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Zwan
BILLY’S GUITAR ARMY


A happy Billy Corgan? At one time the idea would have seemed as remote as Adam Sandler in a dramatic role — but now we’ve seen both. For there was the former Smashing Pumpkins frontman, smiling, in front of his new project, Zwan, at a sold-out Orpheum last Thursday night. If the sound — a mix of the psychedelic guitar brawn that fueled the Pumpkins’ finest moments and more melodic musings — was occasionally muddy, that didn’t seem to bother Corgan, who looked happy just to be back on stage.

For that matter, it has to be difficult to get the right sound mix with Jimmy Chamberlin’s thunderous drums in the equation every night. The only holdover from the Pumpkins, Chamberlin was an essential element in their success, and when he’s locked in with bassist Paz Lenchantin (who also contributed violin and keyboards over the course of the evening), his timing and taste make Zwan’s rhythm section a solid foundation for the three-guitar attack of Corgan, Matt Sweeney, and David Pajo.

Sweeney, a veteran of New York noise rockers Chavez, is the ideal foil for Corgan, pushing him to look around every musical corner. The set-opening " Mary Star of the Sea " built off a jazzy 10-minute instrumental that found Corgan, Sweeney, and Pajo (Slint, Tortoise) layering ringing guitars atop one another. When they finally took off, this Zwan flew. Although Corgan’s dexterous guitar muscle is predictable, it never seemed forced, as was often the case toward the end of the Pumpkins. Even his customary, relatively static stage presence — semi-crouched with his bald pate jutted forward — seemed imbued with a new-found enthusiasm.

That was particularly apparent during the quieter material. " Friends and Lovers, " a song so new that Corgan resorted to a lyric sheet (it appears earmarked for an acoustic project dubbed Djali Zwan), sounded authentically rootsy. He concluded the set with a scorching cover of the gospel hymn " God’s Gonna Set This World on Fire " that showcased both his electric past and his increasingly eclectic future. With Sweeney and Lenchantin providing backing vocals, Corgan slung his guitar behind his back and warned us that " God don’t want no part-time soldiers. " When he swung his ax around and dug into a meaty riff, it was obvious he’d signed on for the long haul.

BY TOM KIELTY

Issue Date: April 3 - 10, 2003
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