The Smashing Pumpkins have returned, kicking off their reunion tour by covering classic-rock hits such as David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” As reported by Consequence of Sound, the Smashing Pumpkins began their Shiny and Oh So Bright tour in Glendale AZ.

This current tour features almost all of the original Smashing Pumpkins line-up with the exception of the band’s original bassist D’arcy Wretzky, who left in 1999. The tour will span across 36 different city arenas across the US and will span from July to early September.

“Space Oddity,” was Bowie’s first hit song from his second album David Bowie, released in 1969. The song was widely considered to have made Bowie a one-hit wonder until the release of 1971’s “Life on Mars,” off Hunky Dory. The track gained popularity in the 2010s after it was played aboard the International Space Station by Chris Hadfield and after the artist’s death.

“Stairway To Heaven,” is considered to be Led Zeppelin’s magnum opus and their most popular hit to date, despite never being officially released as a radio single in the US. The 8-minute track is often referred to as one of the greatest rock songs of all time by publications such as Rolling Stone and VH1.

In addition to these covers, the band played many of their numerous hits including “Disarm,” “Cherub Rock,”and “Bullet With Butterfly Wings.” They additionally performed their new track “Solara,” which was the band’s first original song in  over 18-years.

Besides the tour, the Smashing Pumpkins  released a music video for the aforementioned “Solara,“back in June. According to NME, the reunited musicians have about 26-additional songs to work with for a “reunion,” album.

Despite the tour kicking off recently, the band, and in particular it’s front-man Billy Corgan, have faced a few controversies as of late. Despite reunion tours typically selling well, the Shiny and Oh So Bright tour has faced underwhelming ticket sales, as previously reported by mxdwn.

Many attribute this to Corgan, who has had his fair share of twitter controversies — calling out “fake news, Maoists,” and “left-leaning group-think — while appearing on right-wing pundit Alex Jone’s Info Wars program. Others credit the fact that Wretzky absence from the reunion tour also played a role.

Wretzky and Corgan have had a tenuous relationship over the past two decades, beginning when Wretzky was arrested back in 2000 for possession of crack cocaine. When Corgan recalled the event in 2004, he said she “was fired for being a mean spirited drug addict, who refused to get help.”

In 2016 they re-established contact after more than 16-years of not speaking with each other. Any chance of a possible reunion with Wretzky seemed to have deteriorated by 2018 however, as Wretzky claimed that Corgan rescinded his offer for her to rejoin the band.

Corgan denies the claims stating that “Ms. Wretzky has repeatedly been invited out to play with the group,” and that she denied the invitation“in each and every instance,” according to a press statement.

Photo Credi: Gary Moratz