<![CDATA[Smashing expectations]]>

A new documentary in stores tomorrow shows him as, well, sort of all of those things, but above all, an artist. "If All Goes Wrong," a two-disc DVD set showcasing the band's recent return from its 8-year hiatus.

Conveniently, the Pumpkins will be playing two special "20th anniversary shows" at the D.A.R. Constitution Hall tomorrow and Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The band promises that fans attending both dates will see two completely different shows, with tomorrow dubbed as "Black Sunshine" and Wednesday as "White Crosses." I have checked out the set lists for other two-night stands on this tour, and not one song is repeated between nights.

Tickets are still available here.

The documentary on Disc 1 is a fascinating look at the man behind the legendary gloomy, Chicago-based band. Oh yeah, it shows those other four people that are currently in the band as well. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlain actually does (deservedly) get a tremendous chunk of time to express his feelings toward coming back to the alternative-rock juggernaut. And yes, we do get some time with new guitar player Jeff Schroeder, new bass player Ginger Reyes and keyboard player Lisa Harriton, but oddly enough, even The Who's Pete Townsend gets more face time than probably the three of them combined, if you don't count concert footage.

This movie is 90 percent Corgan and I guess, rightfully so, since the band's studio recordings tend to work the same way. (It was recently reported that Corgan and Chamberlain have started to record new material without the new band members. Big surprise.)

The film follows the band as they embark on two incredibly ambitious residencies: 9 shows in Ashville, N.C. at the Orange Peel, and 13 shows at The Fillmore in San Francisco.

The first thought that comes to mind when watching this is how daunting it must have been for the new band members, not only to learn an almost endless back catalog of Pumpkins material, but to keep up with Corgan's famous knack for perfection, not to mention that he was also writing brand new material each day and adding them to rehearsals and even shows during the residencies.

The interviews with Corgan are by far the most introspective and entertaining available. It shows a self awareness that I don't think a lot of critics believe he has. The Pumpkins are by no means a captain-less ship. He knows exactly what he is doing with his band and why he's doing it, he just doesn't seem to care about the consequences.

He tells an interviewer at one point that he doesn't like to play a couple of older songs, specifically because James Iha wrote a couple of parts in the songs, and he hates that James is given credit, because they are his songs, and fans use James' input on those songs as an excuse as to why newer material isn't as good. That's classic Billy Corgan if I've ever seen it.
You also get to see him rail on a few roadies for a stage malfunction, screaming about how much money they are spending to film the shows.

The best thing about this movie is that it is in no way a Pumpkins "love fest." The honesty on this thing is astounding, showing fans speak about their disappointment over the new music and new members, and even showing how fans were turned off by 3-hour sets made up of mostly rarities, unreleased, obscure and even brand new songs. At one point during a show in San Francisco, the audience is actually leaving the building in masses while the Pumpkins are still on stage playing a 37-minute version of "Gossamer," a long jam made up spur of the moment on stage from time to time. Backstage, Corgan laughs about losing them while the new band members are devastated. The entire residency appeared to play the same way, as Corgan defends his self indulgent set lists to his bandmates while they become more and more frustrated with the audiences response, culminating in guitarist Jeff Schroeder destroying his guitar and running off stage at one show.

Clocking in at just about 2 hours, there was a lot of stuff that could have probably been left on the cutting room floor, such as the history segments on Ashville and San Francisco, and maybe a little too much concert footage, being that you have a concert disk included in the package.

We also are treated to a total of about an hour of footage of Corgan in his bathrobe writing songs. Ew. Less bathrobe, more rock, at least that's what I always say, but you have to admire his work ethic, writing songs seemingly day in and day out when not at the club rehearsing or playing shows. And all the time with cameras present. Hmm...

Bonus features include rehearsal footage, fan interviews(skip this, trust me), and the full interview with Pete Townsend that is dispersed shamelessly throughout the film as if Corgan is saying, "See, he likes what I'm doing and he was in The Who!"

Disc 2 features concert footage from the San Francisco residency. However, don't expect to see all of those Pumpkins anthems you've come to know over the years. The 15 song set contains mostly newer material or rarities. Even if you don't know any of the songs, the band sounds great on a set that relies heavily upon the acoustic or dreery, with a few exceptions. For those that like the Pumpkins' psychedelic side, there is an intense performance of "Superchrist," a song that was in its early stages during the recording of "Zeitgeist," but has since become a staple in the band's live set. And the 30 + minute "Gossamer" is on there too, in case you are curious.

