Billy Corgan Rocks Packed House at Cleveland’s House of Blues

At Cleveland's House of Blues, Billy Corgan lit up the stage Wednesday. This intimate show marked two big dates: the 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and a quarter-century after Machina hit stores. It was part of his solo A Return to Zero tour.

Cleveland's own Kid Tigrrr, the stage name for Jenna Fournier, joined in on bass with The Machines of God. Kiki Wong handled guitar duties while Jake Hayden kept time on drums.

"Detroit was the first city in the world to embrace my band, Smashing Pumpkins, so I will always be grateful for that," said Corgan, according to The Oakland Press.

The set mixed old with new. Fans got to hear songs from both milestone albums, and they listened to cuts from 2024's Aghori Mhori Mei. Fournier stepped up for a take on Nancy Sinatra's "You Only Live Twice" before adding her voice to "Tonight, Tonight."

Before the show, the pair stopped at Ohio City's Guitar Riot. Starting in Baltimore, the A Return to Zero tour now winds through other U.S. spots.

The gig stirs up talk about the Rock Hall snub. Justin Kaufmann wrote for Axios: "The Chicago alternative rock band certainly has the credentials to be in the Rock Hall, but has yet to even secure a nomination." Back in 1995, Mellon Collie shot to Billboard's peak. The band struck gold with hits like "1979," "Tonight, Tonight," and "Disarm." Despite the Smashing Pumpkins' contributions to music, people are still debating whether they're eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Machines of God will tour throughout June, and then the Smashing Pumpkins will tour in July and August. Tickets for the band's upcoming concerts start at $75.50, and they're available at Ticketmaster.