Smashing Pumpkins Get 19-Year-Old Drummer?

Oregon-based Moses, Smell the Roses may have just lost its drummer/self-proclaimed demoralizer. Rumor has it that 19-year-old Mike Byrne of the group may be on his way to something bigger: a gig with the Smashing Pumpkins.

In March, an official call for a drummer to replace former Pumpkin Jimmy Chamberlin and join a group with a "rich 20-year history" graced the group's website. Auditions were held in Los Angeles on April 10, and discussions on Hipsters United, a fan blog dedicated to the Pumpkins, indicate that Byrne is the chosen one, even if he wasn't alive for all of said "rich history." For one thing, the drummer's MySpace indicates that he is "off for another couple weeks at pumpkin camp." For another, Portland musician Ben Spees, who is helping out with the latest Moses, Smell the Roses record, tweeted, "billy corgan posted about mike in his blog. drummer of the future." Now, we all know that Twitter isn't always the end-all, be-all when it comes to reliable sources, but things are still looking good for Byrne.

No matter who Corgan has selected, he seems pleased. On Friday, he blogged, "And I think I have my drummer of the future. I've worked with him so far for one week and all indications are really good that he's the man for the job."

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Cover Story: Billy Corgan: Smashing Presumptions
SmashingPumpkins.com