestling Alliance. Great friends, great fans, great partner in Chloe...and uh...(one person claps)...yeah. And so, you know, when you’re accused of things, you know like for example, people would always say...with the –- about the band...talking to me, “You’re so dark.” It’s like, “You should see them, man, (laughing) I’m, I’m the light one, heh, look at these three.” Same thing with the family, you know? “You’re so crazy”, it was like “Have you seen my father?” Um, something comforting about believing rightly or wrongly that your insanity is a genetic issue. That’s not to make light of anybody who has issues, but I’m speaking only of my own family, which is insane. And uh, so one wonders when you have children, you know, does the -– does the darkness pass on? Heh, you know what I mean? Is it a Corgan thing or is it a B.C. thing, right? So uh...so not too long ago, right over there in the corner, I played this game with my children where I pretend that somebody is behind them; if they turn, they get a little bit of a nudge. You know, it’s the old classic -– that game, right? I don’t know what it’s called, does anybody know that name? Is there a name for that game? “The nudge game”, I don’t know? Heh, so we play that game all the time and we were here and uh, I was playing that game with my son, Augustus Juppiter, heh, and uh, got him a few times, like, “Oh look, there’s your nanny”, yeah, you know? And uh, and he comes to me, he goes, “Dad, dad, look up. Look up, dad.” And I’m like, nah, I’m not falling for this, he goes, “It’s the ghost of your dead father.” And by the way, I think my father passed...72 hours before? So take comfort (laughing) in the fact that if I am insane, it is genetic. And uh, as I’ve oft told journalists...over 30 years, you know, you get to know people a little bit? An hour here, two hours there, over decades? And uh, they get this gleam in their eye, you know, as I near the end. And as I like to tell them, “Don’t be so quick, lest my children get into the family business. Because unlike me, they won’t be fucked up.” That you should be afraid of. To my children! Normally they would be here ignoring what I’m doing.... Heh heh heh heh heh. Okay, back to the show. We’re almost done, I promise.
Ugly
BC: Yeah, man, takes me back.
Waiting for a Train That Never Comes
BC: Thank you. We've reached the end. Yes, it's the end, the end, the end is here, it's nigh, it's...it's arrived. It's the end.
Girl in crowd: Yeah, it's the beginning of the...of the....
Girl #2 in crowd: Yeah, it's the beginning.
BC: Speaking of the beginning is the end, while I tune and bore the shit out of you, I will tell you an untold story. So, when we uh, when we were offered the Batman soundtrack, circa '97, for what became both The End is the Beginning is the End and The Beginning is the End is the Beginning, we were promised...you know, the end credit song. We were a big band at the time, you know, it was like Arnold's in the movie, you know. Uma Thurman. Got to visit the set. Poison Ivy set if anybody remembers that movie. Uma in the get up, whole bit. It's cool, right? And uh, Joel Schumacher, the great director, was the director of that movie. And uh, there was some reason I had to go into his office on Warner Brothers lot, have this meeting. And as you do, you just get talkin’...smack. And uh, I said something about my looks or my lack of looks or something like that. And he goes, “Honey, anatomy is destiny. Anatomy is destiny.” And he said, “And you have destiny.”
Girl in crowd: Yes!
BC: (laughing) This guy's good, right? I love Joel Schumacher! Before I tell the punchline on this story, I want you to know that I remained friendly with Joel after this incident I'm about to describe for you. And uh, if anybody's ever seen it, Joel did this -– he’s passed away now, but he did this thing a few years ago where he got very invested in teen suicide and he asked me to speak quite openly about suicide or at least my own issues with it. And um, and that's something I'm very proud of because we worked on that together. And uh, I see it getting shared occasionally and I think, “Thank god for things like that”, you know, so thank god for Joel on that. But here's the story. Just go to the premiere. I think George Clooney was Batman at that point? It was his -– he was only in the one movie, right? Then he bailed for tequila and George Clooney land. Heh heh heh. God bless George, nice person. Uh, at the premiere, over there in Westwood: the limos, the lights, the famous theater there that's been doing premieres since the ‘30s, whole thing, you know. Go in the theater, everybody's dressed up and um, I’m watching the movie, it's so bad that I can't even.... Heh, it's like, how can you be in a bad Batman movie? It's like, this is so unfair, right? But I love Joel, but oh god, the movie's terrible and...I passed out in the middle of the movie, um, but of course I woke up for the end credits ‘cause here comes my song, right? And so uh, they play the song, (sings the melody of the song) and in about a minute in, (cutting noise), and they just cut it to like another song, I don't know, it was like R. Kelly or somebody, right? And I was like, “What the fuck?” You know, this is probably before e-mail, you know, but I’m like, I'm yelling at somebody like “I thought we were promised!” So uh, I did write Joel, because I was friendly with him, (laughing) I wrote -- I wrote him an e-mail and said “What the fuck? You know, I thought we were supposed to get the end credit song”, and he writes me, he goes, “But you did.” And I go “But we only got a minute,” he goes, (laughing) “Yeah, we had to promise all those other things for all those other people to promote this shitty movie. Don't be mad at me!” Was that a good story? (crowd cheers) So you can play that different ways, right? Hey, go back in a time machine: “Young Bill, someday you can have your song in a Batman movie.” “What the...really?” “Yeah, end credits.” “Wow, I'd do anything to get that.” “And guess what? Arnold Schwarzenegger. You don't know her yet, Uma Thurman, super hot babe. George Clooney, son of Rosemary [sic], wow! Or, you're going to be in the worst Batman ever. Bill?” (gestures) Reeling backwards.
Girl #1 in crowd: You should still take it though.
BC: Heh heh heh heh. How would you play it, that’s...?
Guy in crowd: I'll take it!
BC: You'll take it?
Same guy in crowd: I’ll take it.
Girl #2 in crowd: Take it.
Girl #3: Take it to the end.
Same guy in crowd: I got what I got and I like it!
BC: Alright.
Guy #2 in crowd: The song rocks.
BC: Thank you, I will, I will...I will hold that proudly, thank you. And I did get my revenge...lest ye forget. Years later, the incredibly overlooked slow version, The Beginning is the End is the Beginning, was used for the Watchmen trailer. Plucked out of obscurity and put in what might be the greatest movie trailer...ever. Better than the movie, unfortunately, but...that trailer was.... So, you know, you get these -- you get the clearance, “Are you cool with this?”, and I'm like (laughing) “Fuck yeah, I'll –- I’ll take that.” You know what I mean? And then you get the thing: there's a catch. “What's the catch?” “You're not in the movie.” Right? So I was kind of bummed, like, “Oh, a big hot movie”, looked cool and then I went to the movie, I was like “Oh, this is a piece of shit too.” Heh heh heh, (laughing) “Thank god I'm not in this one too.” Too much information? You like our share time, our sharing time? Got so many of these stories. Anyway, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here on this cold night. Please, please, be careful driving home. Love and appreciate you, want you to get home safe, ee you again soon. And uh, yeah, it’s been fantastic, thank you so much.
I Know My Time Is Coming Round
BC: Goodnight.

Photos and memorabilia[edit | edit source]