When I walked into the Smashing Pumpkins show on December 2nd at Mohegan Sun, I had a little idea of what to expect.  I grew up listening to “Siamese Dream” and “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” so I knew the music, but it was the Smashing Pumpkins concert experience I was lacking.  That changed after that night.

Out of all of the shows I have EVER been to, this show was by far the greatest.  My jaw remained dropped from the first note to the last.  Not just because the Smashing Pumpkins delivered sevenfold, but also because the opening act blew everyone away as well.  It really felt like the 90′s grunge and dirty hopelessness came back for a few hours, and for some strange reason, I loved it.

The opener Five Knives, was a punk rock, techno/dubstep, kick-in-the-teeth band from hell.  In other words they were amazing.  Led by Ke$ha’s evil twin, Anna Worstell, this band uttered not a single word to the crowd that wasn’t screamed, sung, or rapped, and in its own way, it was awesome.  They were essentially the harbingers of what was to come from the Smashing Pumpkins.

Once Five Knives left the stage (and everyones’ minds blown), out came Billy Corgan, Jeff Schroder, Mike Byrne, and Nicole Fiorentino.  These four blew through their whole new album, Oceania, a psychedelic trip through space and the underwater universe.  After finishing the entire album, they played an amazing cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” and then tore through their best songs, including “Cherub Rock” and “Zero.”

This show seemed to never end, but that was why it was so amazing.  When you thought one song was your favorite, the next one became your favorite.  It truly was one of the best shows I have seen and may ever see.

SETLIST:

1.  Quasar

2. Panopticon

3.  The Celestials

4. Violet Rays

5. My Love is Winter

6. One Diamond, One Heart

7. Pinwheels

8.  Oceania

9.  Pale Horse

10. The Chimera

11. Glissandra

12. Inkless

13. Wildflower

14.  Space Oddity

15. X.Y.U.

16. Disarm

17. Tonite Reprise

18. Tonight Tonight

19. Bullet With Butterfly Wings

20. Dream Machine

21. Hummer

22. Ava Adore

23. Cherub Rock

24. Zero

http://www.fiveknivesmusic.com/  <- Five Knives music (worth checking out)

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/