Watch The Smashing Pumpkins’ surprise performance on Disney’s holiday special
The Smashing Pumpkins delivered a surprise festive performance on Disney’s holiday special, The Wonderful World Of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration.
The televised event aired on ABC on November 26th and was broadcast live from Walt Disney World in Florida. Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlain, accompanied by Sierra Swan, delivered an exclusive Christmas track titled ‘Evergreen’ and a rendition of Bing Crosby’s 1950 carol, ‘Silver Bells’.
In an interview before the performance, Corgan expressed his affinity for Disney and Disney memorabilia, admitting that he and his family visit the theme parks regularly.
“I work in the world of professional wrestling and when you’re a big fan of professional wrestling, they call you a mark. So I’m a Disney mark,” said Corgan.
Adding: “I collect old Disneyland items. I have stuff as far back as the opening day in 1955. So when they called me to come play Disney, I’m like, ‘Whatever you need’.”
He also explained that he and his family have seven Christmas trees set up in their house, all of which are “decorated with vintage ornaments,” as a tradition.
The band is set to join Green Day next year on their Saviors tour, along with Rancid and The Linda Linda’s, which will include dates in the UK and Europe across May and June 2024. This will be the first tour without their long-term guitarist, Jeff Schroeder, who played with the band for 15 years.
Discussing the departure, Schroeder wrote in a social media post: “It’s easy to say now that when I joined The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007 I had no idea what I was getting into. The opportunity seemed to have come out of nowhere. I was at UCLA working on my doctorate in comparative literature when a close friend messaged me and said The Smashing Pumpkins were looking for a guitar player.”
Adding: “Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I’ve decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path. I want to thank Billy, Jimmy, James, and Jack for being both wonderful bandmates and even better friends. I will absolutely miss sharing the stage with you. I wish the band all the success in the future. I will be watching and listening.”
The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration is available to watch on Disney+.
