Machines Fly High

If one is ever in a situation where a fellow music aficionado proclaims that rock has been dead for generations, there are a few simple steps that could open closed minds and blocked ears. An easy remedy would be to guide them to a nice big hi-fi system and play The Smashing Pumpkins’ latest album Aghori Mori Mei at full blast. If this exchange occurred before last Monday however, the best way to enlighten our disillusioned friend would have been to take them to the Paradise to revel in the visceral, dynamic and thrilling sounds of Billy Corgan and The Machines of God.

For nearly four decades, Corgan has established himself as one of rock’s foremost creative minds as the frontman for The Smashing Pumpkins. The Pumpkin’s famously diverse catalog showcases a unique blend of hard rock, melodic hooks, synth experimentation, acoustic tenderness and psychedelia. These sounds and more are all united by Corgan’s artistic vision, a balance of darkness and light, using fantasy to illuminate reality.

On Monday night, the capacity crowd at the Paradise had the rare opportunity to witness Corgan’s artistry in an intimate setting. His new side project, Billy Corgan and The Machines of God is his first solo venture with a rock band since Zwan in the early 2000’s. The new band consists of Smashing Pumpkins touring guitarist Kiki Wong, bassist Jenna Fournier also known as Kid Tigrrr and drummer Jake Hayden.

 The tour, dubbed A Return to Zero, presents a mix of material from three distinct eras of the Pumpkins illustrious career. Last year’s Aghori Mori Mei, the classic 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and fan favorites from 2000 Machina/The Machines of God and its’ sequel Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music. The juxtaposition of these three fruitful musical endeavors proved that Corgan’s prolific nature has been a great asset to his legacy.

Both albums from the Machina project were featured prominently in both the setlist and the presentation. Conceived as a two-record set at the end of the Pumpkins original run, both albums exemplify Corgan’s dedication to the concept album. Fans have reveled in his storytelling through diverse rock sounds for decades and anticipation was high as the band took the stage. The first chords of “Glass’s Theme” from Machina II pulsated through the Paradise and served as the perfect introduction to a one-of-a-kind concert experience.

The Machina albums tell the story of Corgan’s rock star alter ego named Glass, his band The Machines of God and their fans, the Ghost Children. Due to a changing musical landscape at the turn of the millennium, the albums (part one a conventional release and part two, a free digital release) did not get their deserved acclaim upon release but have grown in popularity among the Pumpkins faithful fanbase over the past twenty-five years. Earlier this year, Corgan announced that the long-awaited box set commemorating these albums would finally be released later this year through his tea shop, and record store Madame Zuzu’s. This announcement received rapturous applause when repeated at the concert. After all, who wouldn’t want to hear more performances with the same thundering energy and affecting melody as the evening's renditions of “Heavy Metal Machine”, “Real Love” and “The Crying Tree of Mercury”?

Also, in the spotlight on the evening’s program was what many listeners consider to be The Smashing Pumpkins magnum opus, 1995’s Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness. Corgan let the audience know that the album is celebrating its’ tenth anniversary  this year and the crowd like this number much better than the alarming thirty .The third song of the evening, “Where Boys Fear to Tread” kept the fire burning and sounded as fresh and ferocious as it did thirty years ago as the set opener on the original Infinite Sadness tour. Concert favorite “Porcelina of the Vast Oceans” dazzled the crowd with undulating dynamics and exhilarating guitar interplay between Corgan and Wong. Corgan delivered his poetry with the evocative vocals that have grabbed listeners attention for all these years and still resonate with those with an ear for stunning imagery and emotional depth.

Kid Tigrr and Jake Hayden flawlessly executed the driving and complex rhythms that underscored the emotion of the compositions. The compact rhythm section was a wise choice for this tour of intimate venues. Corgan has always fronted extremely tight bands and the sheer firepower evident on Monday nights renditions of the Machina II rarity “White Spider” and Mellon Collie’s hard-hitting “Bodies” left fans in awe of the powerful quartet. On only their second show of the tour, the band delivered the high-caliber rock firepower needed to convey Corgan’s vision.

On “Glass and The Ghost Children”, the epic centerpiece of the Machina I album, Corgan switched to bass, just as he played on the original recording. Seasoned Pumpkin’s fans know that Corgan is not only a top guitarist in the pantheon of rock, but also a seasoned multi-instrumentalist. He kept the bass on for a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice” starring Kid Tigrr on vocals. Later in the show she sang a verse of the Pumpkins classic “Tonight, Tonight” presented in an evocative acoustic arrangement for this tour. Like all of rock’s eminent composers, Corgan’s varied catalog can be adapted for a myriad of performing styles. The audience, many decked out in classic Smashing Pumpkins tour merch, delighted in familiar and new renditions of their favorite songs.

 Guitarist Kiki Wong has toured with the full Smashing Pumpkins lineup for the past year and brings heavy riffs and commanding stage presence to The Machine’s of God. One of nine finalists of the ten thousand guitarists who auditioned for the Pumpkins touring gig, Wong was selected to join the band in 2024. Coming from a heavy metal background as guitarist for Nylon Pink, she is experienced in creating visceral tones and thrilling solos that are a natural fit for the Pumpkins’ catalog. A catalog that can’t be defined by a single style, just like Wong’s approach to guitar, proven by her extensive session work and a fiery performance onstage at the Paradise. She mastered the tender tones of “Stand Inside Your Love” and the psychedelia of “The Aeroplane Flies High” with the same passion and precision as the heavy riffs of 2024’s “Edin” and “Sicarus”.

It is always refreshing to see a sell out crowd appreciate deep-cuts and still stay engaged for the hits that first grabbed their attention. Corgan has always struck a balance between the well-known and the obscure in his setlists, intuitively knowing how to present a unified vision in concert. Hearing over nine hundred people sing along to the choruses of “1979” and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” was a testament to the power of this storied repertoire. Those who heard these songs as children on WBCN from the back of the car sang beside their older contemporaries who bought Mellon Collie with the paycheck from their first job. College students who streamed these songs on Spotify joined with parents who filed Pumpkins albums with their classic rock library.

Any two hour plus show that includes “Zero” and “The Everlasting Gaze” in the encore set is proof of a band with remarkable stamina and collaborative energy. The generous setlist came to a rousing climax that concentrated the energy of the entire white-hot performance.

So next time someone who grew up listening to rock radio bemoans the state of the genre, let them know that Billy Corgan is still out there at the height of his powers. Fans young and old left the Paradise excited for the more music from The Smashing Pumpkins and more Machines of God performances. The Pumpkins will reconvene for a European tour later this summer and in November, Corgan will present an operatic version of Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness with the Lyric Opera Orchestra in Chicago.

Los Angeles based rockers Return to Dust opened the show and were warmly embraced for their grunge revival style. Their set was reminiscent of Louder Than Love era Soundgarden and the classic Alice in Chains LP’s Facelift and Dirt. As acolytes of nineties alternative, they expressed gratitude for the opportunity to open for Billy Corgan and The Machines of God.