How many pumpkins does it take to be smashing?

Saturday night you can see the iconic 90s band Smashing Pumpkins at Hoyt Sherman Place. Or can you?

It's essentially a solo show by singer/guitarist Billy Corgan. Long gone are James Iha, D'arcy Wretzky and Jimmy Chamberlin from the band's classic "Siamese Dream" and "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" days.

Chamberlin played in Corgan's post-Pumpkins project, Zwan, which means Zwan had more members of Smashing Pumpkins than Smashing Pumpkins currently does.

Smashing Pumpkins was one of my first big concerts. They performed at Hilton Coliseum in 1996 with Garbage opening. Chamberlin had just been kicked out of the band for drug issues, but with Corgan, Iha and Wretzky, I still felt like I was seeing Smashing Pumpkins.

Is Corgan playing solo or with hired hands really a Smashing Pumpkins show? The same could be asked of Axl Rose and the current lineup of Guns N' Roses. The singer is usually a band's most prominent member and the new musicians around them are technically proficient, but it's just not the same.

Bands that continue on without their singer face similar obstacles. For every successful transition, like Bon Scott to Brian Johnson in AC/DC, there are a dozen Gary Cherone-era Van Halens. Sebastian Bach has been out of Skid Row for almost 20 years, but he'll be playing the band's songs at the Val Air Ballroom on Monday. Would you rather hear him sing "18 and Life" with a backing band you probably don't know, or hear Rachel Bolan and Scott Hill playing it with new singer Tony Harnell?

There are some bands that have anchors that could just never be replaced. You could maybe argue against Ringo, but without any of The Fab Four, The Beatles wouldn't really be The Beatles. Mick Jagger may be the voice of the Rolling Stones, but without Keith Richards' guitar and songwriting skills most Stones songs would probably be as exciting as Jagger's forgettable solo material.

Eric Clapton and Jack White realized they could just start playing songs from their many projects under their own names. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant probably could have slapped the Led Zeppelin name on "No Quarter," but they were smart enough not to without John Paul Jones. Meanwhile, the popularity of Kiss remains strong with Paul, Gene and two guys in Ace and Peter's make-up.

There's a nostalgia factor at play here. Yes, nostalgia is now in play for 90's acts like Smashing Pumpkins. The agonized teens blaring "Disarm" on repeat in their bedroom are now in their 30s. They have jobs, kids and a mortgage and just want to hear an evening of songs from "Gish" to remind them of happier times (when they probably weren't really that happy).

Those looking for more 90stalgia this summer have several good options. 80/35 co-headliner Weezer (July 10-11) fits this category thanks to the band's two classic 90's albums, "Weezer" (The Blue Album) and "Pinkerton." The other 80/35 headliner, Wilco, kind of fits, though the band's classic album, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" didn't come out until 2002 and Aughtstalgia is still a few years away. Blues Traveler plays the Iowa Speedway July 17. "Good" band Better Than Ezra plays Nitefall on the River Aug. 16. Sir Mix-A-Lot plays a free stage at the Iowa State Fair Aug. 20. Stir Cove in Council Bluffs has Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty playing Saturday, David Gray on June 30 and Alice in Chains July 30. Stir Cove will also have Weird Al on July 2, who will parody a lot of 90's songs.

The 90's were when CDs ruled supreme, which means a lot of great albums from the decade either got very limited vinyl releases, or weren't pressed in the format until years later. Nate Niceswanger of ZZZ Records said the decade is not well represented on vinyl, but classic albums from the decade, including Smashing Pumpkins releases, are becoming more common.

"Starting in the late 80s, a lot of stuff was just coming out on tape or CD," Niceswanger said. "You can see albums by some groups, like Dave Matthews band, going for $300 or more on eBay. I always felt if I had the money to start a label, that's absolutely the era I would focus on. I'm more of an 80's guy, but there are so many great albums from the 90's that aren't available on vinyl that absolutely should be."

I won't be at Saturday's Smashing Pumpkins show, largely because I'll be covering the Gentlemen of the Road Stopover in Waverly. But even without the conflict, I don't know if I could bring myself to go. That Ames Smashing Pumpkins show was an important part of my teenage years, would I want to risk tainting that? And don't worry about Billy; Saturday's show is sold out.

Smashing Pumpkins

• When: 8 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave.
• Cost: SOLD OUT
• Info: hoytsherman.org