There’s a classic scene in Chappelle’s Show a few years ago where a judge asks Dave, “Do you think Michael Jackson is guilty of the charges against him?” Our hero immediately replies “Nah man. He made Thriller. Thriller.”
Billy Corgan may be guilty of many things over the past 15 years or so, but one of the things that cannot ever be taken away from him is Smashing Pumpkins’ 1993’s guitar-rock masterpiece, Siamese Dream.
“Nah man,” I’d say. “He made Siamese Dream. Siamese Dream.”
It’s also hard to deny him as one of the decade’s greatest songwriters: from 1991’s Gish to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness four years later, Corgan was at the top of his game, and sandwiched between those alt-rock epics was Siamese Dream, as record as close to perfection as this writer has ever heard.
The spirit of ’90s Corgan is alive and well in Boston rock band Vary Lumar, who Friday night take on the Smashing Pumpkins as headliners of the Vanyaland Halloween show at Great Scott. They’ll be joined by Pale Hands as Robyn and the Daily Pravda as Lana Del Rey, turning the Allston rock club into one balls-out rock and roll funhouse.
Presale for the show ends today (October 30) at noon EST, so get those tickets in advance in order to guarantee entry. If you’re on the fence about partying with the finest Halloween event going down Friday night in Boston, allow the gents of Vary Lumar to give a taste of how those pumpkins will be smashed.
Who wants that honey? You do.
Vanyaland: What can we expect from your set as Smashing Pumpkins?
Paul De Pasquale: Loud
Christopher G. Brown: Loud
Rob Fusco: Loud
Rob Laff: Loud
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How will you interpret the sound of the Smashing Pumpkins?
Brown: By being as faithful as possible without the whine.
Fusco: Faithful to ’96 pumpkins — without the whine
P. De Pasquale: Try not to whine too much
How has the sound of Smashing Pumpkins influenced your band’s own music?
Brown: We basically have Jimmy Chamberlin as a drummer, and that’s a good thing.
Fusco: If we’re talking the classic Smashing Pumpkins guitar tone, not so much. But the emotional experience the music gives the listener is a big influence.
P. De Pasquale: Never thought they were an influence until we started rehearsing and realized they posses the many reasons I ever wanted to rock.
What do you think Billy Corgan would think of your cover set?
Brown: Corgan would probably hate it but he hates everything. I’ll bet James Iha would dig it. He seems like he’d be nice.
Fusco: I’m worried Corgan would ask us to join the band.
P. De Pasquale: My band would be asked by Corgan to be in his band and I would no longer have a band.
What other Vanyaland Halloween show performances are you most looking forward to seeing?
Brown: I’m tragically unfamiliar with either artist covered, so I’m looking forward to the Daily Pravda and Pale Hands teaching me what’s what.
Fusco: Bring on Lana Del Ray!
P. De Pasquale: Been digging Robyn with Royksopp lately …so looking forward to see what Pale Hand’s got going on!
Word to that.
VANYALAND HALLOWEEN with PALE HANDS as ROBYN + THE DAILY PRAVDA as LANA DEL REY + VARY LUMAR as the SMASHING PUMPKINS + DJ MICHAEL V + HOST GODDAMN GLENN :: Friday, October 31 @ Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston, MA :: 9 p.m., 21-plus, $10 :: Costumes required :: Advance tickets :: Do617 event page
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