Publicity photo of Billy Corgan (courtesy of Jason Reno)
Beyond his primary role as frontman and mastermind behind alternative rock legends The Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan has so much going on that his life could make for an interesting reality show.
We’ll find out if that’s a good or bad idea early next month, as the musician will be the subject of an eight-episode unscripted series.
“Billy Corgan’s Adventures in Carnyland” is set to premiere on The CW app and cwtv.com on May 14.
The show comes from a partnership between the Grammy-winning rock star and production company Nacelle.
When he’s not releasing albums and touring the world with The Smashing Pumpkins — who are coming to the region twice this summer with Green Day on The Saviors Tour — Corgan is also a wrestling promoter who owns the legendary National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), which he intends to rebuild its former glory.
He is also a father of two children and is getting married to his longtime partner Chloe Mendel.
A lifelong wrestling fan, Corgan bought the NWA in 2017 and has since built a dynamic roster and put on numerous pay-per-views.
Proving that this is no fluke but a serious endeavor, he carefully sets up matches and scouts for new talent, building a haven for future superstars to shine while serving as the company’s president.
Pro wrestling fans currently tuning in see the NWA as home to the likes of EC3, Matt Cardona, “Thrillbilly” Silas Mason, tag teams The Immortals and Blunt Force Trauma, Austin Idol, Violent J of The Insane Clown Posse and many more.
“Rebuilding the historic NWA brand has been both an honor and a challenge, and this show opens the doors wide, so to speak,” Corgan said in a statement about the reality show.
“To reveal the glory and courage needed to thrive in a winner-take-all sport.” It’s not always pretty, but I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far.”
As a musician, Corgan has collaborated with Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Rick Ocasek of The Cars, Cheap Trick, New Order, Korn, Phantogram, and more. He also owns Madame ZuZu’s Tea Room in Highland Park, Illinois, where he often performs intimate surprise scenes.
His bride-to-be, Mendel, serves as CEO of Madame ZuZus, the plant-based destination that offers fine tea, live music and curated shopping experiences. She also leads the marketing efforts for The Smashing Pumpkins, plays a key role in managing operations at House of Gilles, a luxury fashion house founded in collaboration with her famous father, Gilles Mendel.
“I’m thrilled to share an inside look at our family’s wild life through the world of wrestling and rock ‘n’ roll,” Mendel said in a statement.
Can Billy continue to juggle so many jobs while planning to marry Chloe?
Will they become the alternative rock version of “The Osbournes?”
Do the wrestlers live up to their reputations and get into all kinds of trouble?
It looks like the only way to find out is to tune in early on May 14th for The Adventures of Billy Corgan in Carneyland.
Vinyl of the week
Watch this space as we’ll be looking at new or soon to be released vinyl from different artists each week. This could be a reprint of a landmark recording, a special edition or a new collection of a legendary performance.
This week we take a look at what you can still find on the shelves from last weekend’s Record Store Day 2024.
While most of the vinyls were exclusive to the music lover’s celebration, there were some that are considered “RSD Firsts”.
According to the organizers, these are “the titles are first available in indie record stores, but may be released to other retailers or web stores at some point in the future.”
Because of this, they are the ones that tend to stay on the shelves for a while after the day. Below are some of the best.
The Hives: ‘The Black and White Album’
One of Sweden’s best rock ‘n’ roll exports—if not the best—is The Hives.
The brash and punky indie rockers experimented a bit on their fourth studio album, 2007’s The Black and White Album, mostly with pop/hip-hop production duo The Neptunes working on a few tracks. Somehow it worked.
THEHIVES work just as well on the dance floor as radio and lead single “Tick Tick Boom” remains one of the band’s biggest hits.
This is the first time it has been on vinyl since its release. The two-disc set is pressed on black and white vinyl with a double-sided poster included and limited to 4,000 copies.
Filter: “Best Stuff: 1995-2008”
Filter shot to dizzying heights in the ’90s with a mix of industrial rock and post-grunge metal and hits like “Hey Man Nice Shot” and “Take a Picture.”
The two-album set The Very Best Things: 1995-2008 celebrates the first chapter of the band’s career, from their 1995 platinum debut Short Bus to 2008.
“Hymns for the Damned.”
The collection brings together sought-after rarities with the band’s biggest hits, including the aforementioned pair of tracks with ‘Welcome to the Fold’ plus ‘Where Do We Go from Here’.
It also touches on the band’s numerous soundtracks, including The Crystal Method’s “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do” from “Spawn,” “Jurassitol” from “The Crow: City of Angels,” and a cover of Harry Nilsson’s “One ‘, which appeared in the film version of The X-Files.
This is the vinyl debut of The Very Best Things and is pressed on limited edition mercury swirl vinyl.
Duncan Sheikh: “Duncan Sheikh”
It’s hard to believe that Duncan Sheik’s self-titled 1996 debut was never released on vinyl.
But at the time of its release, the format was pretty much dead, with labels reluctant to release much of it, especially for a new-faced singer-songwriter.
Best known for the hit ‘Barely Breathing’ and the single ‘She Runs Away’, Sheik’s record went gold and ‘Barely Breathing’ received a Grammy nomination, so it’s about time this underrated piece of introspective ’90s pop was available on wax, thanks to Real Gone Music.
It is printed on cobalt blue vinyl and comes with an inner sleeve with text. The Record Store Day edition is limited to 1,500 copies.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, email [email protected]. Also, check out his website at thechroniclesofmc.com.
