Yungblud and Billy Corgan Release Their One-Time-Only Live Performance of “Zombie”
Two generations of alternative rock. One Chicago stage. And a collaboration fans can now hear beyond that room.
Yungblud has released “Zombie (Live From the Riviera Theatre),” capturing his July 30 performance with Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. According to SPIN’s October 8 report, it marks the only time the pair have performed their reimagined version of the song together live. If you missed that Chicago show, this is your chance to hear what happened.
“Zombie” originally appeared on Yungblud’s album IDOLS. He later revisited the track with contributions from Corgan and fellow Smashing Pumpkins members Jimmy Chamberlin and James Iha, acknowledging the influence of the band’s landmark album Siamese Dream on his own music.
That connection makes this more than a surprise guest appearance. A younger artist bringing one of his influences into his own song gives fans a chance to hear the relationship between those musical worlds—and this release captures that collaboration in front of an audience.
The Riviera Theatre performance took place one day before Yungblud’s return to Lollapalooza after eight years away. The Smashing Pumpkins headlined the festival the following night, putting both artists in Chicago for a weekend that also produced this newly released recording.
For Pumpkins fans, it’s another way to hear Corgan step into a different musical setting. For Yungblud fans, it’s a live document of a collaboration that has happened just once onstage.