A not so 'Shiny,' nor 'So Bright' reunion

On Feb. 15, the Smashing Pumpkins announced an official reunion tour, set to begin this July in Arizona. Traveling across the U.S. and parts of Canada, the band will play a total of 36 shows in 36 different cities – ending in September in Idaho and hitting New York City at Madison Square Garden on Aug. 1.

The “Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour” is going to be the first to feature Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin together since 2000. Of the reunion, Corgan said in a statement announcing the tour, “It’s magic to me that we’re able to coalesce once more around the incredible Jimmy Chamberlin, to celebrate those songs we’ve made together.”

The tour will feature three out of its four founding members. Missing will be bassist D’arcy Wretzky, who has recently been feuding with front man Billy Corgan because he allegedly hired another bassist for the reunion tour. 

The band has had a series of bassists since Wretzky left in 1999. Joining the reunion tour this summer as the third guitarist will be Jeff Schroeder, who joined the Smashing Pumpkins in 2007.

A video promotion for the tour was released with the tour dates, featuring the song “Today” and starring Ali Laenger and Lysandra Roberts – recognizable as the cover stars from the 1993 album “Siamese Dream.” According to the video, the tour will celebrate songs from the band’s first five albums: “Gish,” “Siamese Dream,” “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” “Adore” and “Machina/The Machines of God.”

According to Forbes and The Pulse of Radio, tickets are not selling quite as well as expected. While tickets moved quickly in larger cities, sales were low in smaller cities. A decent amount of tickets are still available at the Madison Square Garden show. There has been speculation that the low sales are because of the public spat between Corgan and Wretzky. However, tickets are not inexpensive, starting at $75 with some priced as high as $550.