After enduring the sizzling 90 degree temperatures since 3:00, my friends and I, and I'm sure the majority of the other 18,000 people at the Cleveland H.O.R.D.E. festival, were more than ready for the Pumpkins. It was 8:00 and unusually dark as a massive thunderstorm loomed on the horizon. The combination of sunlight and the dark clouds moving in cast an eerie glow on an anxious crowd. A thunderous roar swept through the crowd as the band took the stage. The drums started and shivers went down my spine as Billy's voice pierced the evening air with "Twilight fades..." from 'To Sheila." The group went right into 'Dusty and Pistol Pete' which I felt sounded extraordinary live. They then rocked the crowd with a quicker, souped up version of 'Ava Adore,' reminding their following that the band hasn't forgotten how to charge up the mosh pit in the midst of all their ballad's in their newest album. Then they played through the '1979-ish' drum beat of 'Perfect' as my girlfriend and I headed from our seats on the lawn to sneak into the ampitheatre to catch a better glimpse of the band we'd traveled so far to see.

The three Pumpkins were all dressed in their traditional goth black as D'Arcy wore a black horned head band. They played an altered cut of 'Thru the Eyes of Ruby' and then went into 'Blank Page.' Outside the temperature had dropped considerably and it started to lightly rain. That light rain instantly turned into the oncoming storm and lightning was cracking from every corner of the sky. People took off in every direction. Some headed for cover while others seized the opportunity to dance to the Pumpkins in a thunderstorm on the lawn. My friends and I sliced through the crowd amid the booming sound of Billy's voice and we agreed that if it was raining and the Smashing Pumpkins were on then we wanted to enjoy it with the thousands of people in the rain soaked 'cheap seats' of the Blossom Music Center's massive lawn.

After 'Ruby,' Billy addressed the crowd, telling us that the rain is good for us, "It washes away your sins." He changed to an accoustic guitar and dedicated 'Tonight, Tonight' to everyone there. I will never listen to that song quite the same again, after hearing it live that night. It was played with more of an edge than on the album and it sounded glorious, and it gave the crowd quite a charge. They proceeded into 'Let Me Give the Word to You.'

Billy, James, and D'Arcy went backstage and gave way to a drum solo. They came back and joined the instumental, teasing the crowd into insanity by playing the opening of 'Today.' The music blasted as the band roared into 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' and the crowd went into a frenzy as Billy screamed "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage' with no instruments in the background. His voice echoed through the whole park, overpowering the thunder that continued to crash in the night sky. Some friends who had seats up close said Billy broke at least 3 different picks during this song. In front of us there were kids slam dancing in a newly formed mosh pit and behind us a streak in the hill was cleared for mud sliding. (Both of which were quickly broken up by the friendly Blossom Music Center Staff)

Next they slowed it down a bit, with a pretty basic cut of 'Shame' and they closed with a beautiful rendition of 'For Martha.' The rain started to let up a bit, but the rain wasn't necessarily why there wasn't a dry eye in the place. The song was played wonderfully and Billy sounded fantastic. The Pumpkin's saved the best for last on this night, as this song was a perfect closer for their extremely well-played hour and fifteen minute performance. The folk's of Cleveland had their lighter's swaying in the air as Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins wrapped up with the closing guitar solo of their last song of this memorable night.

Setlist:
-To Sheila
-Dusty and Pistol Pete
-Ava Adore
-Perfect
-Thru the Eyes of Ruby
-Blank Page
-Tonight, Tonight
-Let Me Give the World to You
-Drum Solo
-Bullet With Butterfly Wings
-Shame
-For Martha

nathan c steinmetz