Really, I'm a very loyal Smashing Pumpkins fan, everybody knows that. And I'm game for every party and every celebration the band wants to have. Release every cd or dvd and I'm first in line to buy them. No issues on that part. But please, don't call it the 20th anniversary celebration now in 2008.

Firstly, the starting year of the Smashing Pumpkins was, technically speaking, 1987. Why? Because James Iha and Billy Corgan recorded a song called "I Fall" in December 1987 and that was later released on a promo/demo tape with clearly the name Smashing Pumpkins on it. And secondly, remember that full page Metro ad in the Chicago Reader on December 8? It clearly said "On behalf of Chicago and your fans worldwide - thanks for an incredible thirteen years, Metro". Because they counted from December 1987 to December 2000, which is... 13 years indeed.

I strongly disagree with davidp2007 to set a date somewhere in October, just because they played live as a band with 4 members in 1988 in that same month. It's not about playing live, it's not about the (number of) members. Instead, it's about the name, the concept, and the music.

So, if you want to include the hiatus period, then 2007 should have seen the 20th anniversary celebration.

Oh, wait. Did I mention a hiatus? Yes I did. There was no Smashing Pumpkins' working concept or band by that name between 2001 and 2005. Am I right? Or were Zwan, Billy Corgan solo and Jimmy Chamberlin Complex just the Smashing Pumpkins in disguise? Think not.

To cut my rant short: in my opinion we are now into the 16th year of the Smashing Pumpkins. In every serious music history book should, and hopefully will, be written: Smashing Pumpkins 1987 - 2000, 2005 - ????. All other info is wrong & besides the truth.