The Smashing Pumpkins performed 17 tracks from their 1995 double album with a 60-piece orchestra at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago, kicking off seven nights celebrating the 30th anniversary of ‘Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness’ debut.
Conductor James Lowe led the performances, with the orchestra and chorus joining him, tackling challenges like translating heavier tracks to an orchestra without sounding “silly or cringey.”
The concerts are described as sonic and visual reimaginings of the album, appealing to both longtime Pumpkins fans and new listeners, pushing boundaries in their interpretations.
A 30th-anniversary deluxe reissue of the album was released on Nov. 21, featuring over 80 minutes of unreleased audio from the 1996 tour, liner notes from Billy Corgan, a tarot card set, and seven lithographs.
Billy Corgan expressed the emotional significance of unearthing the live recordings from the original lineup’s last large-scale tour, stating, “once we blew apart in 1996, we were never quite the same: be it emotionally, or spiritually.”
