Smashing Pumpkins' Chicago takeover goes beyond Lollapalooza
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Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins performs at Lollapalooza in 1994. Photo: Steve Eichner/Getty Images)
Chicago's biggest alternative rock band is getting the mainstream treatment this weekend as Lollapalooza rolls through town.
The latest: The Smashing Pumpkins are headlining Lollapalooza on Friday for the first time since 1994 — and for the first time since the festival relocated to Grant Park.
State of play: Billy Corgan and the band tuned up for the big show with a sold-out official Lollapalooza aftershow Wednesday night at the Riviera.
Zoom in: If that's not enough Pumpkins, local businesses are helping turn the weekend into a citywide celebration.
- The band has opened a pop-up shop on South Wabash near Grant Park, featuring exclusive merchandise such as vinyl pressings and vintage T-shirts.
- Vosges Haut-Chocolat has created a line of chocolate bars to commemorate the occasion. In collaboration with Corgan's Madame Zuzu's tea shop, they're answering the question: What does "Mellon Collie" taste like? Fans can buy a six-pack of bars named after songs on the album, complete with an exclusive T-shirt. Vosges is also hosting an immersive experience this weekend at its St. Regis store.
- The Aviary in Fulton Market has also teamed up with Madame Zuzu's to create "Infinite Mellons," a limited-time cocktail and mocktail inspired by the album, available through Saturday.
Flashback: This week is the 33rd anniversary of the release of their album "Siamese Dream."
- This fall, the Pumpkins will embark on a European tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness."
The bottom line: For fans, seeing the Smashing Pumpkins at Lollapalooza is just one part of a hometown celebration that will spread across the city and world.