I decided to love the Smashing Pumpkins sometime in the early-90s, when I was watching The Commish (arguably the greatest show ever created) and Tony’s son asks for a Smashing Pumpkins CD. Tony thinks he is talking about a dessert he wants. Oh, that show. That Tony.
In addition to this sterling recommendation, my friend Elise’s older brother drew a picture of his interpretation of “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and also wanted to get a tattoo of lip prints on his butt, and thus was the purveyor of all things tasteful and mature. (My friend Casey, who first introduced me to mangos, also liked this song. It had to be good. As good as mangos.) Thus began my love affair with Billy Corgan, a quiet, latent love affair that only comes into the open when I see amazing things like this weekend’s reading at the Polestar Poetry Series.
If you are anywhere near New York City on Sunday at 5pm, you should go to see Siamese Dream. Seriously. An incredible lineup will be reading poems inspired by the Smashing Pumpkins, and it’s going to be a great show. I already love Danniel Schoonebeek, Amanda Calderon, and Ben Fama, and I think I would probably fall in love with the other writers (Martin Rock, Emily Brandt, Julia Cohen, Michael Leong, Sean Edgley, Natalie Eilbert, Lisa Marie Basile, Rebecca Bates, and Carter Edwards, according to the facebook invitation). It’s going to be an amazing time, and you should go. And, if you can’t, Corgan has offered to put video from the evening on their site, so you (like me) can enjoy it in your own home at some later date.
But don’t wait for that. Get out to Cake Shop and enjoy an awesome evening of poems inspired by the greatest band ever featured on The Commish. And, until Sunday, enjoy this great collaboration between Stevie Nicks and the Smashing Pumpkins:
