Smashing Pumpkins

8/2/2010 - BILLY'S NEW BOOK AVAILABLE IN SEPTEMBER

Billy's new book, "Chants Magnetique," co-authored with Claire Fercak, will be available on September 15th. You can purchase it on the publisher's website or on Amazon.com. "Chants Magnetique" tells the story of the encounter between Echo and Medee, and pairs Claire's beautiful writing with Billy's poetic inspirations. Happy reading everyone!

7/30/2010 - OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF MATTHEW LEONE DAY

WHEREAS, the true test of a hero is the willingness to risk danger to come to the aid of someone in need; and,

WHEREAS, Matthew Leone, the bassist for the band Madina Lake, proved himself to be a true hero in the early morning hours of June 29, 2010, when he saw a woman being beaten and rushed to protect her with no thought of his own personal safety; and,

WHEREAS, Matthew Leone, whose courage and conscience would not let him look the other way when he saw an act of domestic violence, was brutally beaten by the woman's assailant and has been hospitalized with severe head injuries ever since; and,

WHEREAS, Matthew Leone's family, friends, colleagues and admirers have joined together to support him in his long recovery; and,

WHEREAS, the Smashing Pumpkins, who have sold more than 30 million albums and played a pivotal role in bringing Chicago international acclaim as the heartland of alternative music, are known for generously supporting for other Illinois musicians; and,

WHEREAS, Kill Hannah is a Chicago-based band that has won international acclaim and expanded Illinois' reputation as the home of creative and talented musicians; and,

WHEREAS, Metro has built a reputation over nearly three decades as one of America's premier independent concert venues, showcasing Illinois' best emerging artists and giving audiences new opportunities to hear, applaud and support local musicians; and,

WHEREAS, the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to talented musicians who face illness or disability; and,

WHEREAS, the Smashing Pumpkins, Kill Hannah, Metro and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund have joined together, with hundreds of concerned fans, for a benefit concert to help Matthew Leone and his family pay for the medical care that will help Matthew to heal; and,

WHEREAS, the talent and generosity shown by this benefit concert demonstrate to everyone in the Land of Lincoln that we honor Matthew Leone's heroism, and that we are honored to play our part in supporting him through his recovery;

THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois, do hereby commend and salute Matthew Leone, Madina Lake, the Smashing Pumpkins, Kill Hannah, Metro, and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund for everything that they have done to make our state a better place for all, and do proclaim July 27, 2010, to be Matthew Leone Day throughout the State of Illinois.

7/20/2010 - THE SMASHING PUMPKINS TO PERFORM BENEFIT CONCERT TUESDAY JULY 27 AT CHICAGO'S METRO FOR MATTHEW LEON

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS will perform a benefit concert next Tuesday, July 27 at Chicago's Metro to raise money for medical care for Matthew Leone, bassist for Chicago band Medina Lake. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday July 21 at noon and the information is below.

Last month, Madina Lake bassist Matthew Leone was hospitalized with severe brain trauma after intervening to stop a woman he passed on the street from being beaten by her husband. Matthew had left twin brother Nathan's Chicago apartment to meet a friend at a bar a few blocks away when he walked past the man beating his wife on the 1300th block of Ohio St. Even though the attacker was twice his size, Matthew immediately intervened and managed to subdue the attacker but as he waited for police to arrive, the attacker suddenly turned on Matthew, beating him severely. He then walked away with his wife, leaving Matthew unconscious on the street. Matthew was taken to UIC Hospital for emergency brain surgery wherein a third of his skull was removed to alleviate swelling. He's currently in stable condition awaiting an additional brain surgery to reapply the removed portion of his skull. Alleged suspect Justin Pivec is currently charged with Aggravated Battery Causing Serious Bodily Harm and out on bail pending a forthcoming hearing. As a musician, Matthew spends most of his life on tour and unfortunately his medical insurance had lapsed just two months prior to the incident. Friends of the band and the Chicago music community are rallying to help provide for Matthew's medical needs.

There will be a raffle for tickets. Individuals can enter the raffle as many times as they wish for $10 each entry. A majority of the venue will be sold to raffle winners. Each winner will receive two tickets to the concert. Tickets are not transferable and winners must show ID matching their raffle entry. Raffle tickets will be available for sale through Metro website only beginning Wednesday July 21 at noon at http://www.metrochicago.com. The raffle will end at 2pm on Saturday July 24, 2010, and winners will be notified via email at 5pm on Saturday July 24, 2010.

There will also be a very limited amount of balcony VIP tickets put onsale for those fans who want to make a larger donation and ensure entry into this special event for $100 each. Balcony VIP tickets will go on sale Wednesday July 21 at noon.

Additionally, a limited amount of soundcheck VIP tickets will be available for $500 each. The soundcheck VIP event (approximately 30 minutes), set for the late afternoon, includes a meet and greet/photo with the Pumpkins and merchandise items, plus a seat at a table in the balcony for the show; this package is priced at $500 per person. Soundcheck VIP tickets will be available Wednesday July 21 at noon at http://www.metrochicago.com.

All proceeds from the raffle and concert will go to the Matthew Leone Fund at Sweet Relief. Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. For more information on Sweet Relief, visit http://www.sweetrelief.org.

Metro is the club where, on October 5, 1988, the Pumpkins truly landed on the musical map. They also chose the venue for a farewell concert on December 2, 2000, a four-hour-long show that featured 38 songs spanning the group's career at that time. The Pumpkins have a long history of supporting other Chicago musicians.

"Matthew and I have been completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of compassion and support during this impossible time. It has proved that there are far more amazing people in the world than any other kind and we're grateful beyond words," said Nathan Leone, Matthew's twin brother and Madina Lake bandmate. "Being among the biggest Smashing Pumpkins fans in the world, we still haven't processed the fact that they are contributing in such an unprecedented way. Not only is this going to be a monumental event in our lives but more importantly it's a massive statement against domestic violence, violence against women and violence in general."

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7/25/2010 - UPDATE FROM BILLY

7/12/2010 - The Smashing Pumpkins To Perform at MTV World Stage Mexico

The Show Will Air Friday, September 17th on MTV Latin America and Friday, October 8th on More Than 64 MTVs Around The Globe

Mexico, DF � July 12, 2010 � MTV Latin America announced today that rock icons, The Smashing Pumpkins, are set to perform at MTV World Stage Mexico. The international event will be taped on August 26th at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City. The show will air Friday, September 17th on MTV Latin America during Mexico�s week long Bicentennial celebration and on Friday, October 8th on more than 64 MTV channels in over 155 territories around the globe. Additional performers and show details will be announced shortly.

MTV World Stage is a free ticket to some of the world's most exclusive concerts performed in unique locations around the world. Whether in Athens, Rome, London, Brazil, Mexico, Kula Lampur or Tokyo, every Friday night is �live music night� on MTV as fans in 155 countries are transported to front row seats somewhere in the world to experience their favorite recording artists. Since launching in 2009, the high definition series has featured dozens of international and regional recording artists including Shakira, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Gorillaz, Muse and Arctic Monkeys, amongst others.

�MTV World Stage is an incredible musical event that showcases the best international artists on a global scale,� commented Jesus Lara, Senior Vice President, Music and Talent for MTV Networks Latin America and Tr3s. �Audiences in Mexico have shared a deep connection with The Smashing Pumpkins for many years, so we are extremely excited to have them join us at this event on this historic occasion. We are certain that their participation will deliver unforgettable moments and an incredible musical experience.�

The Smashing Pumpkins are an alternative rock band founded in 1988 in Chicago, Illinois. Current band members include Billy Corgan (guitar and vocals), Mike Byrne (drums), Nicole Fiorentino (bass), and Jeff Schroeder (guitar). With more than 30 million records sold, they are considered among the most popular and highest-selling rock acts. They reached mainstream fame in the 90s with their multi-platinum second album, Siamese Dream (1993). However, it was their 1995 release, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness that propelled them to rock superstardom with hit singles such as �Tonight, Tonight�, �1979�, �Zero� and �Bullet with Butterfly Wings.� That release was certified nine times platinum in the U.S. alone.

The Smashing Pumpkins have been nominated for various international awards and have received two GRAMMYs�. In 1996, the band took home seven �Moonmen� at the MTV VMAs for their videos for �1979� and �Tonight, Tonight�, including Video of the Year for the latter.

In 2009, they announced Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, an epic album comprised of 44 tracks, released one-by-one, free of charge, through their website. The band is currently promoting their fifth release off this work, titled �Freak�.

7/15/2010 - A NOTE FROM BILLY

Here is some info regarding the 'soundcheck sets' at the various shows...Because of the different venues, unexpected delays with loading in gear, and hassles that can occur with anything from travel to miscommunication, we are not able to set a consistent time with regards to when some fans would be let in to see us play...I also want to ensure that Kill Hannah and Bad City get some kind of soundcheck, so all these factors will impact the duration and the start time...we expect to play at least 5-6 songs each day, and if things go well possibly a little more...No less than the first 20 people in line would be let in, and we will have some system where you wouldn't lose your place in line if you have to go back out of the building...We hope this will be a fun experience for everyone, I know we look forward to trying some of the new material...No audio or video taping will be allowed at these soundcheck sets, so please respect and honor our wishes on that...If things go well, we might let in a few people more.

Rock on, love BC

6/15/2010 - SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THE SMASHING PUMPKINS AS THE SATURDAY NIGHT FINALE

SUNSET STRIP TO BE CLOSED FOR SECOND TIME

PORTION OF EVERY TICKET SOLD BENEFITING
LOS ANGELES YOUTH NETWORK

Organizers of the SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL have confirmed that THE SMASHING PUMPKINS will headline the street festival on Saturday, August 28, with a live performance on the legendary Strip, which is being closed to traffic for the second time in its history. The iconic band will wrap up the third annual SSMF, set to include a special tribute event for SLASH at House of Blues on August 26; live performances in The Roxy Theatre, the Whisky A Go-Go, Viper Room, Key Club, Cat Club and House of Blues on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; plus more than 50 bands, two outdoor stages and a full day of music in the venues on Saturday, August 28.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS--who have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history and sold more than 30 million albums--are touring this summer in conjunction with their TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE project. It's a collection of 44 songs being released online for free one at a time as well as in installments of specially packaged four-song EPs for sale in record stores. In late May, the Pumpkins released the project's first EP TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE VOL.1: SONGS FOR A SAILOR (Martha's Music/Rocket Science Ventures) to critical acclaim, with Jerry Shriver of USA Today hailing the music as "a delicious swirl of howling psychedelic rock and melodic ballads (5/25/10)." Look for leader Billy Corgan and his band mates--guitarist Jeff Schroeder, drummer Mike Byrne and new bassist Nicole Fiorentino--to hit the road for an array of intimate shows across the U.S. beginning July 6 in Cleveland, to be followed in August by two headline festival appearances in Tokyo and Osaka.

As in year's past, the SSMF will honor a figure who is synonymous with The Sunset Strip for their contribution to the history of The Strip as well as the music industry. This year's honoree: SLASH. Previous recipients of this honor have been Ozzy Osbourne (2009) and Sunset Strip club owners Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and Elmer Valentine (2008).

Last year's street fair drew 10,000 people to The Strip, which was closed between San Vicente Boulevard and Doheny Drive and filled with two full-scale stages, fans, food vendors and a VIP beer garden. "We are ecstatic to be able to bring this caliber of talent to the street and create what will undoubtedly become the ultimate end-of-summer music festival experience for our attendees," says SSMF Festival Managing Director Karmen Beck. Following the Smashing Pumpkins' show, bands will continue to play into the night in venues within the street closure, all of which will be free of charge to SSMF attendees.

General admission, VIP and 3-Day VIP tickets for the event will go on sale Thursday, June 17 through Ticketmaster at 10 AM PST. Street fest tickets will be $49.50 in advance ($65 day of at box office) and VIP street fest tickets, which include access to a private tented area with full no-host bar and seating area, are available for $100 in advance. A limited number of three-day "VIP" passes (which include entrance to Slash's tribute on August 26, the clubs all three nights + access to VIP tent at street fest) will be $250. There will also be individual ticket sales for The Sunset Strip clubs on Thursday and Friday nights. The SSMF is donating a portion of all tickets sold to the Los Angeles Youth Network (LAYN), a charity personally selected by honoree Slash. LAYN's mission is to end homelessness, one kid at a time, by providing shelter, food and counseling for the abused, neglected and abandoned.

SSMF 2010's proud supporting sponsors include Virgin America, V Australia, Jack Daniel's, Ticketmaster, Vitaminwater, Gibson Guitar, 98.7fm, Andaz West Hollywood, Whole Foods West Hollywood, City of West Hollywood, West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau and Signature Creative. Street fest production provided by Swing House Hollywood.

www.sunsetstripmusicfestival.com
www.myspace.com/sunsetstripmusicfestival
www.facebook.com/sunsetstripmusicfestival