Although they came out of the same eruption as Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Alice in Chains, Chicago’s Smashing Pumpkins at once defied expectations and single-handedly defined the alternative sound. Whereas other acts of the time subtly hinted at classic rock influences, the Pumpkins made no bones about wanting to be Fleetwood Mac. The band soldiered through a chain of hits like “Disarm,” “Today,” “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and “Zero.” They also endured lineup drama, overdoses and bad albums before calling it quits in 2000.

Always a hit-and-miss proposition live, due to high emotions and constant drama, they nevertheless were always entertaining if only for Billy Corgan’s genius guitar playing and his tendency to run his mouth. When the Smashing Pumpkins return to Noblesville, Ind., this Saturday as part of the annual X-Fest, look for more of the same. While it’s not the classic lineup that included James Iha and D’arcy Wretzky, it’s still got Corgan in the driver’s seat, and he was always the main man anyway.

Smashing Pumpkins were always hinged on Corgan’s leadership and songwriting with the rest of the band merely supporting players. After his brief “supergroup” Zwan fizzled and his solo album was completely ignored, Corgan woke up the namesake, pulled in veteran drummer Jimmy Chamberlain and recorded a new album, Zeitgeist.

Despite near uniform thrashing by national critics, Zeitgeist isn’t nearly as bad as some would have you believe. “United States,” a nearly 10-minute guitar workout, is as powerful and unglued as anything Corgan’s ever done, while “Tarantula” and “That’s the Way (My Love Is)” hold up against any of the classic singles. Look for these songs to shine live and add a nice counterpart to the hit parade.