The Smashing Pumpkins "If All Goes Wrong"
For die-hard fans, Grade: A
For the casual fan, Grade: (movie) B Grade: (concert) C

The band's big claim to fame came after it rode a huge underground following into a contract with Island/Def Jam records, which released the band's most t commercial album to date,"The Artist and the Ambulance."

Hits such as "All That's Left" and "Stare at the Sun" made Thrice a must-see act on the Vans Warped tour, and a sell-out on the club circuit. Though more digestible than the bands first two albums, "The Artist and the Ambulance" served as a logical step into the limelight for the band, staying true to the kind of metal/melodic punk fusion it had become known for.

Thrice ventured away from this sound with the less conventional "Vheissu," the last album the band would release with Island. This album proved to be a much more experimental effort that added atmospheric rock and some folk influences into the mix.

"The Alchemy Index" was released on Vagrant records as two, two-disc sets. Each disk of the set has a theme: Fire, Water, Earth and Air, each with its own musical vision.

I spoke with drummer Riley Breckenridge about the project, and the band's current tour with Rise Against, Alkaline Trio and Gaslight Anthem. Those bands will host a sold out show at Rams Head Live! in Baltimore tomorrow.

Where are you guys today?

We are in Worcester, Mass.

Are you just getting started on this tour?

Yeah. I think this is like, the fourth show or something. We did a headlining show on our own last night in Buffalo while the rest of the tour had the day off. Tonight we are back with Rise Against, Alkaline Trio and Gaslight Anthem.

I just read that you guys just surpassed your tenth year as a band.

Yeah, you know what it was really weird. We were cognisant of that day coming up, but it wasn't like a specific day that we knew. It kind of came and went, and I don't know if anyone really noticed. Teppei put up a post on our blog and it just kind of went by. It's crazy to think that we've been around for that long and that we're still having fun doing this, and that it's turned into what it's turned into. That's pretty mind blowing.

If you could send "The Alchemy Index" back through time to the Thrice of ten years ago, what do you think you would have thought of it?

(Laughs) Um, I don't know. I think there are parts of it that the us of ten years ago woudl think was pretty cool. Some of the stuff on the "Fire" disc, I'm sure. I think, you know, some of the acoustic stuff and electronic stuff we might have thought was a little out of left field maybe, but I guess that just kind of shows how much you grow as a person and you grow as far as your musical taste goes in ten years. Back then, we were all listening to punk rock and hardcore and metal, stuff like that, and over the last ten years the scope of styles of music and artists we listen to has grown so much. It's crazy.

What about the opposite, hearing your old stuff now?

Yeah. It's cool looking back on it because it is like a snapshot of a certain period of your life, like looking at an old yearbook photo. As cool as it is to revist those memories, it is also kind of embarassing. You know, you think, "What were we thinking there?" or "Why did we put that part in that song?" "What were we going for with this song?"

It's just like the yearbook photo. There can always be that weird hair or bad sweater.

Yeah! Totally, totally. I mean, when we started this thing ten years ago, the only goal was to have fun after school and after work, to just get together and write some songs, and then maybe if we got lucky we could play a local show. Ten years later, we've been touring probably for 8 years now. We've got to see the world and meet tons of amazing people. We've got to see all of these different places and have so many experiences that, never in our wildest dreams did we expect any of this, so it's something we are really, really grateful for.

Currently you guys are out with Rise Against, Alkaline Trio and Gaslight Anthem.

The geeks will love this one for the accompanying DVD, which includes documentary footage of the band. Or at least, that is what the press release says: My press copy only came with the audio portion.
On the first listen, my girlfriend said she recognized one of the new tracks, which I thought was impossible since I just received the pre-release disc in the mail, but then I figured it out.
"I Can Feel A Hot One," has been featured on an episode of "Gossip Girl," which surprisingly has been a huge outlet for exposure of new or under appreciated artists to people who would normally listen to stuff bashed into their brains on Top 40 radio or nightclubs.
To those that may have discovered the band this way, I suggest buying "I Can Feel A Hot One" on itunes, as this set is more geared toward the Manchester obsessed. The ones that "Right Away, Great Captain!" means something to.
If you Gossip Girl fans really want to see what Manchester is all about and want some musical bang for your buck, check out the band's latest full-length, "I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child."

you know you love me
xoxo - brandon