Smashing Pumpkins are ready to celebrate their iconic double-album on tour this fall. The Rat In A Cage Tour, which will take the Pumpkins through the arenas of North America this fall, celebrates 30 years of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, one of the defining blockbusters of the alternative rock era.
Each night of the tour will feature two unique sets. The first will be pulled entirely from Mellon Collie, the Diamond-certified collection that yielded hits like “1979,” “Zero,” “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” “Tonight, Tonight,” and “Thirty-Three.” The second will span the band’s whole career, with a mix of hits, deep cuts, and fan favorites, led by the core lineup of Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and James Iha.
“Staging a Mellon Collie-themed show is something we’ve discussed for over a decade, and finally the stars have aligned and exactly on the terms I’d set: which was to build a special night around its most enduring aspirations and ideas,” Corgan says. “With set 1 of the Rats In A Cage tour exclusively featuring Mellon Collie songs in a highly theatrical setting, and set 2 drawing from the rest of our canon so that there’s a decent amount of variance as to what songs we’ll play from night to night: from our first in Gish to our last in Aghori Mhori Mei.”
To preview the tour, the band put on an intimate special performance called Requiem For ZERO Sunday at the Hollywood Legion Theater in Los Angeles. The 300-capacity crowd witnessed the funeral for ZERO, Corgan’s avatar throughout Mellon Collie.
Citi and Verizon presales launch Tuesday, May 19 at 10 a.m. local time and continue through Wednesday, May 20 at 10 p.m. local time. Also starting May 19 at 10 a.m. local time, the Pumpkins are selling VIP ticket packages that include a pre-show acoustic performance and Q&A with the band, VIP lounge access, memorabilia, exclusive VIP merchandise, and priority merchandise shopping. General ticket sales begin Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m. local time.
Browse The Smashing Pumpkins’ music on limited edition vinyl and CDs here.
