Billy Corgan Ditches Pumpkins for Solo Anniversary Tour Shocker

Max Sterling, 4/1/2025In a deliciously on-brand move, Billy Corgan celebrates Smashing Pumpkins' anniversaries by... ditching the Pumpkins. His new "Machines of God" tour and operatic collaboration prove that even after 30 years, he's still the master of turning musical rebellion into high art – with a side of tea.

Remember when Prince changed his name to a symbol? Well, Corgan's latest reinvention might not be quite that dramatic, but it's certainly raising eyebrows. The architect of alternative rock's most ambitious soundscapes is launching a solo project dubbed "Billy Corgan and the Machines of God" — a name that somehow manages to be both on-brand and slightly tongue-in-cheek.

The timing couldn't be more peculiar. As the dust settles on 2024's AI-generated music controversy, Corgan's mechanical moniker feels almost like a deliberate provocation. But then again, this is the same artist who once released a 44-track reissue of "Siamese Dream" complete with a recording of his cat purring.

His new touring ensemble reads like an alternative rock fever dream. There's Kiki Wong shredding on guitar, Jake Hayden behind the drums, and — in what feels like a nod to rock's theatrical heritage — bassist Jenna Fournier performing under the delightfully over-the-top name "Kid Tigrrr" (yes, with three r's, because why not?).

Starting June 7 in Baltimore, this peculiar carnival will roll through intimate venues across North America. Gone are the pyrotechnics and elaborate stage designs of arena tours past. Instead, Corgan's taking these sprawling epics — "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" turns 30, while both "Machina" albums hit 25 — and cramming them into spaces better suited for indie rock showcases. It's either brilliant or bonkers. Possibly both.

But wait — because there's always a "but wait" with Billy Corgan — the real head-turner comes this November. Picture this: Corgan, partnering with Chicago's Lyric Opera, transforming "Mellon Collie" into what promises to be either a masterpiece of cross-genre pollination or the most ambitious midlife crisis in rock history. Seven performances that might just prove SPIN magazine's 1995 assessment of the album as "uncontainable" wasn't just review hyperbole.

For the completists (and let's face it, Pumpkins fans tend to be exactly that), Corgan's Highland Park tea shop — which somehow makes perfect sense in the ever-expanding Corgan universe — will offer an 80-song boxed set. It's the kind of comprehensive collection that makes even the most dedicated audiophile's wallet nervous.

The whole enterprise feels like a fever dream conceived over too many cups of artisanal tea. Yet there's something undeniably compelling about watching an artist refuse to let their legacy calcify into nostalgia. Whether this grand experiment succeeds or stumbles, you can't fault Corgan for choosing the road less traveled — even if that road leads straight through an opera house.

Billy Corgan has never been one to follow the expected path. In a move that perfectly encapsulates his contrarian spirit, the Smashing Pumpkins frontman has decided to celebrate his band's milestone anniversaries by... ditching the band entirely.Remember when Prince changed his name to a symbol? Well, Corgan's latest reinvention might not be quite that dramatic, but it's certainly raising eyebrows. The architect of alternative rock's most ambitious soundscapes is launching a solo project dubbed "Billy Corgan and the Machines of God" — a name that somehow manages to be both on-brand and slightly tongue-in-cheek.The timing couldn't be more peculiar. As the dust settles on 2024's AI-generated music controversy, Corgan's mechanical moniker feels almost like a deliberate provocation. But then again, this is the same artist who once released a 44-track reissue of "Siamese Dream" complete with a recording of his cat purring.His new touring ensemble reads like an alternative rock fever dream. There's Kiki Wong shredding on guitar, Jake Hayden behind the drums, and — in what feels like a nod to rock's theatrical heritage — bassist Jenna Fournier performing under the delightfully over-the-top name "Kid Tigrrr" (yes, with three r's, because why not?).Starting June 7 in Baltimore, this peculiar carnival will roll through intimate venues across North America. Gone are the pyrotechnics and elaborate stage designs of arena tours past. Instead, Corgan's taking these sprawling epics — "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" turns 30, while both "Machina" albums hit 25 — and cramming them into spaces better suited for indie rock showcases. It's either brilliant or bonkers. Possibly both.But wait — because there's always a "but wait" with Billy Corgan — the real head-turner comes this November. Picture this: Corgan, partnering with Chicago's Lyric Opera, transforming "Mellon Collie" into what promises to be either a masterpiece of cross-genre pollination or the most ambitious midlife crisis in rock history. Seven performances that might just prove SPIN magazine's 1995 assessment of the album as "uncontainable" wasn't just review hyperbole.For the completists (and let's face it, Pumpkins fans tend to be exactly that), Corgan's Highland Park tea shop — which somehow makes perfect sense in the ever-expanding Corgan universe — will offer an 80-song boxed set. It's the kind of comprehensive collection that makes even the most dedicated audiophile's wallet nervous.The whole enterprise feels like a fever dream conceived over too many cups of artisanal tea. Yet there's something undeniably compelling about watching an artist refuse to let their legacy calcify into nostalgia. Whether this grand experiment succeeds or stumbles, you can't fault Corgan for choosing the road less traveled — even if that road leads straight through an opera house.