Over the summer I attended a Smashing Pumpkins concert in the Pepsi arena in Albany, NY with my brother and girlfriend. We had floor seats in the

twentieth row.

Garbage lead off with their hit "I'm only happy when it Rains." Then they slowly made their way through the rest of the songs from their latest album. "Stupid Girl" sent the crowd into a frenzy and ended the band's segment, leaving the audience pumped for the entrance of the Smashing Pumpkins.

Suddenly the lights went black and the theme song to "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" began. This made the audience even more excited and eager to see the group in action. While the song was playing, you could see the dark silhouettes of the band members coming onto the stage. Then without warning the lights glared on and the Pumpkins blasted into their hit single "Zero." They made the crowd wait until the first encore to hear the rest of their crazed hits like "Bullets with Butterfly Wings" and "1979."

The concert was great except for the sound system. The volume was too loud, and let's just say this arena is not the best place for an acoustic show. The sound echoed off everything, which really didn't complement the group's huge speakers. But overall, I really enjoyed it and suggest seeing the Smashing Pumpkins if they're in your area