What to expect at Smashing Pumpkins’ The Rats in a Cage Tour: Setlist, start time, and more

Welcome to SeatGeek Front Row, where music writers share their tips for attending the biggest concert tours around the country. For this edition, longtime Chicago-area entertainment writer Tricia Despres breaks down what it’s really like to see the Smashing Pumpkins' 'The Rats in a Cage Tour' in person, from the setlist, to what fans wore, to the merch, and everything in between.

A Smashing Pumpkins show is a roller coaster for one’s soul.

It was on October 14 at Chicago’s United Center that I strapped in and went on my first ride with the iconic band in a live setting, twisting and turning through hit songs such as “Disarm,” “Today,” and “1979” while taking in all of the collective beauty created by this band of ghosts and goblins.

 All in all, it was a musical ballet of epic proportions.

 And if that doesn’t make you want to buy a ticket, I don’t know what will.

What made this show even more special was that this was, in fact, a homecoming for lead singer Billy Corgan and original Smashing Pumpkins bandmates James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin, as it was here in Chicago that their collective musical dreams first took shape.

“We are always excited to play our hometown,” Corgan said about one-third of the way through the show, followed by screams of adoration from the rafters of the United Center. “We are going to rock out a lot more.”

And he wasn’t kidding.

Much of the show’s first set paid homage to the band's landmark 1995 double album Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness. “Most of you weren’t born when that album was released,” said Corgan, who had earlier introduced himself simply as “Bill.”

And while the ride during the first set was a wild one, things got even crazier during the second set, as arguably one of the most iconic and influential bands of all time tore through deep cuts and legendary singles, much to the delight of fans in both the first row and the last row.

No matter where you sit, this is a show to take in with your entire soul.

What is a Smashing Pumpkins concert really like?

I have been to many a concert, but the fan-watching at this particular Smashing Pumpkins’ concert was some of the very best. I literally wanted to know the story of everyone assembled there, from the man in the business suit eating his beef sandwich from Buona directly over a United Center garbage can to the teenage girls with the purple hair and ripped nylons.

It was a mishmash of humanity, and it was amazing.

There were reunions in the concourses among fans that were once much younger, but whose love for this band from Chicago has never wavered. There was the moment during “Ava Adore” when the sixty-something-looking woman in the black trench coat seemingly lost her collective mind out of sheer love of a song.

There were men who looked close to tears, and couples reconnecting over an old shared love. And then, there was me, not entirely sure what I was watching but knowing deep down that this band was leaving its mark on me.

What time does Smashing Pumpkins go on stage?

If you need to know anything about the Smashing Pumpkins’ Rats in a Cage Tour, you need to know this: this band is ultra-punctual. There are, I repeat, no openers. So, when you hear rumblings that they take the stage at 8 p.m., believe it.

They actually took the stage exactly at 7:58 p.m. to be specific. By 9:11 p.m., the band was tearing into “By Starlight,” which is the second to last song of the first set. And it was as if everyone knew it because everyone and their tender bladders headed for the exits.

But hear me when I say, you can hold it, because Corgan’s piano playing on “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” at around the 9:20 p.m. mark of the show was absolutely beautiful, and I have already alerted the powers that be that I want this song played by Corgan himself at my funeral.

It was that gorgeous.

From there, we entered a 20-minute intermission, a time I spent awkwardly talking to the awkward guy sitting next to me while concurrently wondering if, in fact, Corgan would play at my funeral.

At exactly 9:40 p.m., the Smashing Pumpkins returned to the stage to tear into fan favorites until approximately 10:55 p.m., when Corgan threw his arms up in the air as if to signal that he had nothing left to give, and he had left his soul on the stage. Nevertheless, the legendary artist stayed on stage for another minute or so, as if he too didn’t want the night to end.

What is Smashing Pumpkins’ setlist?

This particular show is divided into two distinct sets, with the first paying homage to the band’s groundbreaking album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness and the second set highlighting nearly four decades of hits and deep cuts.

And while I could go on and on about the artistic achievements of this legendary group and the masterpieces that so many of these songs remain, I would rather spend more time on more important matters.

By the fourth song, “Porcelina of the Vast Oceans,” the entire crowd seemed to be in a different state of mind, along with when the band performed “Tonight, Tonight” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.” 

I particularly love a show where actual lines of lyrics get ovations, such as “But in the same old haunts, I still find my friends” from “Thirty-Three.” It did my creative heart good.

Here’s the full setlist from Smashing Pumpkins’ October 14 Chicago show:

Set 1

1.    1979

2.    Bullet With Butterfly Wings

3.    Cupid de Locke

4.    Porcelina of the Vast Oceans

5.    Jellybelly

6.    Bodies

7.    Galapogos

8.    Thirty-Three

9.    Tonight, Tonight

10. Here Is No Why

11. To Forgive

12. Fuck You (An Ode to No One)

13. Zero (with “Tales of a Scorched Earth” outro)

14. Muzzle

15. By Starlight

16. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Set 2

17. Bullet With Butterfly Wings (alternate theatrical version performed by Kristeen Young)

18. Sojourner

19. Edin

20. Pentagrams

21. Disarm

22. Ava Adore (with extended guitar solo)

23. War Dreams of Itself

24. Mayonaise

25. As Rome Burns

26. Today

27. Cherub Rock

28. Jesus Is the Sun

29. The Everlasting Gaze

30. Superchrist (extended instrumental with drum solo)

What is the stage and production like?

