Billy Corgan brought a wave of nostalgia and emotion to Montreal on Friday night (June 13) during his A Return to Zero Tour with The Machines of God, as he reunited with former Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur for a powerful encore moment.
Performing at Théâtre Beanfield, the show marked a special hometown return for Auf der Maur, who joined Corgan onstage to close the night with a blistering rendition of “The Everlasting Gaze” — a standout from the 2000 album Machina/The Machines of God. The surprise appearance drew cheers and applause from the crowd as the pair embraced on stage, reviving the chemistry they shared during Auf der Maur’s Pumpkins era (1999–2000).
Before the performance, Auf der Maur greeted the audience in French and then switched to English to recount the first time she met Corgan back in 1991. “Do you remember our first conversation?” she asked. “I said, ‘On behalf of Montreal, I apologize for the broken beer bottle thrown at you… I’m Melissa from Montreal, and I’ll follow you ‘til the end of time.’”
Corgan laughed and responded, “I love you, never leave?” before launching into the song, which Auf der Maur also appeared in for its original 2000 music video.
The Montreal stop is part of Corgan’s A Return to Zero Tour, where he performs classic Smashing Pumpkins material — including tracks from Mellon Collie, Machina, and rarities like Aghori Mhori Mei — with a newly formed live band. Corgan noted in an interview that his Pumpkins bandmates James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin opted out of this tour, citing creative differences.
The tour wraps June 29 in Minneapolis, after which Corgan rejoins the Smashing Pumpkins for a summer tour across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.