Smashing Pumpkins Leave Illinois Fans Speechless as Greg Brady Star Barry Williams Performs Onstage With the Band: ‘Two Worlds Colliding’
Fans at the July 29th Smashing Pumpkins concert were left stunned during their performance at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, when something no one ever expected took place on stage. To say no one had the incident on their 2026 BINGO cards is putting it mildly.
During the concert, the Smashing Pumpkins announced they were bringing out a special guest. But no one expected to see television star Barry Williams join the Illinois band on stage to perform the classic Brady Bunch hit “Sunshine Day.” As you know, the Brady Bunch series was a huge hit from 1969 to 1974.
Many fans of classic TV recall that Barry Williams, now 71, played the oldest son, Greg Brady. This is a role he has reprised many times throughout the decades. Throughout his career, he has also made numerous guest appearances on popular television series, including Marcus Welby, M.D., Mission: Impossible, Full House, That ’70s Show, The Masked Singer, and, most recently in 2023, Dancing With the Stars.
Despite his long list of television and film credentials, fans at the Chicago, Illinois Smashing Pumpkins concert never expected to see the classic television star perform with the popular alternative rock band.
Illinois Smashing Pumpkins Fans Get Unexpected Performance By Brady Bunch Star Barry Williams
It is easy to see why fans were stunned, according to the TikTok shared by Robski3030. This is probably the last person anyone would expect to see collab with the rock band. Most of the comments ranged from total surprise to many unsure who Barry Williams was.
“Barry Williams has taken The Brady Bunch with him his entire life. Sort of sad in a way that he couldn’t move on,” one concert-goer writes. “The crowd went mild,” another snarks.
“Corey Feldman would be proud,” one more digs. “This is crazy. Two worlds colliding. I’m Gen X and only know the Brady Bunch from summer TV repeats. Pumpkins fans actually know who he is?” asks another.
Barry Williams and Billy Corgan Share Some History
Oddly enough, the friendship between Barry Williams and Billy Corgan goes back a bit, according to Consequence.net. They write that recently The Brady Bunch star did a guest spot on Corgan’s podcast The Magnificent Others. The two hit it off and discussed in depth Barry’s experience on The Brady Bunch and growing up as a child star.
The stage surprises didn’t end there, and Barry Williams was not the only surprise guest that joined the Smashing Pumpkins on stage that evening. Also making a surprise appearance was the band’s former bassist, Melissa Auf der Maur, who joined in for the closing performance of “The Everlasting Gaze.”
What’s Next For The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins have a full schedule for teh rest of 2026.
have no plans to slow down anytime soon. Per the band’s official website, SmashingPumpkins.com, the band will continue their Illinois shows by returning to Lollapalooza on Friday night.
This performance will mark the band’s first performance at the Chicago festival in 32 years. For those who can’t make it to Grant Park, the band’s set will be available as part of Lollapalooza’s 2026 livestream on Hulu and Disney+. In September, the Smashing Pumpkins will kick off their The Rats in a Cage Tour, celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
Whether or not the Pumpkins have plans to add any future surprise guests to their shows is unknown. However, most fans claim that seeing Brady Bunch star Barry Williams and the band perform Sunshine Day together may have been a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Joann covers high-profile industry features, investigative entertainment stories, and long-form trending media profiles. She has 15 years of experience in the online news vertical.