As I walked in, I couldn’t help but notice signs warning audience members about the intense lighting and strobe effects during the concert, and they weren’t kidding. While it was amazing to watch and take in, there were some moments when I felt myself teetering on the edge of a massive headache that could have had me heading for the concourses.

Specifically, watch out for the lights during “Jellybelly,” “F**k You (An Ode to No One),” and the single white light during “Today” that seemed to shine directly into my very soul. 

Nevertheless, this concert is a playground for the senses. And I mean senses that haven’t seen a lot of exercise in this bland, AI-driven world, you know? I often found myself enamored with the cinematic imagery unfolding behind songs such as “Sojourner.”

 I didn’t fully understand it, but I guess that’s what art is all about.

 What merch was available?

There is a weird phenomenon in which fifty-something-year-olds feel the need to put their merch on immediately after they buy it.  And this phenomenon was on full display at the Smashing Pumpkins concert.

And it was damn cute.

Merch was a huge deal at this concert, with nearly every booth dealing with long lines of fans eager to get their hands on $45 T-shirts and $25 tote bags. There was also plenty of show-specific merchandise, like the $50 commemorative poster and the Chicago Cubs apparel.

And while the urge to grab this merch is strong, watch your time. I saw plenty of people at the end of some very long lines nervously checking their Apple Watches, hoping they would make it to the front of the line with merch in hand before Billy and the band struck the first note of “1979.”

Did they ever make it?

I didn’t stick around to find out.

But once inside the arena, there was still merch to grab. For the Chicago show, for example, the band had hidden customized guitar picks throughout the venue, and even shared on social media that those very picks could be found at the soundboard, which was directly to the left of my seat. So yes, I watched many female fans find their way to the soundboard asking for picks.

What do fans wear to the Smashing Pumpkins’ concert?

I truly believe that if everyone who assembled at the Smashing Pumpkins’ concert in Chicago had their way, they would all be wearing Smashing Pumpkins merch. I’m not kidding. Nearly every person who I watched go through the merch line ended up excitedly throwing concert T-shirts over collared shirts with a level of excitement rarely seen, except maybe in a ten-year-old on Christmas morning.

The best way to explain this crowd was “affluent grunge.” You could tell that many in this crowd were high-income earners trying their best to look as grungy as their perfectly curated closet would allow.

Is the Smashing Pumpkins’ concert family-friendly?

I love the kind of concerts where you can tell that the music continues to play a part in the overall story of a family, and the Smashing Pumpkins concert was no different. I specifically noticed a lot of father-son pairs, with dads in their fifties and kids in their late teens and early twenties, both looking to capture lightning in a bottle one more time.

Now, if you do decide to bring the kids, please bring earplugs to protect their cute little still-working eardrums from the pulsing guitar notes on “Zero.” And frankly, I found myself scared to death during the entirety of “Edin.” It felt like a ride I was to get off of, and I’m a 54-year-old woman. I can’t imagine how a kid might take this one in. Not to mention the potential sensory overload for little ones who might be more senstive to overstimulation.

I also believe I witnessed some brief adult scenes on the video screens during “Pentagrams” and “Ava Adore,” so if you do bring a youngster to this concert, you might want to hide their eyes. But who am I kidding, they have probably seen it all before. I also might have heard a curse word during the chorus of “As Rome Burns,” but I’m not sure because I do think this was around the same time my right ear lost all of its hearing capabilities.

What to know about seeing a concert at United Center

Whether it’s your first concert at the United Center or you’ve been to the arena before, a little planning can go a long way. From navigating traffic and parking to getting through the doors, here’s what I learned firsthand about making your concert night as smooth as possible.

What is it like getting into the United Center?

So, a little birdie who had attended a Chicago Blackhawks game at the United Center the week before told me that construction around the arena had caused some major parking nightmares. So, instead of finding me and my Cadillac in the middle of that mess, I decided to take a Lyft to the show.

Unfortunately, rush hour traffic and surge pricing caused me to spend a pretty penny, with my ride from the western suburbs costing me $65.90 and the ride home costing me even more.

Where should you sit at United Center?

My seats were located in Section 104, Row 4, Seat 18, and at 7:37 p.m., my booty was in my seat. The seats were relatively good. While situated towards the back of the venue, I could still see most of what I wanted, but without video boards showing close-ups of the band, I couldn’t see some of the details I would have loved.

And that was sort of a bummer.

An usher quickly informed us that our tickets would be checked every time we entered the section. My large Diet Pepsi ended up between the legs of my ripped-up jeans because this particular section had no cupholders. And while the seats were comfortable, the aisles were tight, making it difficult whenever someone needed to get up.

I’m pretty sure my Diet Pepsi spilled twice.

One more important note: this was a section of sitters. Anyone who dared stand for an entire song received plenty of side-eyes. So, if you are a concert stander, feel free to buy tickets anywhere else in the venue except here.

How to buy Smashing Pumpkins’ tickets on SeatGeek

Start by heading over to the Smashing Pumpkins artist page on SeatGeek and checking their tour schedule to see if The Rats in a Cage Tour is headed your way.

Once you’ve found a show date that works for you, select how many tickets you want, choose a seat using the interactive seating map, and make sure you’re getting the best value by checking the Deal Score. Once you’re happy with your selection, you can complete your purchase without any hidden fees or surprises with all-in transparent pricing.

And with SeatGeek’s Buyer Guarantee, you can buy tickets with confidence knowing that all eligible purchases are covered if a qualifying issue arises.

Now all that's left to do is to start picking out your best grungy outfit.