Three decades ago, on July 27, 1993, the world witnessed the release of “Siamese Dream,” an album by Smashing Pumpkins that would go on to become one of the definitive soundtracks of the 1990s. As the clocks neared midnight on July 26th, just hours before the album hit the shelves, Chicago’s Tower Records was buzzing with anticipation.
Hailing from the Windy City itself, Smashing Pumpkins graced their fans with an intimate acoustic performance, celebrating the imminent release of their masterpiece. This exclusive album release show was orchestrated by the renowned radio station, WXRT. As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of this iconic moment, this article offers a nostalgic journey back in time.
There is some powerful, albeit silent, energy from a locally loved band and the passionate crowd. It is truly special to see frontman, Billy Corgan, in his element, interacting with the crowd, being playful, and straddling the line between rising rockstar and lovable local guy. In the video, you can sense something in the air, as if everyone — including the band — knew that something big was unfolding right in front of them; nobody knew just how big it would become.
On the thirtieth anniversary of its release, YouTuber, Alt Copperpot5, uploaded this rare gem, a full video of the watch party. View the entire performance on YouTube or using the embedded video below.
The setlist comprised of:
Rocket
Cherub Rock
Today
Disarm
Siva
Mayonnaise
Hummer
I am One (a teaser of it, anyway)
The nostalgia continued in September of 2023. The current iteration of Smashing Pumpkins recreated the “Siamese Dream” watch party with two intimate performances at a pop-up inside Billy Corgan’s Madame ZuZus Teashop made to look like the original Tower Records location.
