today is Smashing Pumpkins day. June 25th 1996
Imagine a wee baby King, in the days of oversized band t-shirts & MTV. 200% obsessed with the Smashing Pumpkins. I'm talking 14yr old girl obsessed, the kind that you kiss posters & tv screens, tape 100 pictures on your wall & steal rolls of change to buy their biography. (
) haha
June of 1996, the height of Mellon Collie madness, the Smashing Pumpkins decide to play a show in Saginaw, MI. If you know anything about Michigan, you know that that is some insane shit. No national act comes around those parts, like never-ever. (or at least in my day) At this point, I had never been to a concert before. I begged & pleaded to my parents to let me go. No dice. Literally all my friends were going, I was devastated. My mom was just like, "it's not like you won't have a chance to see them again, it's not like they're gonna break up"
So, the day of the concert came, all I did was hang out in my room & listen to the local radio station broadcast live while I would rewind my Siamese Dream cassette.
Apparently, it was mind blowingly awesome.
And then.....
"The band suffered a personal tragedy on the night of July 11, 1996, when touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin and Chamberlin overdosed on heroin in a hotel room in New York City. Melvoin died, and Chamberlin was arrested for drug possession. A few days later, the band announced that Chamberlin had been fired as a result of the incident. happened."
Seriously? 2 goddamn weeks later?
Suffices to say, I missed my only chance to see them live, as the true Smashing Pumpkins.
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Well, I don't know why I've held onto this for so many years, but every June 25th I listen to them all day & tell that tale to anyone who will listen. (to hear me tell it, it's like an old fishing tale, emphatic inflections.)
Annnnnnnnnyway. When you type it all out, it's kind of Mellon Collie. (hehe
) but it's not meant to be. Just imagine me ranting & raving Lewis Black style.
I tried to find a picture of me in one of their shirts or something, alas, those were the days of real film & telephones. They must be at my parent's house somewhere.
Here's some vain delights for your troubles.
xo
king
Imagine a wee baby King, in the days of oversized band t-shirts & MTV. 200% obsessed with the Smashing Pumpkins. I'm talking 14yr old girl obsessed, the kind that you kiss posters & tv screens, tape 100 pictures on your wall & steal rolls of change to buy their biography. (
) hahaJune of 1996, the height of Mellon Collie madness, the Smashing Pumpkins decide to play a show in Saginaw, MI. If you know anything about Michigan, you know that that is some insane shit. No national act comes around those parts, like never-ever. (or at least in my day) At this point, I had never been to a concert before. I begged & pleaded to my parents to let me go. No dice. Literally all my friends were going, I was devastated. My mom was just like, "it's not like you won't have a chance to see them again, it's not like they're gonna break up"
So, the day of the concert came, all I did was hang out in my room & listen to the local radio station broadcast live while I would rewind my Siamese Dream cassette.
Apparently, it was mind blowingly awesome.
And then.....
"The band suffered a personal tragedy on the night of July 11, 1996, when touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin and Chamberlin overdosed on heroin in a hotel room in New York City. Melvoin died, and Chamberlin was arrested for drug possession. A few days later, the band announced that Chamberlin had been fired as a result of the incident. happened."
Seriously? 2 goddamn weeks later?
Suffices to say, I missed my only chance to see them live, as the true Smashing Pumpkins.
Well, I don't know why I've held onto this for so many years, but every June 25th I listen to them all day & tell that tale to anyone who will listen. (to hear me tell it, it's like an old fishing tale, emphatic inflections.)
Annnnnnnnnyway. When you type it all out, it's kind of Mellon Collie. (hehe
) but it's not meant to be. Just imagine me ranting & raving Lewis Black style. I tried to find a picture of me in one of their shirts or something, alas, those were the days of real film & telephones. They must be at my parent's house somewhere.
Here's some vain delights for your troubles.
xo
king
VIEW 22 of 22 COMMENTS
zimzum5:
I really love your story. I used to listen them a lot when I was 13-14 and it's true what you say about the original line-up, they were amazing. When I saw them for the first time it wasn't the same, I saw them in 2008.
marmalade:
Smashing Pumpkins <3<3<3 my favorite band ever!! lovely pics too :)