The Smashing Pumpkins played their second Valley concert of the year last night in Mesa, having launched their much-anticipated Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour five months earlier in Glendale.

That tour marked guitarist James Iha’s return to the fold from an 18-year hiatus, joining fellow founding members Jimmy Chamberlin and Billy Corgan.

This was a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band.

The staging was different, a bit more stripped-down than those huge arena shows but just as visually arresting, thanks to the images projected on the screen behind them.

Different covers, new material

The setlist was different, including the covers. Although they did dust off their classic acoustic-guitar-driven take on the Fleetwood Mac song "Landslide" at both concerts, there was no "Stairway to Heaven" or "Space Oddity" this time out.

Instead, we got Depeche Mode's "Never Let Me Down Again" and Iha singing lead on "Friday I'm In Love" by the Cure, which was a real treat.

They also played more new material, having recently released their first album with three of the four founding members since "Machina/The Machines of God" and its internet-only companion piece "Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music."

The show opened, in fact, with the album's first single, "Solara," Corgan rocking a colorful floor-length silk outfit after opening sets by Joywave and Drab Majesty.

Then, they reached back to the '90s, a decade their music did much to define, for a pair of their most celebrated singles, "Zero" and "Today."

Epic three-guitar transcendence

And as great as they sounded in Glendale, it felt like they were playing even better Friday night at Mesa Amphitheatre, especially on the songs that stretched out into epic guitar jams.

They've got three guitarists now, Jeff Schroeder, who joined in 2007, having stayed on when Iha returned.

And it's really expanded the boundaries of what they can do, those interweaving pieces resulting in some of the concert's more transcendent moments, from the cacophonous ending of "Solara" to the majestic "Knights of Malta" and the space-rock splendor they explored on "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans."

They also rocked with real conviction in their most explosive moments, from the ending of "Tonight, Tonight" to "Cherub Rock" and the set-closing "Heavy Metal Machine."

It helps, of course, that Chamberlin remains a very tasteful force of nature on the drums with bassist Jack Bates (whose father, Peter Hook, played bass in Joy Division and New Order) rounding out the lineup.

They also felt a bit looser, more comfortable in their own skin, than on opening night, which came through not just in the playing but also the playful rapport between songs.

This was especially true of the band introductions, which went from one absurd joke to another.

"Jeff's favorite band is from Mesa. They're called Kiss. And now we're gonna hear 'Lick It Up' by Kiss."

"I know this isn't the time to bring it up, but Jimmy's dad is Alex Van Halen."

And so on.

Corgan even joked about the weather at the outdoor show: "You know James, this is as warm as it gets here."

After setting the tone for the encore with "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)," their latest single, Corgan joked, "We know you've gotta get to the nightlife of Mesa. Gotta put on your backwards Diamondbacks hat and go out with your bros."

A fresh start after 30 years

Then he addressed the anniversary.

"Although it's not a continuous journey," he said, "this band started over 30 years ago."

Then, turning to Iha, he added, "James, time has been very kind to you. Time has been very kind. You look like the James Iha I met oh so many years ago."

To which Iha responded with a deadpan delivery of "I've been taking those mega-vitamins."

Then they dove into "Muzzle," bringing the show to a rousing finale with a life-affirming chorus of "As all things must surely have to end / And great loves will one day have to part / I know that I am meant for this world."

Is it weird that they didn't work in any songs from their first album, "Gish," on a tour celebrating their 30th anniversary? At least a little.

But it's hard to fault the songs they did play, which included such career-defining highlights as "Zero," "Today," "Tonight, Tonight," "Disarm," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Cherub Rock," "1979" and "Ava Adore."

The fact that they could slip four new songs into that mix without sacrificing any real momentum says a lot about the chemistry that comes from bringing those three players back together after 18 years apart.

Setlist

Solara

Zero

Today

Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode)

Knights of Malta

Tonight, Tonight

Dross

Friday I'm in Love (The Cure)

Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)

Disarm

Bullet With Butterfly Wings

Porcelina of the Vast Oceans

Travels

Cherub Rock

1979

Ava Adore

Heavy Metal Machine

Encore:

Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)

Muzzle

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