Almost 20 years ago, one of my roommates moved out and stole a bunch of my CDs. I never replaced most of them, but “Gish” and “Siamese Dream” by The Smashing Pumpkins I replaced right away.
“Gish” will always be my favorite Pumpkins album, as much for the songs as for what they represent. Listening to songs like “Rhinoceros” takes me back to a time and a place when I was 21 years old, going to college and living the dream without a care in the world.
The Pumpkins rolled through Austin on December 10, 1991 and opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam. I can think of no good excuse for missing that show, except that I wasn’t really that into Pearl Jam or the Chili Peppers at the time. Knowing what I know now about all three bands, if I could go back in time, I would camp out overnight to hear Billy Corgan sing “I Am One,” “Siva,” “Rhinoceros,” and “Bury Me” from the front row.
