I wrote the following before discovering that a drug overdose resulted in the cancelation of the Smashing Pumpkins July two night stand at Madison Square Garden and that the shows were rescheduled for September, 1996 with replacement players on board. To say my memory of the events surrounding these shows is a bit foggy would be an understatement. Since I am not the biggest Smashing Pumpkins fan in the world, and I did not recall the tragic events that had transpired, feel free to comment and clear this up for all the kids out there (and me, as I had a duplicate entry in the archives for one of the September gigs which I apparently did attend). Rock on! GQ

Garbage opened up for Smashing Pumpkins at Madison Square Garden on a Saturday in July, 1996 so Mr. Nut, AKA Mr. Vegas, and I made the trek into Manhattan to check them out. The Smashing Pumpkins were clearly “pumped” to play the iconic Garden and had their “made it” moment by playing a Led Zeppelin song on the MSG stage where some of the greatest rock and roll acts have performed through the years. While I can appreciate what Billy Corgan and the band have accomplished in their careers, the Smashing Pumpkins were never my thing, although I have enjoyed the shows every time that I have had the opportunity to see them play.

We Only Come Out at Night

Rock on!

GQ