Smashing Pumpkins postpone final Auditorium Theatre show

Ending their controversial four-night Chicago homecoming with neither a whimper nor a bang, the Smashing Pumpkins have canceled tonight’s show at the Auditorium Theatre “due to illness,” according to promoters Jam Productions.

The show has been rescheduled to Dec. 8 at the Auditorium, when the band will play the same “White Crosses” set that had been planned for this evening, and fans will be able to use the same tickets they held for tonight. No word yet on a plan for refunds. Jam has announced that ticket-holders who are unable to attend the new date can obtain a refund at the original point of purchase (though thanks to Ticketmaster’s egregious “convenience fees” practices, it will be the face value only, not those tacked-on costs).

The bestselling alternative era band’s much-anticipated and long-awaited return has generated more controversy than any concert here in years, rivaling Creed’s infamous self-destruction at the Allstate Arena.

Advertised as a “20th Anniversary Tour,” many fans expected a career overview from the reunited group. Instead, bandleader Billy Corgan gave them a conceptual performance that few seemed to understand, featuring some old hits, a lot of new material, an odd collection of rarities and monologues that apparently were part of the show but which many concertgoers heard as bitter eruptions of anger at the fans and/or onstage melt-downs.

The band’s boosters said the first and second nights, “Black Sunshine” and “White Crosses,” both had to be seen to understand what Corgan was attempting to do. Now fans who caught only the “Black Sunshine” night will have to wait two weeks to figure it out–if they still care at all.