Alt Rock Icons Smashing Pumpkins Bring The World is a Vampire Tour to FirstBank Amphitheater Tonight, Sept. 8

Icons of ’90s alternative rock, responsible for some of the most influential and successful albums of all time, Chicago’s Smashing Pumpkins have hardly ever disappeared throughout their 35-year run (save for a six-year split at the start of the millennium), but it seems like every few years they recapture headlines, whether it’s for the return of a longtime band member (founding guitarist James Iha returned after nearly 20 years in 2018, and on-again-off-again original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin is back as well), hitting some nostalgic milestone for their early work, or embarking on some new and experimental release strategy for their latest (which has increasingly been the case throughout the last decade of output).

No strangers to Nashville either, the Pumpkins have played shows at The Ryman, Ascend Amphitheater, and, most recently, Bridgestone Arena over the past several years, and after headlining the latter just last fall, the Pumpkins are back once more for a Nashville area performance tonight, Sept. 8, this time at Franklin’s FirstBank Amphitheater! Dubbed the The World is a Vampire Tour- a nod to the opening line from their classic hit “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”- the run follows the release of the group’s latest, sprawling concept album (and 12th LP in total) Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts, which was released in three parts between November and May. This show would be great with Smashing Pumpkins alone, but it’s even more essential, especially for fans of 2000s indie rock and post-punk, thanks to the inclusion of support act Interpol.

Bluesy hard rockers and sometimes Nashvillians Rival Sons open the show, and, if you’re a procrastinator or you’re just hearing about it, you’re in luck: tickets are still available right here!