Name that band!

Time for another concert, this time with Jeph.  A friend of his works at the DAR and thus gets free up-close tix to shows all the time.  I don't know that I ever would have picked this particular band to see, but I'm glad I did.  It's somehow fitting and made me all nostalgic.  Recognize this guy?  (And yes, he's wearing a skirt.  I think everyone on stage was wearing Halloween costumes, but I really can't be sure.)
Still not sure?  I'll give you some hints.  1979.  Zero.  Tonight, Tonight.  Bullet with Butterfly Wings.  That's right, the evening's entertainment was Smashing Pumpkins.
They did back-to-back shows at this venue with no opening band - just the Pumpkins headlining, with 25 songs each night.  It was an impressive show, even though I didn't know any of the newer songs.  They were bringing all sorts of random instruments onto the stage, which is always a plus for me.  Sure, you've got the guitars and drums...but then how about keyboard sometimes, or trumpet, or trombone, or flute, or electronic violin, or tambourine, or  mariachis?  For one song, every single person (I think there were 8 of them) was playing some kind of percussion instrument, even some crazy Tahitian-sounding drums.  I'm all about that.  Shows real musicality in a band.  

That being said, allow me just a moment to get something off my chest.  I'm all about a band showing off their musical skills.  That's why I love concerts.  What I absolutely do not love is the 15-minute jam sessions before and/or after every song.  When it gets to the point where I actually think, "if I was listening to the radio, I would've changed the station by now.  If it was a CD or my iPod, I would've switched to the next song about 5 minutes ago," it's time to move on.  We get it, you're very talented musicians.  Time to move along with the show now.  Come on.  This is the Smashing Pumpkins.  They have LOTS of albums with LOTS of good songs - with words - that they could be playing.  Why are they wasting their time and boring their fans with the jam sesh?  We did not pay good money (so, okay, yes, this time it was free...but still) to come hear them play the same measure 18 times in a row, long after the real song ended.  As I recall, I've seen this occur at two other shows: Dave Matthews and Death Cab for Cutie.  Didn't like it then, either.  Why do bands think this is a good idea?  Whatever gave them the impression that concert-goers would be entertained by this for such an extended duration?  Do they not understand that our society has a very short attention span?  Are they trying to lull us to sleep?  Or did they forget we were even there?

For the record, I never see this phenomenon at small shows.  It's always the big bands.   Stay strong, little bands.  Don't let those big guys bully you onto the alluring jam sesh bandwagon.  It won't make you cool and it won't make more people like you.  You're perfect just the way you are.