Smashing Pumpkins Make a Bright Return

Modern Rock

By Kristi Kates | Feb. 24, 2018

For months, there’s been rapid-fire talk of the the “will they or won’t they” variety in reference to the Smashing Pumpkins. The verdict is finally in, and the answer is yes: The Pumpkins are reuniting, with most of their original lineup, and hitting arenas this summer for their Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour. Joining Chicago frontman Billy Corgan for the trek will be original members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, along with recent new band addition, guitarist Jeff Schroeder. Bass player D’Arcy Wretkzy was not invited to join the tour, and the revived band has stated that they’re only going to play songs from the albums they released prior to the year 2000. Dates on the tour will include stops in Austin, Texas (July 16); Miami (July 24); Detroit (Aug. 5); Toronto (Aug. 8); and Columbus, Ohio (Aug. 11)  …

One of the most popular new overseas music fests is the TRNSMT Festival (pronounced “transmit”), which attracted a wide host of visitors, Americans included, to its inaugural event last year. Building on that success, TRNSMT 2018 is now set to take place across two full weekends (June 29–July 1 and July 6–8) on the Glasgow Green in Glasgow, Scotland, and is amping up the performance roster even more with this year’s headliners: Stereophonics will kick off the festival’s first night (June 29), and will be accompanied at the event by fellow headliners Liam Gallagher, The Script, Jessie J, and James Bay. Additional acts will be added as the date gets closer, and tickets are on sale now at trnsmtfest.com …

Classic ’70s band Fleetwood Mac — who has seen a recent increase in the interest in its music thanks to placement of its songs in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 — are set to reissue their 1975 self-titled album, the first to feature the best known lineup of the band, which included Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. The reissue will arrive in three formats — a deluxe three-CD box set with additional DVD and vinyl; an expanded two-CD set; and a regular (remastered) single CD. The special editions will include live recordings as well as some behind-the-scenes studio cuts …

Lana Del Rey plans to team up with her sister Chuck, a visual artist, to direct the music video for her latest single, “Cherry.” Del Rey explained that she’d met with several directors and “nobody liked any of her video ideas,” so she decided to just take matters into her own hands and camera lens. No exact script or plan has been revealed yet, but Del Rey mentioned in a recent interview that she’s thinking about going old-school for the video, possibly taking a hand-held camera into a vintage building and putting some gritty visuals to the song, which should enter the video sphere a little later this year…

LINK OF THE WEEK
A nearby major music festival? Early in the summer? With some of your favorite big rock names? Yes, please. Check out the 2018 Bunbury Festival coming up June 1–3 at Sawyer Point Park and Yeatman's Cove in Cincinnati, Ohio. The festival will feature performances from The Chainsmokers, Post Malone, Manchester Orchestra, Fitz and the Tantrums, and Detroit/Nashville singer Jack White. Get more details and tickets at bunburyfestival.com …

THE BUZZ
Vintage soft-rocker Steve Winwood will be taking the stage Feb. 26 at The Fox Theater in Detroit …

The Weaves will be rocking The El Club, the all-ages arts venue in southwest Detroit, on March 1…

Marine City, Michigan, native Jeff Gutt will appear in his new role as lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots on the band’s latest album, simply called Stone Temple Pilots, which will hit outlets on March 13 …

Detroit rapper Eminem is heading to Europe for a brief tour this summer, passing through several festivals and ending with a two-night stint in London July 14–15 … and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ’em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.