March 31st, 2009
Who Really Wants To Be A Pumpkin?
By now you’ve probably heard, and yawned at, the news that drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has quit the Smashing Pumpkins, who are still a recording and touring band despite their complete lineup overhaul and increasing irrelevancy. Rather than try to replace Chamberlin via a reality show or something equally stupid, Billy Corgan is holding open auditions for a new drummer in Los Angeles on Friday, April 10th. Interested? You can send a bio, photos of yourself, and performance links to pumpkinsdrummer@gmail.com and see what happens.
Of course, we wondered who exactly would want to be in a band with notorious control freak and taskmaster Corgan, especially a band whose best and most interesting music (and moneymaking potential) is almost certainly behind it. We turned to a local drummer, Mike Baurer of Philly’s rootsy, jangly, Mod-rocky Toy Soldiers (who have gigs this month and next at the Fire, Chestnut Hill College, the North Star, and elsewhere), and asked him this: “If you weren’t in your current band and had no other musical obligations, would you audition to become the drummer of the Smashing Pumpkins, and why or why not?” Baurer confirmed our suspicions:
“In all honesty, that might be the one day I forget to set my alarm. No offense, Mr. Corgan, but I don’t think I could waste more of my time unless I was watching the remake of the movie Rollerball. But dont get me wrong — it’s not that the Smashing Pumpkins weren’t a good band back in the ’90s. But how long can that last? I’d rather start a Smashing Pumpkins cover band, this way I can play the songs in my basement. For my mom, who will actually pretend to like them then after she would make me and my cover band dinner. Then I’d curl up with my body pillow and watch a re-run of King of the Hill or whatever is on FX at the time. That would be a better day then trying out for or joining the Smashing Pumpkins.”
Well said, Toy Soldier, well said!!
