Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan (L) and Microgroove owner Keith Ulrey in Tampa, Florida on Oct. 7, 2022. Credit: Photo c/o Keith Ulrey

The Smashing Pumpkins are in Tampa tonight for a headlining show with Jane’s Addiction, but frontman Billy Corgan made some time to go record shopping before the gig.

“He shopped the whole store, man, A-Z,” Keith Ulrey, founder and owner of Seminole Heights record store Microgroove, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

Ulrey, who also runs Best of the Bay-winning Tampa label New Granada Records said he noticed Corgan immediately when he came out of the minivan that brought the songwriter and two others to the store, located at 4906 N Florida Ave.

“He bought a nice stack,” Ulrey added, saying Corgan spent a couple hundred dollars during the 30-minute trip. In the haul was lots of ’70s soft-rock and pop, some Glen Campbell, Canned Heat and even a record by Rhode Island ’60s and ’70s harmony-driven family band The Cowsills.
“He definitely picked up the new Pailhead reissue a few times,” Ulrey said referencing the short-lived side project of Ministry’s Al Jourgensen and Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye. “We talked a little bit about that, but he didn’t end up buying it.”

Naturally, Ulrey kept it cool, and did his normal “let me know if you have any questions” spiel. Corgan did the same, chatted it up with Ulrey and complemented the shopkeeper on the condition and cleanliness of the records. “I even rang another customer up as he was opening up a few of the records,” Ulrey said.

Despite not mentioning Corgan’s name or the band, Ulrey did ask for a picture. Corgan—who’s shopped at St. Pete’s Daddy Kool in the past—was gracious and agreed and even told Ulrey to stay behind the counter so that people could see he was at the shop.

It seems Corgan enjoyed the trip, too. Among the likes on a social media post from Microgroove is the Smashing Pumpkin frontman himself. The band even shared the post on its Instagram story.

“Totally normal small talk,” Ulrey said before laughing and saying, “I didn’t even ask for tickets!”