March 27, 2003 - Hammerstein Ballroom - New York, NY, US
Concert review by Dan (DPerrone99 at aol dot com)

Siva - Zwan : Concert Reviews

As an avid Pumpkins follower, I approached Zwan with open ears (figuring that with Billy and Jimmy in the lineup, it must be at least half as good as the Pumpkins). Though I had grown to be a bit disappointed with their debut album, I nevertheless looked forward to seeing them at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

First of all, let's be honest about the opening band (Children's Hour?). They sounded like a mix of bad Cranberries and even worse Bjork. Despite the presence of a harp on stage, I couldn't figure out exactly what they were trying to do. After seeing the Allman Brothers at the Beacon Wednesday, I knew that few bands could follow in their footsteps. Though I give the band credit for trying something new.

Zwan started the show with "Jesus, I" which was impressive to say the least. Corgan and Paz were in perfect harmony, and the former's guitar playing was incredible.

As the show progressed, however, I realized a few things:

1. There's something very unnerving about hearing 13 year old boys scream 'I love you Billy!'

2. With 3 guitarists, so much more could have been accomplished. Look at Maiden and Skynyrd. They don't dick around. Corgan could have stood alone and it would've sounded just the same.

3. Mary Star of the Sea was unbelievable. One of the best songs I've ever heard live.

4. Paz hinders the performance. There is something about her stage presence that takes away from the rest of the show. She seems out of place and more suitable for the Donnas (though she was tolerable with a Perfect Circle).

Lastly, I suppose that I was expecting the Pumpkins and when I didn't get them, I was disappointed. For what Zwan does, they do it well. Nevertheless, Billy and Jimmy could still be playing Mouths of Babes or Jellybelly, but they opt not to. Bottom line: if you are a big Pumpkins fan, don't expect even a quarter of SP's brilliance to surface under Zwan. A good show...I'd see em again, but there was something big missing. Someone track down James and D'arcy. 3 stars out of 5.

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