Billy Corgan, Melissa Auf der Maur Reunite for Montreal Anniversary Tour Performance

Billy Corgan, currently touring with his band The Machines of God on the A Return to Zero Tour, brought a nostalgic and emotional moment to Montreal by reuniting onstage with former Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur. Auf der Maur, who joined the Pumpkins as a touring member from 1999 to 2000, appeared for the encore to perform “The Everlasting Gaze,” a song from the 2000 Machina/The Machines of God album, much to the crowd’s delight. Before performing, Auf der Maur shared a memorable story about their first meeting in Montreal in 1991, apologizing for a broken beer bottle incident and pledging her loyalty to Corgan. Corgan explained that his current tour features a new band lineup as his former Smashing Pumpkins bandmates James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin chose not to participate, citing creative differences. The tour celebrates anniversaries of key Smashing Pumpkins albums and will continue through June before Corgan reassembles the original band for a summer international tour. This reunion was a highlight for fans, symbolizing a revival of the chemistry and history shared by Corgan and Auf der Maur during their time together in the band.