Watch The Smashing Pumpkins Go All-The-Way Arena Rock On Kimmel

Watch The Smashing Pumpkins Go All-The-Way Arena Rock On Kimmel

A year ago, we were still wondering about a potential Smashing Pumpkins classic-lineup reunion — what it might look like, whether it might even be possible. Well, it was possible, and it happened — without D’Arcy Wretzky, maybe, but it still happened. The year of the Pumpkins is in the books. There was an arena tour and an album and everything. And now that they’ve officially reminded everyone that they exist, the mostly-reunited Pumpkins gave a victory-lap performance on the festival stage at Jimmy Kimmel Live last night.

The Pumpkins have played other late-night shows since getting back together. But only playing at the big Kimmel outdoor stage, for what sounded like a very fired-up crowd, gave a full sense of what the Pumpkins are bringing to stages these days. On the show, they avoided the nostalgia route, playing two new songs — “Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)” on the show proper, “Knights Of Malta” as an online bonus. And Billy Corgan, in particular, carried himself like he was playing a stadium.

Corgan dressed for the rock-star job that he clearly wants: Glam-rock facepaint, Revolutionary War Ric Flair waistcoat over shiny silver muumuu. He hit a huge high note at the end of “Knights Of Malta.” He cued up a James Iha guitar solo by yelling “gee-tar!,” which was oddly endearing. Really, the whole spectacle was oddly endearing. Watch it below.

The Pumpkins’ new album Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun is out now.

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