"Driven by our own interests, we work with a wide variety of genres-what we feel are the most intriguing, at any given moment-and then try to bring in the very best artists from those genres. "We try to be both inclusive and selective," says booking agent Pete Toalson. Sporting a history too storied and rich to account for in extreme detail, the Empty Bottle has been alive and kickin' since 1992, and consistently crafts some of the most innovative lineups of musical guests, everything from, according to the website, "Anti-pop Consortium to Trans Am, in the indie-rock, electronic, experimental, jazz post-this and pre-that." You never know what you're gonna find on a week to week, day to day basis. The crowd at the Empty Bottle (photo by Kim Morris) With its nondescript but "Friendly" exterior, the Empty Bottle is just a little hole-in-the-wall, a veritable hipster's paradise that features a pool table up front, the requisite photo booth, real cheap booze, and some of the finest bands on the planet. We begin in Ukrainian Village, on a rather desolate stretch of Western Avenue, just north of Augusta. Outside the Empty Bottle (photo by Kim Morris)
So for this installment of Transmission's Venue Reviews, I examine a few long-standing neighborhood venues in Chicago, ones that are new to this recent transplant but that are probably old friends to some of you. I guess I like it when the music is easily accessible. For a guy from the suburbs of Michigan, the neighborhood music club is a novel concept and being able to see a national touring band just around the bend from my apartment fills me with a unique sense of joy. I delve into their evolutions, their personality and history, their bars and restaurants and, of course, their music venues.
Whenever an old friend, acquaintance or family member asks me about my life in Chicago, I always end up talking about the same thing: the neighborhoods. Feature Thu Venue Reviews #2: The Empty Bottle and The Beat Kitchen
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