Lil’ Rebel

By the time this photo was taken, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness had been out for about five years, but the landscape of popular music was changing. It was the beginning of the pop era, when boy and girl bands ruled the radio. I remember living in a state of perpetual ‘mellon collie’ that such dark, lush, and brilliant music like that of The Smashing Pumpkins had been displaced by the facile, pastel hues of “teen pop.” I wore this shirt for school picture day in grade ten because I wanted to express my dissent against the new tide. I’ve come to realize now that to everything there is a season, if you will, but no matter what is currently popular on the radio, Mellon Collie will remain timeless!