The End Times Tour: Marilyn Manson & Smashing Pumpkins

The End Times Tour: Marilyn Manson and Smashing Pumpkins Take on Vegas

Marilyn Manson at the Joint at the Hard Rock Las Vegas. @Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos

Manson’s double bill with the Smashing Pumpkins was a standout for the Joint this summer as fans packed the Hard Rock’s music venue for the somewhat odd pairing of goth ringmaster Manson and the pop alt Pumpkins. The End Times tour combined former foes Manson and Billy Corgan, who may have buried the hatchet after 15 years to seemingly become BFFs,  just in time for a summer blockbuster tour.

Manson in Vegas… Bigger, bolder, louder, darker. A black overcoated Manson appeared onstage amid smoke and shadow, hit the single “Deep Six’ hard and first, and ran through a set list that included the best and the baddest, going way back to the first cd with “Lunchbox” and back to the present through a solid representation from January’sThe Pale Emperor release, with nods to career highs “Antichrist Superstar”, “Beautiful People” and “Sweet Dreams”. Manson’s opening set boasted lit crosses and lights shows, pulpits and profanity, with Manson himself twitching and snarling his way through an hour and a half of pure adrenaline fueled mayhem. Manson likes to talk. And gesture. Naughty stuff.

Smashing Pumpkins at the Joint at the Hard Rock Las Vegas. @Jo Anna Jackson/Stardogphotos

For the second act, Corgan marshalled a more minimalist Pumpkins approach, with a stripped down curtained stage and a few rotating primary colors as the band stuck close to career classics including “Cherub Rock”, “1979” and “Tonight”, while mixing in some material from their newest 2014 album “Monuments to Elegy.” Corgan, more a man of few words tonight in contrast to Manson, struck mostly to singing and not talking, but did take a moment to ask the crowd if they were having a good time. The no frills performance was a contrast to the former Manson shock set, but a power in it’s expanse of hits and Corgan’s driving vocals. Manson and Corgan provided a historical, though bipartisan, run through decades of music from both their respective genres, making the musical matchup a concert grand slam that will continue through August. A definite ‘do not miss’ on your concert list.