For Yungblud, one Lollapalooza performance was more than just a cameo – it was a fan moment playing out in real time. During The Smashing Pumpkins’Friday night set, Billy Corgan surprised the massive Chicago crowd by inviting him onstage to perform “Luna,” the closing track from the band’s beloved 1993 album Siamese Dream.
As the song came to an end, Yungblud couldn’t hide his excitement, telling the crowd, “This is a f***ing dream come true!”, a moment that instantly became one of the festival’s biggest highlights. The surprises weren’t over.
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Later in the set, Corgan introduced another special guest: Olivia Rodrigo. Accompanied by Corgan on acoustic guitar, Rodrigo joined the band for a haunting performance of “Thirty-Three,” from the Smashing Pumpkins’ landmark 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Her look felt like its own piece of ’90s homage: the babydoll-esque silhouette instantly recalling Courtney Love’s iconic “kinderwhore” style with Hole, right down to the era’s signature mix of delicate and disheveled. With rain falling and the stage bathed in red light, the visuals became one of the most talked-about moments of the entire festival.
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According to Rolling Stone, the Pumpkins have been full of surprises throughout Lollapalooza week. At an earlier aftershow, they welcomed Barry Williams (best known as Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch) to perform the sitcom classic “It’s a Sunshine Day,” while former touring bassist Melissa Auf der Maur also reunited with the band for “The Everlasting Gaze.”
Together, the two guest appearances showcased just how influential the Smashing Pumpkins remain more than three decades after breaking through during alternative rock’s golden era.